WFUNA's Secretary-General, Bonian Golmohammadi, delivered a keynote speech at the opening of one of the fastest growing Model United Nations in the world, the Moscow International Model United Nations (MIMUN).
During his address to the student participants, Russian officials, and UNA-Russia’s president and Vice-Chair of WFUNA’s executive committee, Mr. Golmohammadi focused on questions that he believes are pertinent to every global citizen. He addressed issues within “real life” contexts by showcasing how major themes within the international community are interconnected: the Millennium Development Goals, the social unrest within Syria, the responsibility to protect and human rights.
The Secretary-General stressed the importance of staying informed on the Millennium Development Goals, which he described as major achievements in international cooperation that often go uncelebrated. He went on to draw the negative effect that poverty and unemployment, two MDGs, often have on peace and security. He continued by noting that, while many are drawn into fast-paced peace and security issues, the reasons leading up to violence demand an equal amount of international attention.
On the topic of Syria, Mr. Golmohammadi spoke about the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), stating that while there are still individuals who do not support the norm itself, continued debate on R2P among state leaders and civil society is integral. He described R2P as a topic that every citizen should take the time to fully investigate, as they are the true voices of their countries. Mr. Golmohammadi also discussed human rights as the responsibility of every global citizen in ensuring that discrimination is eliminated at every level of community life.
He concluded by noting that “where there is no peace, there is no development, and where there are gross inequalities and discrimination, there is a lack of security”, with human co-operation as the key to overcoming the many obstacles before the international community today.
Click here to read WFUNA's Secretary-General's keynote address at MIMUN, April 9th 2012
Click here to read the MIMUN news report about the opening ceremonies (in Russian)
