GFDD and FUNGLODE Support Dominican Youth at New York Dominican Republic Model UN (NYDRMUN)

On March 21-24 the United Nations General Assembly Hall and the Convention Center of the New Hilton Hotel were hosting some 600 Dominican students who came to New York to participate in the ninth edition of the Dominican Republic Model United Nations (NYDRMUN). The event is an initiative of GFDD and FUNGLODE organized in partnership with the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR), a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to support the
work of the United Nations in the DR.

During the 4 day event, Dominican and students from other countries, such as Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Haiti, Bolivia and the US, came to discuss major challenges that the international community is facing today. In the course of discussions, they intended to seek to find possible solutions to the most urgent issues, in accordance with the UN Agenda and the Millennium Development Goals.

The conference,
in addition to the umbrella themes, examined and debated other important issues, including Water Cooperation (March 22 is the International Day of Water), Peace and Security in Africa, the situations in Haiti and Palestine, and the economic embargo of Cuba.

Also, the forum was a great opportunity for representatives of youth organizations to present their networks to the international audience. On the very first day of the event, for example, at the inauguration, young
leaders from the Dominican Republic, Argentina and Bolivia, Ignacio Soriano, Matías Jordan and Hasan López, introduced UNITE, a youth network initiative from Latin America and the Caribbean.

For a closing ceremony, on Sunday, March 24, the participants and guests of the Program were welcomed to the United Nations General Assembly Hall. The day was featured by the plenary session of the General Assembly which was a unique possibility for the students to participate in the
GA procedures, such as presenting reports and drafting resolutions by the Committees that later on are submitted for a vote.

Toward the end of the celebration, the General Secretary of NYDRMUN, Cristina Zapata, made closing remarks pointing out that this year Program was truly successful to an extent that it exceeded her expectations in terms of the results achieved. “The 2013 Dominican Republic Model United Nations is an example to follow for the upcoming
programs of the kind. It clearly demonstrated that with passion and dedication we can achieve everything that we want to accomplish. It is my honor to say that you are the pride of Latin America and the Caribbean,” she added.

NYDRMUN is an open interactive forum for students to broaden their understanding of the work performed by the United Nations, with an invaluable opportunity to improve their professional skills through
debates on global issues within the context of the UN agenda.

About The United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic:
The UNA-DR is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to promote the work carried out by the United Nations in the Dominican Republic. The UNA-DR’s primary mission is to create and implement projects and initiatives that support the work of the UN and enhance the socio-economic
development and cultural prosperity of the Dominican Republic through collaboration with educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector and the Dominican community at home and abroad.