United Nations Information Centres
United Nations Information Centres (UNIC) is an organization which was established in the year 1946. Its headquarters is in New York, USA, and it currently works worldwide in 63 countries. These centres are managed by the United Nations to exchange & provide current happenings to the world. They are directed by the Department of Public Information of the UN Secretariat to communicate problems related to the Organization. All development projects are reviewed and approved by DPI. These projects are thematic promotional campaigns of the issues related to UN and publicized through the regional information centres.[2]
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Abbreviation | UNIC |
---|---|
Formation | 1946 |
Type | Information centre |
Legal status | Active |
Headquarters | New York |
Head | Secretary General António Guterres[1] ![]() (2017 - present) |
Website | Official website |
History
In 1946, United Nations Information Centres has been established by the Department of Public Information. DPI is the organization which works for the people of the United Nations. The motive behind UNICs is to collaborate & exchange information through its centers to the people of the world. The first two United Nations Information Centers were created in 1946. Currently, they have been servicing in 63 countries. These centers are the main hub for exchanging information about the system of the United Nations for all countries where UNICs are presented.[3][4]
Scope
United Nations Information Centres have been established in the regions of Europe, Americas, UAE, Asia & Pacific, and Africa. These centres are organized to reduce the communication gaps by providing information of United Nations to the people of the world. To make it more communicable all information have been translated and presented respectively in their regional languages. These centres are otherwise called United Nations Regional Information Centres and responsible for connecting United Nations with the people of developing countries. They reach out media, institutions with coordinating the UN system and get allianced with Government, Non-government, and private sector organizations in their projects. UNICs also maintain physical & digital resources of information like libraries and electronic information medium.[5]
Activities
UNICs are engaged in multiple cores of activities for sharing the latest information about UN system.[6]
- Communication - UNICs follow communication strategies through the current affairs, traditional festivals, and events. They get information translated into regional languages of the countries they serve.
- Media Outreach - United Nations get connected with national & regional media houses to circulate information. These centres use press conference, print media, electronic and digital medium to collaborate information.
- Information Resource Development - These centres create & maintain resources like libraries, and websites through regional information centres. UNICs activities cover training sessions for journalist to keep them update with its development projects. They regularly conduct television and radio for broadcasting stories of UN in regional languages.
- Events Organization - These centres organize many events on international & national celebration days. Besides, they manage to arrange seminars, sports & other competitions in educational institutions.
List of centres
The following are all of the current information centres, as well as all the areas they serve:[7]
African States
Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
---|---|---|---|
UNIC Accra | 1958 | ![]() ![]() | Sylvia Lopez-Ekra |
UNIC Antananarivo | 1963 | ![]() | Violet Kakyomya |
UNO Asmara | 1993 | ![]() | Susan Ngongi |
UNIC Brazzaville | 1983 | ![]() | Anthony Ohemeng-Boamah |
UNIC Bujumbura | 1961 | ![]() | Garry Conille |
UNIC Dakar | 1964 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Damian Cardona Onses |
UNIC Dar es Salaam | 1961 | ![]() | Alvaro Rodriguez |
UNIC Harare | 1982 | ![]() | Bishow Parajuli |
UNIC Lagos | 1967 | ![]() | Ronald Kayanja |
UNIC Lome | 1962 | ![]() ![]() | Damien Mama |
UNIC Lusaka | 1975 | ![]() | Janet Rogan |
UNIC Nairobi | 1974 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Nasser Ega-Musa |
UNIC Ouagadougou | 1982 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Metsi Makhetha |
UNIC Pretoria | 1995 | ![]() | Masimba Tafirenyika |
UNIC Windhoek | 1992 | ![]() | Rachel Odede |
UNIC Yaounde | 1965 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Allegra Maria Del Pilar Baiocchi |
American States
Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
---|---|---|---|
UNIC Asuncion | 1962 | ![]() | Jorge Meza |
UNIC Bogota | 1954 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Helene Papper |
UNIC Buenos Aires | 1948 | ![]() ![]() | Tamar Hahn |
UNIC La Paz | 1963 | ![]() | Mauricio Ramirez-Villegas |
UNIC Lima | 1960 | ![]() | Maria del Carmen Sacasa |
UNIC Mexico City | 1947 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Giancarlo Summa |
UNIC Panama City | 1984 | ![]() | Harold Robinson |
UNIC Port of Spain | 1962 | Countries: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Other areas: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Juan Miguel Diez |
UNIC Rio de Janeiro | 1947 | ![]() | Maurizio Giuliano |
UNIC Washington | 1946 | ![]() | Mary Kirtley Waters |
Arab States
Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
---|---|---|---|
UNIC Algiers | 1963 | ![]() | Eric Overvest |
UNIC Beirut | 1962 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Marguerite El Helou |
UNIC Cairo | 1949 | ![]() ![]() | Radhia Achouri |
UNIC Khartoum | 1963 | ![]() ![]() | Gwi-Yeop Son |
UNIC Manama | 1977 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Samir Al-Darabi |
UNIC Rabat | 1962 | ![]() | Fethi Debbabi (Acting Director) |
UNIC Sana'a | 1994 | ![]() | Lise Grande |
UNIC Tunis | 1960 | ![]() | Diego Zorrilla |
Asia and Pacific States
Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
---|---|---|---|
UNIC Canberra | 1948 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Christopher Woodthorpe |
UNIC Colombo | 1961 | ![]() | Hanaa Singer |
UNIC Dhaka | 1981 | ![]() | Mia Seppo |
UNIC Islamabad | 1951 | ![]() | Vlastimil Samek (Acting Director) |
UNIC Jakarta | 1985 | ![]() | Francyne Harrigan (Acting Director) |
UNIC Kathmandu | 1964 | ![]() | Valerie Julliand |
UNIC Manila | 1953 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Ola Almgren |
UNIC New Delhi | 1947 | ![]() ![]() | Rajiv Chandran (National Information Officer) |
UNIC Tehran | 1950 | ![]() | Maria Dotsenko |
UNIC Tokyo | 1958 | ![]() | Kaoru Nemoto |
UNIC Yangon | 1959 | ![]() | Knut Ostby |
Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States
Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
---|---|---|---|
UNO Almaty | 1993 | ![]() | Abdurahim Muhidov (Officer-in-Charge) |
UNIC Ankara | 1975 | ![]() | Irena Vojačkova-Sollorano |
UNO Baku | 1992 | ![]() | Ghulam Isaczai |
UNRIC Brussels | 2004 | Countries: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Other areas served: ![]() | Deborah Seward |
UNIS Geneva | 1947 | ![]() | Alessandra Vellucci |
UNO Kyiv | 1992 | ![]() | Osnat Lubrani |
UNO Minsk | 1992 | ![]() | Joanna Kazana |
UNIC Moscow | 1948 | ![]() | Vladimir Kuznetsov |
UNIC Prague | 1947 | ![]() | Michal Broza (Officer-in-Charge) |
UNO Tashkent | 1992 | ![]() | Helena Fraser |
UNO Tbilisi | 1992 | ![]() | Vinton Louisa |
UNIS Vienna | 1984 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Martin Nesirky |
UNIC Warsaw | 1995 | ![]() | Mariola Ratschka (Officer-in-Charge) |
UNO Yerevan | 1992 | ![]() | Shombi Sharp |
References
- "Secretary General, United Nations".
- "United Nations Information Centres".
- "UN Information Centre".
- UN Information Centers & services. United Nations. 1998. p. 1461.
- "United Nations Information Centres".
- Nations, United (2003). UN Information Center. United Nations. pp. 635, 636.
- "UNIC Directory". United Nations Information Centres. Department of Public Information, United Nations. n.d. Retrieved 19 March 2019.