Organic diurethanes and/or polyurethanes are prepared by reacting organic diamines and/or polyamines (a) with urea and/or alkyl cabamates (b) and alcohols (c) in the presence of soluble zirconium compounds, preferably zirconium alkoxides, zirconium acetate or zirconium acetylacetonate, as catalyst (d). They can be used for preparing diisocyanates and/or polyisocyanates by thermal dissociation.