UNIC Director Will Davis

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Washington Director Will Davis visited Michigan State University (MSU) for UN Day to discuss the benefits of US-UN reengagement, he also got the unexpected bonus of discovering how MSU itself could play a role in impacting global issues.  

Mr. Davis said he was impressed by the efforts of student groups, the presence of international scientists at the Cyclotron and university efforts to work on climate change. Among other things, the Director headlined an event with the MSU Model UN, spoke at a dinner, was a guest speaker at the East Lansing UNA Chapter in Michigan’s Annual Dinner, and gave a speech on the status of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) following presentations from the Head of Michigan Manufacturer’s Association and Michigan States Bus School Global Outreach program as well as faculty presentations on MSU’s work on the MDGs.

Mr. Davis’ goal was to elucidate a clearer idea of what the UN is and is not but was also pleasantly surprised to find his own views of MSU refined, paving the way for a potentially deeper cooperation in the future.

UNIC Director Will Davis

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Washington Director Will Davis spoke to over 200 middle school students, their parents, and faculty advisors from the Washington, DC area on “The Future of the UN” on November 7, 2009.

His speech was the keynote address at the Greater Washington Conference on International Affairs, a Model UN conference for exceptional middle school students. It was organized by the George Washington University’s International Affairs Society, a student-run organization which seeks to promote better understanding and general awareness of international affairs.

UNIC Deputy Director speaking at the Virginia Model UN Conference

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Washington Deputy Director David Smith spoke to over 750 delegates to a Model UN Conference at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on 6 November 2009.

The event drew high-school students from six Mid-Atlantic States, and he focused on the changing role of the UN, from Peacekeeping to Pandemics to Climate Change and Food Security. “The UN is changing to meet the challenges of a world which has so many problems without passports.” After his keynote speech, he took an hour of questions ranging from Security Council Reform to mediation in the Middle East.

UNIC Director leads a workshop at the Georgetown University

The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Washington Director Will Davis spoke to a workshop for the Georgetown University undergraduate students on the UN’s role in development as part of UNICEF-Georgetown International Development Conference on 6 November 2009.  The conference was organized by the UNICEF-Georgetown University, a student club dedicated to supporting the goals of UNICEF, and was capped by a dinner with over 200 participants where the UNIC Director was host for a table of a dozen students interested in hearing more about the UN.