The 14th International Conference of the Americas Gets Underway in Punta Cana

The United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (ANU-RD, for its initials in Spanish), Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (Funglode), its sister organization in the United States the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), in collaboration with the  Globalmuners Mexican Civil Association, inaugurated the 14th edition of the International Conference of the Americas (CILA 2018) on Sunday October 21.

CILA is a youth meeting
about global topics of great importance in Latin America and the Caribbean. The ceremony took place in the Convention Center of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, which is the headquarters of the event for this year. The event has brought together around 500 participants from elementary schools, high schools and universities in the Dominican Republic Mexico, Colombia and other countries from the region.

The inaugural event was led
by the executive director of ANU-RD, Edwin Jackson; the permanent representative from Egypt to the United Nations and President of the G77 + China, his Excellency Ambassador Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edress; the Globalmuners General Director, Pilar Sandoval; the Director of the GFDD office in New York and Director of Funglode’s Educational Activities Program, Yamile Eusebio; the Director of the United Nations Information Center in Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, Giancarlo
Summa; representative from the United Nations Population Fund in the Dominican Republic, Mrs. Sonia Vásquez; representative from the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), Mr. Jay Jetwha; General Manager of the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Ignacio Soriano; President of the United Nations Council of Educators, Mrs. Bélgica Paredes; President of Volunteerism for the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic Mr. Jhomairy Peralta and
Secretary General of CILA 2018,  Mr. Jorge Fernández.

During the ceremony Mr. Jetwha, representative from WFUNA, highlighted the election of Dr. Leonel Fernández, President of GFDD, as president of WFUNA on Saturday, October 20, 2018. For his part, his Excellency Ambassador Ahmed Edress, referenced the delegates, highlighting the support that the G-77 + China has given to the Model United Nations and the great contribution that it has given to the participants
stating that “you all represent the next generation and in that context, the interactions and gathering of this forum provide great opportunities to learn about problems and global challenges.”

In the conference the participants will simulate 10 United Nations agencies and commissions as well as other multilateral, regional and international institutions. Also, the participants will carry out a series of activities parallel to the Model United Nations
among them EXPO CILA 2018, the Seminar-Workshop for Faculty Advisors, the Global Concert, the Cultural Meeting and the Awards and Closing Ceremony.

The working languages will be Spanish and English. Over three days of work, the young participants will have the opportunity to present speeches, negotiate and development strategies and create solutions to problems though dialogue and consensus.