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United Nations Information Centres

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United Nations Information Centres
AbbreviationUNIC
Formation1946
PurposeInformation centre
HeadquartersNew York
Head
António Guterres[1] (2017–present)
Websiteunic.un.org

The United Nations Information Centres (UNIC) were established in 1946, headquartered in New York, USA.[2] Spread across 63 countries worldwide.[3] These centers, until 2018, facilitated the exchange and sharing of current global events on behalf of the United Nations. Under the management of the Department of Global Communications within the UN Secretariat until 2018, UNICs were pivotal in communicating the organization's challenges. The Department of Global Communications oversaw and sanctioned all developmental initiatives, primarily concentrating on thematic campaigns promoting UN-related concerns, subsequently distributed through regional information centers.[4]

History

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Established in 1946 under the auspices of the United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC), the United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) stand as integral pillars in fostering global collaboration and facilitating the exchange of vital information. The DGC, committed to serving the diverse populations under the United Nations umbrella, assumed responsibility for the oversight and coordination of UNIC operations.

The inaugural establishment of UNICs in 1946 marked the genesis of a network designed to bridge communication gaps on a global scale. Initially consisting of two centers, their mandate swiftly expanded over the years, extending their footprint to encompass 63 countries worldwide. Positioned as central hubs within their respective regions, UNICs assumed a pivotal role in the dissemination of pertinent information pertaining to the United Nations system.

From their headquarters in New York, USA, UNICs served as conduits for the transmission of updates, initiatives, and challenges encountered within the United Nations framework. By leveraging their strategic locations and robust communication networks, these centers fulfill their mandate of fostering a more informed and interconnected global community.[5][6]

Head of Department is Ms. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. She leads the UN’s Department of Global Communications, which informs global audiences about the state of the world and engages them to build support for the work and goals of the United Nations.

The United Nations Information Centres (UNICs), the field offices of the Department of Global Communications, are the principal sources of information about the United Nations system in the countries where they are located. UNICs are responsible for promoting greater public understanding of and support for the aims and activities of the United Nations. UNICs deliver information about the United Nations in their respective countries, in local languages, to a wide range of people, including journalists, government officials, civil society representatives, students, educators and researchers.

Scope

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United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) have been strategically established across various regions, including Europe, the Americas, the UAE, Asia & the Pacific, and Africa. These centers serve as vital conduits aimed at bridging communication divides by disseminating essential United Nations information to people worldwide. To ensure accessibility and comprehensibility, all information is meticulously translated and presented in the regional languages of their respective areas.

Often referred to as United Nations Regional Information Centres, these entities play a crucial role in fostering connections between the United Nations and the populations of developing nations. Their mandate extends to engaging with media outlets, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to facilitate coordination within the UN system. Additionally, UNICs forge partnerships with governmental, non-governmental, and private sector organizations to advance shared objectives and initiatives.

In line with their mission, UNICs maintain both physical and digital repositories of information, including libraries and electronic mediums. These resources serve as valuable assets in promoting awareness and understanding of the United Nations' work and objectives among diverse audiences across the globe.[7][8]

Activities

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UNICs are involved in various core activities aimed at disseminating the latest information about the UN system.[9]

  • Communication - UNICs implement communication strategies utilizing current affairs, traditional festivals, and events. They ensure information is translated into the regional languages of the countries they serve.
  • Media Outreach - UNICs establish connections with national and regional media outlets to distribute information. These centers utilize press conferences, print media, electronic, and digital mediums to disseminate information collaboratively.
  • Information Resource Development - These centers develop and maintain resources such as libraries and websites through regional information centers. UNIC activities encompass training sessions for journalists to keep them updated on development projects. They regularly conduct television and radio broadcasts featuring UN stories in regional languages.
  • Events Organization - UNICs organize numerous events on international and national celebration days. Additionally, they coordinate seminars, sports, and other competitions in educational institutions.

List of centres

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The following are all of the current information centres, as well as all the areas they serve:[10]

African States

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Centre Established Areas serviced Director
UNIC Accra 1958  Ghana
 Sierra Leone
Sylvia Lopez-Ekra
UNIC Antananarivo 1963  Madagascar Violet Kakyomya
UNO Asmara 1993  Eritrea Susan Ngongi
UNIC Brazzaville 1983  Congo Anthony Ohemeng-Boamah
UNIC Bujumbura 1961  Burundi Garry Conille
UNIC Dakar 1964  Senegal
 Cape Verde
 Ivory Coast
 Gambia
 Guinea
 Guinea-Bissau
 Mauritania
Damian Cardona Onses
UNIC Dar es Salaam 1961  United Republic of Tanzania Alvaro Rodriguez
UNIC Harare 1982  Zimbabwe Bishow Parajuli
UNIC Lagos 1967  Nigeria Ronald Kayanja
UNIC Lome 1962  Togo
 Benin
Damien Mama
UNIC Lusaka 1975  Zambia Janet Rogan
UNIC Nairobi 1974  Kenya
 Uganda
 Seychelles
Nasser Ega-Musa
UNIC Ouagadougou 1982  Burkina Faso
 Chad
 Mali
 Niger
Metsi Makhetha
UNIC Pretoria 1995  South Africa Masimba Tafirenyika
UNIC Windhoek 1992  Namibia Rachel Odede
UNIC Yaounde 1965  Cameroon
 Central African Republic
 Gabon
Allegra Maria Del Pilar Baiocchi

American States

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Centre Established Areas serviced Director
UNIC Asuncion 1962  Paraguay Jorge Meza
UNIC Bogota 1954  Colombia
 Ecuador
 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
Helene Papper
UNIC Buenos Aires 1948  Argentina
 Uruguay
Tamar Hahn
UNIC La Paz 1963  Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Mauricio Ramirez-Villegas
UNIC Lima 1960  Peru Maria del Carmen Sacasa
UNIC Mexico City 1947  Mexico
 Cuba
 Dominican Republic
Giancarlo Summa
UNIC Panama City 1984  Panama Harold Robinson
UNIC Port of Spain 1962 Countries:
 Antigua and Barbuda
 Bahamas
 Barbados
 Belize
 Dominica
 Grenada
 Guyana
 Jamaica
 Saint Kitts and Nevis
 Saint Lucia
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Suriname
 Trinidad and Tobago
Other areas:
 Aruba
 Bonaire
 Curaçao
 Saba
 Sint Eustatius
 Sint Maarten
Juan Miguel Diez
UNIC Rio de Janeiro 1947  Brazil Maurizio Giuliano
UNIC Washington 1946  United States of America Robert Skinner[11]

Arab States

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Centre Established Areas serviced Director
UNIC Algiers 1963  Algeria Eric Overvest
UNIC Beirut 1962  Lebanon
 Jordan
 Kuwait
 Syrian Arab Republic
Marguerite El Helou
UNIC Cairo 1949  Egypt
 Saudi Arabia
Radhia Achouri
UNIC Khartoum 1963  Sudan
 Somalia
Gwi-Yeop Son
UNIC Manama 1977  Bahrain
 Qatar
 United Arab Emirates
Samir Al-Darabi
UNIC Rabat 1962  Morocco Fethi Debbabi (Acting Director)
UNIC Sana'a 1994  Yemen Lise Grande
UNIC Tunis 1960  Tunisia Diego Zorrilla

Asia and Pacific States

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Centre Established Areas serviced Director
UNIC Canberra 1948  Australia
 Fiji
 Kiribati
 Nauru
 New Zealand
 Samoa
 Tonga
 Tuvalu
 Vanuatu
Christopher Woodthorpe
UNIC Colombo 1961  Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer
UNIC Dhaka 1981  Bangladesh Mia Seppo
UNIC Islamabad 1951  Pakistan Vlastimil Samek (Acting Director)
UNIC Jakarta 1985  Indonesia Francyne Harrigan (Acting Director)
UNIC Kathmandu 1964    Nepal Sara Beysolow Nyanti
UNIC Manila 1953  Philippines
 Papua New Guinea
 Solomon Islands
Ola Almgren
UNIC New Delhi 1947  India
 Bhutan
Darrin Farrant
UNIC Tehran 1950  Iran (Islamic Republic of) Maria Dotsenko
UNIC Tokyo 1958  Japan Kaoru Nemoto
UNIC Yangon 1959  Myanmar Knut Ostby

Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States

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Centre Established Areas serviced Director
UNO Almaty 1993  Kazakhstan Abdurahim Muhidov (Officer-in-Charge)
UNIC Ankara 1975  Turkey Irena Vojačkova-Sollorano
UNO Baku 1992  Azerbaijan Ghulam Isaczai
UNRIC Brussels 2004 Countries:
 Andorra
 Belgium
 Cyprus
 Denmark
 Finland
 France
 Germany
 Greece
 Holy See
 Iceland
 Ireland
 Italy
 Luxembourg
 Malta
 Monaco
 Netherlands
 Norway
 Portugal
 San Marino
 Spain
 Sweden
 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Other areas served:
 European Union
Deborah Seward
UNIS Geneva 1947   Switzerland Alessandra Vellucci
UNO Kyiv 1992  Ukraine Osnat Lubrani
UNO Minsk 1992  Belarus Joanna Kazana
UNIC Moscow 1948  Russian Federation Vladimir Kuznetsov
UNIC Prague 1947  Czech Republic Michal Broza (Officer-in-Charge)
UNO Tashkent 1992  Uzbekistan Helena Fraser
UNO Tbilisi 1992  Georgia Vinton Louisa
UNIS Vienna 1984  Austria
 Hungary
 Slovakia
 Slovenia
Martin Nesirky
UNIC Warsaw 1995  Poland Mariola Ratschka (Officer-in-Charge)
UNO Yerevan 1992  Armenia Shombi Sharp

References

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  1. ^ "Secretary General Biography". United Nations. 22 December 2016.
  2. ^ Nations, United. "Who We Are". United Nations. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  3. ^ Nations, United. "United Nations Information Centres - Directory". United Nations. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  4. ^ "Who We Are". United Nations Information Centres.
  5. ^ "UN Information Centre". United Nations Foundation. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018.
  6. ^ UN Information Centers & Services. United Nations. 1998. p. 1461. ISBN 978-9-211008401.
  7. ^ "Partnerships". United Nations Information Centres.
  8. ^ "United Nations Information Centres portal". unic.un.org. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  9. ^ Yearbook of the United Nations. United Nations. 2003. pp. 635–636. ISBN 978-9-211009057.
  10. ^ "UNIC Directory". United Nations Information Centres. Department of Global Communications, United Nations. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Robert Skinner, Director, The United Nations Information Center". UN Association of the National Capital Area. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
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  1. United Nations Information Centres Website
  2. United Nations
  3. United Nations Information Centre Washington