United Nations Association of Guyana - Unag

The United Nations is an organisation that was established on 24 October 1945 and has a membership of 193 countries. A Secretary General heads the secretariat, which is one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The person currently holding that office is
Mr. Ban Ki-moon.
The mission of the United Nations was evolved since its establishment and its current focus is to maintain international peace and security, promote human rights, foster social and economic development, environmental protection and sustainability, and the provision of humanitarian aid.
Guyana was admitted to membership in the United Nations on September 20, 1966 and the current Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations is Mr. George Talbot. There are seven United Nations resident agencies present in Guyana and four non-resident agencies.
Ms. Khadija Musa is the current Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Guyana Country Team.

About United Nations Association of Guyana (UNAG)
Who we are?
UNAG is a non-governmental organisation that was established in Guyana in 1970 to build awareness and support for the work, principles and presence of the United Nations among the Guyanese people. The organisation has been affiliated to the World Federation of United Nations Associations, a global nonprofit organisation that strives to strengthen the United Nations and ensure that the development needs of member states are met. Our Association enjoys a close and friendly relationship with the United Nations Association of Suriname.

What we do?
In addition to collaborating with the United Nations agencies in Guyana, UNAG has established a working relationship with other relevant NGOs that share our vision. Among other things, we conduct symposiums and seminars, disseminate information and engage in community outreach projects and programs, with the following objectives in mind:

Promote awareness of the United Nations.

Promote research and education about the ideals, principles and activities of the United Nations and about the role of Guyana in the United nations.

Promote respect for and observance of tolerance, understanding, solidarity and cooperation among people without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.

Promote peace, justice, understanding and friendly relations among the people of Guyana and the people of other nations.

Promote respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms including, political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights and freedom.

Organs of UNAG
The organs of UNAG are, an executive council, which comprise, the President, Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and Chairpersons of Specialized committees, that focus on, Women, Children and the Elderly, Health and the Environment, Youth and Education, Economic Developments, Peace, Justice and Human Rights.
The General Assembly, which comprises all members of the Association, meets annually and biennially, to elect new office bearers and discuss issues affecting the Association.

Membership
Membership is approved by the executive council and is open to all Guyanese and persons residing in Guyana who support the United Nations and the UN Charter obligations. There are four categories of membership, namely, ordinary membership, associate membership, student membership, and honorary membership.

UNAG Peace Project
UNAG has established several Community Peace Councils in pursuance of its Peace Project established in 2000. Peace councils serve as peace builders, peacekeepers and peacemakers. The aims and purposes of these councils are:

To sensitise the people within the communities of the importance of avoiding violence and instead to settle disputes peacefully among themselves

To reduce the risk and rate of violence within the community

To educate and encourage people to live in a more secure environment that is violence-free

To contribute towards the removal of obstacles to peace, justice and human rights and to promote the development of peaceful cooperation among our people in all communities in Guyana.

To emphasize the need for harmony among our people in all communities throughout Guyana

To persuade our communities that it is their duty to accept responsibility for maintaining peace

To promote understanding and friendly relations among the people of their communities and the people of other communities in Guyana

To promote research, study and education about peace within communities in Guyana

Observance of International Days
During its existence, UNAG has actively observed the following International Days designated by the UN General Assembly.

International Women's Day, March 8

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, March 21

International Youth Day, August 12

International Day for Democracy, September 15

International Peace Day, September 21

International Day of Older Persons, October 1

United Nations Day, October 24

International Day of Tolerance, November 16

Universal Children's Day, November 20.

International Day for the the Elimination of Violence Against Women, November 25

International Human Rights Day, December 10

The Current Focus of the United Nations
In September 2000, Governments of United Nations member states agreed to make every effort to achieve eight goals with each assigned specific targets, by 2015. These goals are referred to as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and address poverty, education, gender equality and empowerment of women, child mortality, maternal health, HIV /AIDS and other disease control, environmental sustainability and the establishment of a global partnership for development. The United Nations is also preparing to establish a post 2015 global development framework.