UNIC Launches Season of UN Highlights
The UN Information Centre in Tashkent, in cooperation with the UN Country Office, the UN Volunteers and UNDP, has launched a brand new season of UN highlights that will be recognized throughout the year. The launch event, held at the UN office in Tashkent on the 9th of September, welcomed journalists, students from higher education establishments, and experts specializing in UN-related areas.
The event kicked off with opening remarks from UNIC Tashkent, followed by a detailed presentation of the UN activities conducted in Uzbekistan and around the globe. The presentation highlighted a range of topics related to youth and development. Programmes and contests related to the Millennium Development Goals and UNDP youth projects created interest and enthusiasm among the gathered participants. One topic that attracted heated discussion was the role the UN should play in raising awareness of global issues, in addition to determining the role young people should play in resolving social matters. “We make up the majority of the population in Uzbekistan,” the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) sophomore Artyom Tchen said, “The country is rich in opportunities. I believe that while popular youth organizations like ‘Kelajak Ovozi’ and ‘Kamolot’ youth movement do their best to promote us and our interests around the country, the UN’s role in helping us understand how we can take these initiatives to the global level couldn’t be more important.”
The event included a detailed presentation from UNDP Uzbekistan representative Laylo Zokirova, delivering up-to-date information to participants regarding the organization’s activities in Uzbekistan. “UNDP has worked intensively to support the government, civil society and people of Uzbekistan, in order to overcome the numerous challenges encountered during social transition. UNDP has assisted governmental and non-governmental institutions in obtaining the knowledge, experience and resources required to successfully pursue economic and social reforms in the country,” Laylo told the event participants, “We have a diverse range of activities and programmes, and both ourselves and our national partners have reached almost all areas of life around the country. In addition, engaging young people by highlighting their interests and development has always been a UNDP priority.”
Later in the day, UNIC Tashkent presented a short documentary film which featured a day in the UN Secretary General’s life, which interested and inspired the student participants. When the participants asked if there were ways for them to become part of the UN and help tackle matters of global importance, UNV representative Marc Liberati suggested the students should join the UN by becoming volunteers. Marc also shared some exciting stories about how UN Volunteers from various regions of Uzbekistan have made huge differences in their local communities.
The highlight of the day was when Utkirbek Tadjimov introduced the Global Model UN (GMUN) program, a splendid opportunity for Uzbek youth to stand in the shoes of UN Ambassadors and lobby topical issues on the international agenda. Utkirbek’s personal story of how he came to chair a committee during a Global Model UN Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, brought him a round of applause and many questions from interested students.
The season has been launched and its target has been set. However, how far these events can go and what they can achieve rests entirely on the shoulders of the youth of Uzbekistan. It is important for this younger generation to find their voice in the world, and create a clear vision for the future.