Over 700 school children and their teachers took part in a peace march in the city of Anuradhapura, and later attended a seminar organized by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Colombo with the support of Provincial Department of Education and the United Nations Association (UNA) in Sri Lanka to mark the International Day of Peace on 22 September 2009.

Students dressed in white uniforms commenced their march from the Nivaththaka Chethiya High School in Anuradhapura in rural Sri Lanka. Upon trekking for four kilometers through busy city streets, they returned to the starting point. The participants held three big banners with the humanity’s eternal wish “Let there be peace forever in the world” written in Sinhala, Tamil and English.

The seminar was held in the auditorium of the school with the participation of all those who took part in the peace march. Provincial Director of Education, North Central Province, UNIC National Information Officer and a representative of the UNA in Sri Lanka addressed the audience on different issues and aspects related to peace and the United Nation’s contribution towards maintaining peace in the present day world. Several cultural items presented by students of Nivaththaka Chethiya added color to the seminar.

 A nine-member Armenian delegation participated in a first annual Global Model United Nations conference “The Millennium Developments Goals - Lifting the Bottom Billion out of Poverty” which was held in Geneva, Switzerland from 2 to 7 August.

The students from different Yerevan universities were among 700 best students from the national Model UN programs representing 60 countries. The event was organized by the UN Department of Public Information in cooperation with the World Federation of UN Associations (WFUNA).

The Model UN conferences are simulations of the United Nations forums, such as the General Assembly and its Main Committees and the Security Council. “Youth represent a top priority for the United Nations and, I am convinced, this youth gathering was an excellent opportunity for you to develop your leadership and communications skills that you will use throughout your lives, and why not as part of the UN family”, said Resident Coordinator of the United Nations information office (UNO) in Yerevan Ms. Consuelo Vidal during a press conference on 16 September 2009. “We have learned more about how the UN functions and got a unique opportunity to talk to many UN officials.

The United Nations DPI also provided training materials and online tools that allowed us to collaborate using new communication technologies,” said Aram Voskanyan from the Yerevan State University, head of the Armenian delegation in the Global Model UN, deputy president of the Armenian UN Association.

The Armenian delegation was also supported by the President of Armenia, Civil Aviation Department of the Government of Armenia, the UNO/DPI Yerevan office and by the Armenian UN Association.  
Since 2000 the UNO Yerevan supported the Model UN Conferences in cooperation with authorities, civil society organizations and education institutions.

As part of its outreach activities, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Beirut organized a briefing for a delegation of Lebanese students who will participate in the first annual Global Model UN Conference to be held in Geneva 5-7 August 2009. Members of the delegation, composed of nine students from the Lebanese American University (LAU), were also trainers for the 4th Global Classrooms –LAU Model United Nations program for high school students in Lebanon.
On 14 July at the UN House in Beirut, UNIC Director Bahaa Elkoussy has briefed the Lebanese students, focusing first on the work of the world organization to meet the various challenges of the 21st century. After watching the “United Nations: It’s Your World” DVD, the students expressed support for the work and principles of the UN and its efforts to make a real difference in the lives of people around the world.
The students also watched the “Make it Happen” DVD, which focuses on the work of the UN to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The UNIC Director reviewed the commitments made by world leaders in 2000 to achieve eight main goals by 2015 with the aim of improving the life of people, particularly the most vulnerable. More than halfway to the deadline, Elkoussy explained that despite some successes progress has been slowed or in some cases reversed as a result of the ongoing global economic and food crises. He also gave details about how some of the gains made in the eradication of poverty and hunger were undone in 2008 due to the situation and higher food prices. Global warming and climate change are also adding pressures to the already stressed food market, affecting not only agriculture but also land and water management, he added. Asked to name some of the successes made in the implementation of MDGs, students cited progress in achieving universal primary education, reducing maternal and children mortality and lowering the number of new HIV infections.
Elkoussy also briefed the students on the last summit meeting held at the UN Headquarters in June to address ways of mitigating impacts of the global economic crisis on development and the poor and to initiate a dialogue on reforming the international financial architecture. The students also discussed with him the problem of small arms and light weapons and its effects on realizing MDGs. It was emphasized that safety and security were crucial for development and investments.
The students were provided with a press kit prepared by UNIC Beirut, which included the following material: Building a Stronger UN for a Better World, a short list of MDGs, a press release on the 2009 MDGs report, fact sheets on World Climate Conference-3, an overview report entitled “The Global Economic and Financial Crisis: Regional Impacts, Responses and Solutions," the UN Charter and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The University of World Economy and Diplomacy and the United Nations information office (UNO) in Tashkent held a Model UN conference and debate to mark the annual International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
 
The debates, held on 28 May 2009, focused on the topic “A dilemma for the UN peacekeeping operations: providing ways to achieve self-sustaining peace or leaving conflicts unresolved?” Using case studies from past and current UN peacekeeping operations, two groups of students from the Faculty of International Relations
presented their arguments on this theme to their university peers.

The first group claimed “it was not the job of peacekeepers to create a permanent solution. The goal is to stabilize a situation so as to give politicians and diplomats the opportunity to establish a permanent self-sustaining peace.” On the contrary, the second team insisted that the current peacekeeping model was far from perfect and should be criticized for leaving conflicts unresolved. They said peacekeeping only contributed to maintaining an unstable status quo and did not offer any way out in the long run. 

The heated debates revealed no winner but ended in a peaceful consensus. Both sides agreed that UN peacekeepers deserved far greater support from Member States to carry out their mandates in today’s complex and challenging world.  With a minute of silence, they honoured the memory of all men and women who had lost their lives in the cause of peace.

On 30 May 2009 students from University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Westminster University, Tashkent Law Institute, University of World Languages and International Business School gathered in Tashkent to debate another highly topical issue, “Security Implications of Pakistan’s Tribal Areas and the emergence of neo-Taliban.” The Model UN delegates underscored the need for large-scale international support for both Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan to tackle the new threat to stability in the region.