Secretary-General to Deliver Opening Address at Third Annual Global Model

 

United Nations Conference, to be held in Republic of Korea, 10-14 August

 

Some 600 Student Delegates Expected to Discuss Issues of Sustainability

The United Nations Department of Public Information will organize the third annual Global Model UN Conference in Incheon, Republic of Korea, from 10 to 14 August under the theme “Sustainable Development: Advancing Human Progress in Harmony with Nature”.  United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will deliver the opening address.

At this annual event, to be hosted by the Metropolitan City of Incheon and the United Nations Association of the Republic of Korea, the best university-level students who participate in Model UN programmes around the world will gather to simulate the General Assembly plenary and deliberate on issues of economic and socio-political sustainability, including the conflict between optimum use of the world’s resources for development and environmental preservation.

Secretary-General Ban writes in his message to the 2011 Global Model UN Conference: “The ecosystems and resources you will inherit have been subjected to unprecedented stress and exploitation.  Different countries and societies have made very different contributions to this state of affairs, but all should be able to agree that it is unsustainable — and we need to find a more balanced and sustainable approach.”

Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information and himself a Model UN alumnus, is an ardent advocate of the student conferences as a medium by which young people can not only be enlightened about the critical role played by the United Nations in world affairs, but also encouraged to aspire to careers in diplomacy and international civil service in their respective countries.  “It is our hope that participation in the Global Model UN Conference will inspire young people to become ambassadors, to work for the United Nations or become the experts and leaders that we in the United Nations look to.”

Guiding the Global Model UN Conference will be rules of procedure closely resembling those of the actual General Assembly.  Two intensive pre-conference training workshops will be conducted, both at United Nations Headquarters and in Incheon, to provide those selected as Secretariat and General Assembly officials with an insider’s perspective on the world body’s operations.  In addition, delegates will be afforded the opportunity to interact directly with United Nations experts, officials and diplomats through a series of live video chats in order better to acquaint themselves with the substantive issues of sustainable development to be addressed during the Conference.

The Department of Public Information employs a transparent, inclusive and gender-balanced selection process which ensures that students from all socio-economic backgrounds and geographic regions are represented.  The 2011 Global Model UN is expected to attract approximately 600 university-level students between the ages of 18 and 26 from 53 Member States.  The deadline for applications has been extended to 30 June 2011.

Supporting the Department in coordinating the Conference are the World Federation of United Nations Associations, the United Nations Foundation and the United Nations International Fund for Partnerships.

For additional information, please contact Yvonne Acosta, Chief, Education Outreach Cluster, Outreach Division, Department of Public Information, at acostay@un.org; or Bill Yotive, Manager, Global Teaching and Learning Project, at yotive@un.org.  Visit the Conference website at www.un.org/gmun.

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For information media • not an official record