27 January 2010
Middle school students from Kenya, Uganda and Zambia participate in Model UN
About 800 students from Kenya, Uganda and Zambia converged on the UN Headquarters in Nairobi to participate in a Model UN. The Director-General of the UN Office in Nairobi (UNON), Achim Steiner, welcomed the students and reminded them how Model UNs enlighten young people as to how the Organization operates.
Mr. Steiner explained that only through such platforms can students understand what challenges the UN, through its 192 Member States, faces during the course of its work. He stressed how vital it was for the young people to understand, appreciate and participate in the issues that the UN is involved in explaining that it was 'their organization."
He drew attention of the participants to the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, in which the UN and the international commun- ity were called upon to act quickly. He also explained on the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen where world leaders met in December to address one of the most important issues touching everyone's life.
The Middle School Model UN is held annually at UNON and the age of the delegates range from 11 and 14 years from various public and private schools.