Press Release

NEW YORK - A group of ten Catchafire pro bono professionals stopped by the WFUNA office today to get a glimpse of what it's like to work as a nonprofit in the UN system. Following Catchafire's tagline, "Volunteer your skills," the social mission business connects professionals to nonprofits such as WFUNA, with projects ranging from infographics to brand messaging for WFUNA programs.

On Monday, 19 November 2012, the Friends of WFUNA hosted their 19th Board of Directors meeting. WFUNA's Secretary-General, Mr. Bonian Golmohammadi, was present along with a significant number of the members of the Board. Established in 2001 by Mr. Arthur Ross, the Friends of WFUNA is an independent 501 (c) (3) organization. The Board has donated generous contributions and has provided guided support in helping WFUNA to further its mission and goals.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) held its 40th Plenary Assembly at IBMEC University (Barra da Tijuca campus) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 6-10 November 2012, with 41 UNAs in attendance.

SEOUL - WFUNA President, Ambassador Park Soo-gil, joined UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the 2012 International Conference on the Public Diplomacy and Culture, held in Seoul, Korea, on 26 October.

KOLKATA - The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) and Education for All, a Kolkata-based NGO, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for strategic partnership to promote and collaborate on WFUNA's training programmes. The memorandum was signed by Mr Bonian Golmohammadi, Secretary General of WFUNA, and Mr H M Bangur, Trustee, Education for All, in the presence of Ms Kiran Mehra Kerpelman, Director, United Nations Information Centre (India & Bhutan) and Mr Sundeep Bhutoria, Member Trustee, Education for All.

NEW YORK - On 18 October 2012, WFUNA attended the ceremony dedicating the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park, on Roosevelt Island in New York.

The event was opened by Ambassador William J. vanden Heuvel, Chair of the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy Board of Directors. Mr. vanden Heuvel is also President of the Friends of WFUNA.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke, paying tribute to President Roosevelt and his contribution to the founding of the United Nations.

NEW  YORK - STATEMENT ON THE GRAVE SITUATION IN SYRIA

The Executive Committee of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), elected by non-partisan civil society organizations in over 110 countries, is deeply concerned over the grave loss of life in Syria and expresses solidarity with the citizens of Syria who are confronting daily atrocities.

President of WFUNA Ambassador Park Soo Gil hosted a dinner on August 13 in honor of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Mrs. Ban during their visit to Seoul to participate in the closing event of Yeosu World Expo 2012.

As a global citizen’s movement, WFUNA would like to ensure that the creation of the next set of Millennium Development Goals is made open and inclusive to the global community beyond government bodies.  It is for this reason that WFUNA is proud to announce its collaboration with the Beyond 2015 global campaign.

WFUNA had the great pleasure of working with the Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) Masters of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy candidates on a group capstone project this past year.  The group, led by faculty advisor, Kathleen Callahan, and student managers Rachel Roberts and Alaine Marx, presented the culmination of their research efforts about WFUNA’s Go Beyond Fellowship program on Monday, 30 April 2012 to WFUNA staff and associated consultants.