United Nations Information Centres

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]

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

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