UNIS/INF/339
19 October 2009
United Nations Day Celebrated in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia
VIENNA, 19 October (UN Information Service) - "This is a unique moment in world affairs. Multiple crises - food, fuel, financial, flu - are hitting at once. Climate change looms larger every day. Each illustrates a 21st-century truth: we share one planet, one home. As people, as nations, as a species, we sink or swim together," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his message on the occasion of United Nations Day, which is marked on 24 October every year.
The anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter on 24 October 1945 has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. It has traditionally been marked throughout the world by meetings, discussions and exhibits on the achievements and goals of the Organization.
Austria
The Austrian Minister for Education Claudia Schmied, the Minister for European and International Affairs Michael Spindelegger and Director of UNIS Vienna, Maher Nasser, will launch the publication Together Strong - Die Vereinten Nationen on 20 October 2009. Together Strong is a set of German-language teaching materials on the United Nations, published by the Austrian Ministry of Education, the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs and UNIS Vienna. 4,000 copies will be distributed to secondary schools around Austria. The launch event, to be held at the secondary school Gymnasium Rahlgasse, will mark United Nations Day, as well as Austria's Presidency of the United Nations Security Council in November 2009 and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna International Centre this year. An on-line version is available on the UNIS website at: http://www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/de/together_strong.html and on the teachers' portal: http://www.lehrer.at/uno/
UNIS Vienna will participate with an information stand at the open house event of the Austrian Ministry of European and International Affairs held on 26 October to mark the Austrian National Day and UN Day. Material on the work of the United Nations, the Vienna-based organizations, as well as the tour and lecture programmes offered by the Vienna Visitors Service will be presented to the public. For further information, visit: http://www.bmeia.gv.at/
Hungary
The United Nations Association (UNA) of Hungary will host a public lecture on the occasion of UN Day on 27 October, at 16:00 hours, at the UNA premises in Budapest. Professor Mihály Simai, President, UNA, will speak on "The UN, Obama and Multilateralism", while Ervin Gömbös, Secretary-General, UNA Hungary, Vice-President, World Federation of the United Nations Associations (WFUNA) and Professor at the International Business School, Budapest, will update on the 39th Plenary Assembly of WFUNA held in Seoul in August. The event will be attended by students of international relations, representatives of the academic and diplomatic community and other friends of the United Nations. For further information, visit: http://www.menszt.hu/
Slovakia
The University of Banska Bystrica will mark United Nations Day on 5 November, with a guest lecture on current challenges and priorities for the United Nations by Sonja Wintersberger, Deputy to the Director, UNIS Vienna, followed by a discussion.
Slovenia
The United Nations Association of Slovenia, with the support of UNIS Vienna, will hold its traditional annual celebration of UN Day on 26 October, at 18:00 hours at the University of Ljubljana. Following a keynote speech by Zlatko Šabic, Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, awards will be presented for the ten best diploma, master's and doctoral theses written by students of Slovene universities on United Nations-related topics over the past year. The celebration will conclude with classical music and a reception. For further information visit: http://www.unaslovenia.org.
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For further information, please contact:
Elisabeth
Wächter
UNIS Vienna
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-3348
Email:
elisabeth.waechter@unvienna.org
Website: www.unis.unvienna.org
