From 17 to 18 May, the Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) hosted the first Model United Nations (MUN) Conference of the season with support from the UN Office (UNO) Tashkent. 

The opening ceremony was attended by Stefan Priesner, the UN Resident Coordinator, Abdumalik Djumanov, the Rector of WIUT and Abdudjabbor Abduvahitov, the Rector of the President’s Academy who later delivered a special lecture on the issue of disarmament in the global agenda. 

The delegates of the first MUN consisted of the students from WIUT, University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Management Development Institute of Singapore in Tashkent, Tashkent Islamic University, Kazakhstan Institute of Management, Economics and Strategic Research and the American University in Central Asia.

After many years, the conference was held with an innovative eye on its methodology: sessions of two General Assembly Committees took place simultaneously with two separate issues on the table.

Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee debated the topic of “Ensuring the future prosperity for youth: focusing on youth unemployment”, while the delegates of the International Security Committee held heated discussions on “Fostering international peace and security: disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation”. 

The first MUN concluded with a certificate-awarding ceremony to all the delegates, while the most active participants landed special prizes from the UN Information Office and the WIUT for their outstanding work in such nominations as “The Best Position Paper”, “The Best Delegate and the Best Contribution” and “The Best Speaker”. 

The photo exhibition "International Cultural Dialogue" which commemorates the World Intellectual Property Day and the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, was inaugurated on May 7 at the UN House in Armenia.

The black and white photographs by the Armenian photographer and artist Tatev Mnatsakanyan, featuring the Armenian and Egyptian famous painters and sculptors, were exhibited. Her art attracted youth, artists, the international community, civil society activists, the media and the general public.

The aim of the exhibition is to raise the public’s awareness about the distinguished artists who dedicated their life to the development of art and promotion of peace, tolerance and cultural diversity. Tatev Mnatsakanyan plans to involve those countries in Western Europe, Middle East, USA, Canada and Russia, which have large Armenian communities, and serve as cultural bridge between nations.

Maria Dotsenko, UN Department of Public Information Representative said: “Through Armenian art, its rich traditions, which developed its strengths and brightness on the crossroads of various civilizations, we wish to attract public attention to the promotion of cultural diversity, tolerance and dialogue among different nations. I believe that this exhibition exalting the esteemed artists empowers the next, young generation with creativity. The UN House doors are traditionally open to artists who use their creativity to promote UN values aimed to spread ideas of peace, cultural diversity, gender equality and sustainable development.”

The photographer, Tatev Mnatsakanyan added: “I wish to further promote the beauty of Armenian art and its principles of tolerance and respect to diversity. Thanks to UNO Yerevan, I am able to share my works that were demonstrated earlier in the Armenian National Assembly and in Tashkent, Uzbekistan”.

Several of the elderly artists whose photos were on the walls were also present at the opening ceremony thus doubling the value of the exhibition and the essence of the theme itself.

The exhibition will be displayed in UN House till the end of May.
More photos on UN Armenia Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.521825264543213.1073741834.150992104959866&type=3

In Rome for the annual two-day meeting of the UN Communications Group at the principal level, the Under-Secretary-General (USG) of the Department of Public Information (DPI) seized the opportunity to develop an agenda of extra-UN institutional meetings.
 
Tasked with drafting the USG agenda, the Desk Officer for Italy arranged for Mr. Launsky-Tieffenthal to meet with Italy’s former Foreign Minister and former Deputy President of the European Commission, Mr. Franco Frattini, currently President of the Italian UN Association, “SIOI”. The event took place at SIOI premises, which provided the USG with the opportunity to meet with the responsible and the staff of UNICRI Rome, UNRIC/Italy’s antenna office, which is located just next to SIOI.
 
Following a working lunch at IFAD with some high-level staff of UNICs in the MENA region, the USG then met at the Vatican with Father Lombardi, the Pope’s Spokesperson and Director of Vatican Radio. UNRIC/Italy attended this meeting. Multilingualism was the first item of discussion addressed, in light of the broad coverage Vatican Radio can guarantee with its programs broadcast in thirty-nine languages. This has made Vatican Radio a natural partner of UNRIC/Italy for many years, ensuring the wide dissemination of information products originated in New York in the six official languages. Interreligious dialogue, the use of the internet and social media were among the other themes touched upon during the meeting, which also focused on issues that were identified as being of common interest, such as refugees and IDPs, humanitarian crises, peacekeeping, development. The USG floated the idea of establishing mutual web links between Vatican Radio and those UN information offices that have an interest in multilingual dissemination of information products.

Following a three-year break due to the closing of the Trento University’s Master’s programme in Human rights and conflict management with which the Desk Officer for Italy had been cooperating between 2007 and 2009, UNRIC/Italy this year resumed its partnership with this new two-year international Master’s programme, within the context of the training activities carried out by the local School of International Studies (http://www.unitn.it/en/drsis/11883/school-international-studies-university-trento).
 
The School is one of Italy’s academic centers of excellence, and is the result of the cooperation of four different faculties of the Trento University, one of which (Economy) is headed by Professor Nesi, who has been the Legal responsible in the Italian Representation to the United Nations for many years. Hence, the international dimension of its activities and the particular interest in maintaining the cooperation with UNRIC. Also, the School entertains working contacts with another prestigious Italian academic center, which has long been a partner for UNRIC in this field, Scuola Sant’Anna in Pisa.
 
In his presentation to the students, the Desk Officer centered on the UN peacekeeping and the institutional public information activities taking place on the various HQ, regional and field levels. Upon request from the students, he then expanded on the UN employment opportunities with an ad hoc presentation. It raised considerable questioning, paving the way to a following presentation that was given on career counseling. Internship opportunities were also publicized.
 
Aside from showing the excellent working relationship UNRIC/Italy entertains with the School’s management, the office’s participation in this activity contributed to further asserting the position that the office has by now firmly taken within the landscape of international relations-related training activities by Italian universities.