This recap was written by Luis Jiménez, International Outreach Coordinator of the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR).
Secretary General Alan Fernández gives a press conference at CILA 2013.
The ninth annual International Conference of the Americas (Conferencia Internacional de Las Américas), organized by the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR), took place from Sunday, Oct. 27 to Thursday, Oct. 31 at the Convention Center of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
CILA 2013 was a gathering point for over 1,200 young people from middle schools, high schools and universities in the Dominican Republic and other regions of the world. As tradition continues, the delegates discussed the challenges faced by the international community in three of the official languages of the United Nations: Spanish, English and French.
The head table at the Inauguration Ceremony and the General Committee of the General Assembly.
At the conference, the students simulated 15 organs and commissions of the United Nations and other multilateral, regional and international organizations. Furthermore, they were offered seminars, conferences, workshops, exhibitions and social and cultural encounters about topics directly related to the agenda of the United Nations.
Notable guests at the conference included:
- Ms. Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, Vice-president of the Dominican Republic
- Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations
- Mr. Lorenzo Jiménez de Luis, United Nations Resident Coordinator for the Dominican Republic
- Mr. Magnus Olafsson, Director of the Meetings and Publishing Division of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management
- Ms. Meena Sur, Chief of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Risk Management, Statistical Verification Unit of the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management
- Mr. José Manuel Romero, Director General of the Mexican Institute of Youth (IMJUVE), Mr. Damián Cardona; Director of the United Nations Information Centre for Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela
- Mr. Mourad Ahmia, Executive Secretary of The Group of 77 (G77).
CILA 2013 also offered a series of additional activities, among which several stand out: the Workshop-Seminar for Faculty Advisors, the Cultural Encounter, the Global Concert, the Delegates’ Cocktail and the Second Edition of the Dominican Competition of International Law on Procedures before the International Court of Justice (CODOCIJ 2013).
UNA-DR Staff dances to folkloric songs of the Dominican Republic during Cultural Encounter.
The conference was performed in coordination with the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) and its sister institution in the United States of America, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD).
For more information about UNA-DR’s conferences www.unadr.org.do.
Delegates from the Second Committee of the General Assembly Economic and Financial Committee (GA2)
Awards
For the first time, CILA 2013 awarded 3 institutions:
Best Small Institution – Colegio Santa Teresa
Best Medium Institution – Colegio San Judas Tadeo
Best Large Institution – Colegio Bilingüe New Horizons
