United Nations Information Centre, New Delhi

 

 

The United Nations Information Centre in New Delhi covers India and Bhutan and was the first United Nations office to be established in independent India in 1947. Its activities reflect a broad spectrum: the Centre plays a major role in publicizing UN initiatives and programmes, engaging in a variety of outreach activities, like lectures, media briefings and press conferences, TV and radio interviews, exhibitions etc. UNIC conducts information activities on behalf of UN agencies without local representation and maintains close co-operation with and assists UN agencies based in India.

 

UNIC New Delhi provides information on the United Nations to print and electronic media, governmental and non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, academic and other research centres and think-tanks, students and the public at large.

 

UNIC Director acts as spokesperson for the United Nations and represents the UN Secretary-General at important occasions and events. UNIC Director interacts regularly with the media, briefing them on key UN issues and giving interviews on topical and development issues.

 

UNIC hosts a website (http://www.unic.org.in) which contains electronic versions of its weekly newsletter, press releases issued and Development Supplements that capture the work of the various UN agencies in India on a particular theme.

 

UNIC New Delhi maintains a reference library of United Nations documents and publications, which is an important resource centre for journalists, academics, students, etc. All holdings in UNIC library are available on a database. The library also serves as focal point for all public inquiries about the United Nations activities.

The audio-visual resources available at UNIC include film, CD-Rom and video collections that are available on loan to local broadcasters, non-governmental organizations and educational institutions.

 

Partnership with Government and Key Institutions: UNIC has established close linkages with key departments in the Government of India. It maintains close cooperation with its nodal Ministry of External Affairs. It cooperates with MEA’s ICCR wing in the observance of UN Day, etc. It also collaborates with the Ministry of Water Resources in marking International Day of Water and with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in observing International Day of Older Persons. UNIC works closely with the National Human Rights Commission in observing Human Rights Day on 10 December. It collaborates with the United Services Institution’s Centre for UN Peacekeeping in observing International Day of UN Peacekeepers on 29 May.

 

Media and Outreach: To reach a diverse and broad audience in India and Bhutan, UNIC is in daily contact with national and vernacular media outlets; journalists rely on UNIC as an authoritative source of information about the United Nations. In addition, UNIC disseminates on a regular basis pamphlets, documents, information kits, posters, photos, books etc., produced by the Department of Public Information and other UN agencies. Vernacular translations – especially in Hindi - of select UN documents are also undertaken. Films, video tapes and audio cassettes are provided to media users, including Doordarshan. All India Radio is regularly supplied with tapes of UN Radio programmes, which it broadcasts to the entire Asian region.

 

Civil Society: UNIC New Delhi engages with a broad spectrum of NGOs organizing seminars, colloquiums, conferences and dialogues on diverse UN themes and priorities. Specially to be noted is UNIC’s partnerships with UN Associations all over India, and their apex Indian Federation of UN Associations (IFUNA). UNIC also collaborates with the Forum of Indian NGOs for Cooperation with the UN, another umbrella organization for NGOs interested in UN themes, in organizing seminars and colloquiums on various UN priority themes.

 

NGOs count on UNIC as their partner in organizing seminars, exhibits and commemorative events focusing on such key issues as human rights, education, the environment, drug prevention, HIV/AIDS and health care.

 

Youth: Recognizing that today's youth will be tomorrow's leaders, UNIC organizes periodic briefings for college and school students. The Centre also works to help update United Nations related-curricula through the NCERT.

 

UNIC also provides background information materials and its expertise in the organization of Model United Nations conferences conducted in high schools and colleges in India, helping students to enact General Assembly or Security Council meetings. Model United Nations conferences not only give students first-hand knowledge about the work of the United Nations, but also help prepare tomorrow's leaders in dealing with global challenges.

 

UNIC New Delhi provides students and academic faculties all over India study materials on several themes including on the structure of the UN, human rights, development issues, etc.

 

Reference Library: UNIC library contains information on the United Nations, its funds and programmes, as well as its specialized agencies in the form of documents, books, newsletters, periodicals, audio/video tapes and films. Basic texts on the history of the Organization and its structure and activities are available; so are the major reference sources of information on political, economic, social, humanitarian, legal and other activities of the United Nations system.

 

Official records of the main organs of the United Nations and their subsidiary bodies are particularly interesting for academics and students. UN statistical publications are consulted by a wide circle of scholars. Subject-wise, UNIC library covers a wide range of issues dealt with by the UN: peacekeeping, human rights, development, environment, population, refugees, housing, shelter, women, children, crime, transport, drug control, disabled, elderly, nuclear energy, alleviation of poverty, outer space, HIV/AIDS, trade, investment, law of the sea, etc.