It is my great pleasure to greet all the participants of the MUNRFE.

 

Let me, at the outset, introduce you to the UN ESCAP East and North-East Asia Office. This office came into existence as a result of the United Nations General Assembly resolution of December 2008. Its mission is to be a subregional development arm of the UN, and was inaugurated in May 2010 in Incheon, the Republic of Korea. The six member States of the Office are China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea, and the Russian Federation. It also has two associate members: Macau and Hong Kong.

UN ESCAP strives to achieve “inclusive and sustainable development” in Asia and the Pacific, and the East and North-East Asia Office in particular addresses the integration of the three pillars of sustainable development as well as work on trade and transport facilitation, disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management, public-private partnership, climate change and green economy, social inclusiveness and assist countries in meeting the internationally agreed development goals.

Your active participation in understanding global issues and collectively constructing solutions with your friends, colleagues and other members of the global community is extremely important. It is my belief that participation in fora such as the Model United Nations will help you acquire some of those much needed skills.

The United Nations promotes the full and effective participation of youth in all aspects of life in society and decision-making. This commitment is crystallized in an internationally agreed document called the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) adopted by the General Assembly in 1995, and more recently, the Secretary-General’s appointment of his Envoy for Youth. The website of the Office of the SG’s Envoy on Youth has more information about the latest measures instituted within the UN to promote meaningful participation of youth.

The topics that you are addressing will be both diverse and complex, ranging from security to economic and social development. Some of the issues intertwine with one another, and it is our common challenge to address these complex issues for the benefit of all on this planet. Towards this end, the enthusiasm, energy and creativity of the younger members of our societies, such as the participants of this MUNRFE, are indispensable.

I wish you many fruitful exchanges, and a wonderful opportunity to make new friends as you cement your interest and commitment to making the world a better place for the present and future generations.

 

Yours sincerely,

Kilaparti Ramakrishna