FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2016
Monday - The UN and Multilateralism
On our first day of Advanced Training Program at the UN, Aziel Goulandris, our Education Officer, introduced WFUNA and its work to our group of 41 participants. This introductory session was followed by a UN guided tour. After lunch, participants were briefed on the UN system by Jana Bauerova, Perception Change Project Officer, from the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), which was an excellent opportunity to familiarize themselves with the UN and its work in Geneva.
In the afternoon, Aziel Goulandrisexplained to the participants what multilateral diplomacy is, in theory, and in practice. Did you know that the word “diplomate” comes from the Greek word ”δίπλωμα” , meaning "folded paper"? In Ancient Greece, the diplomatic communication passed only through folded cards. Then, the students played an interactive quiz about the work of the UN and WFUNA's mission.
Tuesday - The UN and Multilateralism
On the second day of the training, the Korean students from SMU started with a briefing at the Korean Mission. The day continued with a briefing from Luc Brandt, Senior Advisor at the UNHCR. He provided us with a passionate explanation on projects for refugees he has been working on. Mr. Brandt illustrated the complexity of the current migration crisis and general challenges international organizations such as UNHCR face on a daily basis. He also explained the functioning of refugee camps in Burundi and Tanzania.
The Chinese particpants from RCUNIO have been introduced to the work of the UNCTAD by two Senior Economic Affairs Officers, Ms. Liping Zhang, who warmly welcomed our Chinese participants, and Ms. Miho Shirotori. Ms. Shirotori particularly emphasized the role of UNCTAD towards the accomplishment of the SDGs.
Wednesday - Environment
Time to act for the students on the third day of the training with the Greening the Globe Role Play, which is a simulation on climate change including different stages of negotiations. First thing in the morning, Aziel explained the rules of procedure and the Role Play objectives.Three journalists followed the conference closely and reported daily to the countries' representatives. In the afternoon, the students tried to convince other states to support their interests and drafted the final pre-ambulatory and operative clauses. Nineteen countries were entitled to reach a consensus and adopt a binding resolution on climate change at the end of the day after intense debates and negotiations.
Thursday - Technology and Development
The fourth day kicked off with a visit at the CERN where both groups had the chance to discover what contains a microcosm and the universal particules that are used to create nuclear energy.
In the afternoon, the Korean group continued with a presentation of the work and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Naïs Mouret, our Training and Education Fellow, gave our students an in-depth overview of the missions of ICRC, underlining key values of independence, neutrality, impartiality and humanity. The students were then invited to visit the ICRC Museum.
The Chinese particpants visited the ITU museum where our students immersed themselves into the fascinating world of telecommunications. In a more in-depth presentation, Ji Young Choi, ITU Officer, presented the history of the ITU and the evolution of telecommunication technology from the first inventions until now. Then, they had the possibility to try out a telegraphic machine, old phones and a brand-new game of criminal investigation on hacking.
Friday – Personal Development
The last day of the training started off with students' presentations on various topics seen during the week. Some decided to present the work of the UNHCR and how it can have an impact in shaping their future. They all did a great job! After lunch, there was time for a recap and a discussion between participants and trainers about the overall week. Finally, each participant received a certificate for their hard work and got a picture taken.
The WFUNA staff would like to thank the students and the accompanying staff for their participation and commitment to the ATP.
We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors!
