Note No. 5680

                                                            26 September 2001

Note to Correspondents

UNITED NATIONS TOUR GUIDES TO ASSIST AMERICAN RED CROSS, OTHER UNITED NATIONS

STAFF JOIN RELIEF EFFORT AS VOLUNTEER INTERPRETERS

The United Nations tour guides will help to staff information kiosks being set up around New York City by the American Red Cross in the United Nations’ first official input to the city’s relief operations following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on 11 September.  Responding to an offer of assistance made by Secretary-General Kofi Annan when he visited the disaster site with New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Governor George Pataki, the American Red Cross approached the United Nations to see if some of its staff could be made available to provide information to New Yorkers, family members of the missing and visitors to New York on a variety of subjects related to relief operations.

The project, sponsored by the Red Cross, is in fact part of a pioneer project, a partnership with Microsoft and Compaq, entitled: "Register to let others know you are OK".  The Family Registration Web site at www.redcross.org will allow people to self-register with the Red Cross so that the organization can respond to the thousands of inquiries received from concerned friends and family nationwide.  It will be possible to inquire about a family member by calling the Mayor’s Hotline at (212) 560-2730.  While much of the initial interest in such information may have subsided, the project is being seen by the Red Cross as a test run should such a need arise in the future.

Kiosks will be set up in various locations around the city.  So far, 27 locations have been identified.  Most of them are in Manhattan, but there are other locations in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island.  The kiosks are located mostly in banks (several Dime banks), Starbucks, and government buildings, including borough halls and court buildings. 

Since United Nations Headquarters is currently closed to visitors and the Department of Public Information’s guided tours are temporarily suspended, the guides seemed a perfect match for a task that can benefit from their client orientation and language skills.  Reaction among the guides has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic:  “I’m grateful for this opportunity to be of use in this time of tragedy in any way possible.”  “It means doing something, helping out, even if it is indirectly.  In addition, it is not very different form what we usually do, meaning, informing people.”

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                                                      26 September 2001

On a related note, more than 100 United Nations staff members have responded to a request from the Office of the Mayor of New York, offering their time and language skills as Volunteer Interpreters in an effort coordinated by the Office of Human Resources Management.  Covering 38 different languages, these staff members have volunteered at such sites as the Family Assistance Center at Pier 94.  A similar effort is also being undertaken by the United Nations Development Programme.

For further information, please contact the Chief of the UN Guided Tours Unit, Helene Hoedl, at 963-3242.

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