GFDD Attends 10th edition of CILA 2014 from October 29 to November 2, 2014

On Saturday November 1, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) was present to witness and support the closing ceremony of the Americas International Conference (Conferencia Internacional Las Américas, CILA, for its Spanish acronym). The conference was hosted by the Association of the United Nations in the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR) at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from October 29 – November 2,
2014.

The conference, which celebrated its tenth anniversary, had opened 3 days earlier on Wednesday October 29 to an audience of more than 1500 young representatives from all over the Americas.

The ensuing 3 days of Model United Nations negotiations enabled students to confront a range of topics with the perspective of their assigned country or organization. Through these experiences – during preparation, in committee sessions, the students developed
an appreciation of differing viewpoints, experience the challenges of negotiation, seeing the rewards of cooperation, broadening their world view, and discovering the human side of international relations and diplomacy.

GFDD provided support to one of 17 CILA commissions by assisting in its capacity as expert on the 20th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change and to help the delegates work towards a 2015 Global Pact for combatting climate change.

The second and third day of deliberations were closed by social events, including a global concert on Thursday October 30th, performed by some of the participants and conference staff, and a global encounter (featuring international dances and a fashion parade) also supported by  participants on Friday October 31st.

Having submitted
their final deliberations at 2.30pm on Saturday November 1, in addition to having adopted the resolutions drafted by each General Assembly Committee, the participants later regrouped in the evening for the closing ceremony.

The honorary panel included several illustrious guests such as Dr. Leonel Fernández, President of Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE); H.E. Ambassador Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya Mission to the United Nations and co-chair
of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals; Mr. Gabriel Ferrero, Senior Policy Advisor at the UN’s Post 2015 One Secretariat specialized in Development Planning and Mr. Glenn Denning, Director of the New York Office of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

A commemorative video of interviews with past CILA Secretary Generals over the last 10 years was played to the audience to emphasize the achievements of the conference to date, as well
as a summary video containing highlights from CILA 2014.

President Fernández then handed out congratulatory awards to the international guests for their participation and support of the event before handing out awards for various categories including best oratory presentation skills and best opinion paper to the delegates of each commission.

The ceremony was concluded with key note addresses given by Emil Chireno, executive director of UNA-DR and Angel
Gonzalez, Secretary-General of CILA 2014. Mr Chireno thanked all the young participants for helping to materialize the event by push for the international community to immerse itself in a post 2015 agenda. He stressed that through their various outcomes, the CILA commissions had legitimized the development process.

Next Mr. Gonzalez took to the podium to also thank the students for participating and emphasized that the conference was also beneficial to the students in
that it would help form them into better professionals.

The ceremony ended with the closing of the work of the tenth Annual CILA 2014 by fall of the mallet given by Mr. Angel Gonzalez at 10pm.

The United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR) is a non-profit, nongovernmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting the work of the United Nations. The UNA-DR
contributes to the strengthening of the UN mission by coordinating educational and cultural activities, which seek to raise public awareness and motivate citizen participation.

For more information on CILA 2014 visit: http://cila2014.com