The following conference recap was provided by Miss Claudia Saviñón, Manager of Educational Programs and Simulations of the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR). Photography credit goes to the UNA-DR multimedia team.
The United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR), Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) and its sister institution in the United States, the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD), and with the support of the Organization of the American States (OAS), organized the 3rd annual edition of the “Conferencia Modelo Dominicano del Sistema Interamericano – MODOSI 2013” (The Dominican Model on the Inter-American System Conference).
MODOSI 2013 was held from Thursday February 21st to Sunday February 24th, 2013 in the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This conference responds to the will of the organizing institutions to contribute to the promotion and study of regional institutions; to increase opportunities for the training of Dominican students, providing a space for the development of youth, and the discussion of current issues. In addition, MODOSI 2013 provided a unique opportunity to interact with officials, diplomats, ambassadors and experts from regional institutions.
The conference consisted of an interactive simulation of the following committees: General Assembly and the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Summit of the Americas, and the Meeting of the Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The official working language was Spanish. In MODOSI 2013, 300 students participated from both private and public High Schools and Universities.
The Opening Ceremony of MODOSI 2013 was on Thursday February 21st in the Auditorium of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic. Among the special guests were the Ambassador Albert Ramdin, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS); Mrs. Pilar Sandoval, Executive Director of the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR); Mr. Marco Herrera, Executive Director of the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE); Ambassador Aníbal E. Quiñónez, Permanent Representative of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the Dominican Republic; and Mrs. Nelly L. Robinson, MOAS Program Coordinator of the Organization of American States (OAS). Mr. Abel Torres, Secretary General of MODOSI 2013 officially opened the conference.
On the following days, the delegates discussed the topics in each commission in an atmosphere of conciliation and intense debate. The General Assembly of the OAS discussed “The promotion and strengthening of cooperation programs aimed at generating greater Decent Employment and Income in the region”. The Permanent Council of the OAS discussed “The mechanisms to promote new measures to protect and promote the Right to Freedom of Expression in the Americas”. The Summit of the Americas discussed “The elements to be considered in the Hemispheric Strategy to combat Drug Abuse”. The Meeting of the Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) discussed two topics: “Youth at Risk: Youth Employment” and “Education in Latin America and the Caribbean”.
The teachers, professors and faculty advisors also had meetings each day where they discussed topics relating to Human Rights and Education. They had a conference with the OAS experts that attended MODOSI 2013. These experts were also in the different committees helping the delegates on the topics and resolutions and supervising the debate.
Lastly, on Sunday February 24th, the Awards and Closing Ceremony was held in the Auditorium of the Cultural Center Mauricio Baez. Among the special guests was the former President of the Dominican Republic, Dr. Leonel Fernández, who is the President of FUNGLODE and UNA-DR.
Prizes were awarded to the outstanding delegations of each committee. It was an emotional and exciting ceremony. Ambassador Aníbal E. Quiñónez, Permanent Representative of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the Dominican Republic gave a moving speech where he said farewell, as he will soon be leaving the country. Mr. Abel Torres, Secretary General of MODOSI 2013 successfully closed the conference.
