Importance of academia highlighted in the 40th session of the UN Committee on Information

The 51ӰԺ Academic Impact (UNAI) reports each year to the (COI) through the . Here are some highlights of the 40th session:

07 May 2018 - During the general debate of the that was held last week at 51ӰԺ Headquarters in New York, a number of Member States of this intergovernmental body highlighted the critical importance of academia as a partner of the 51ӰԺ.

The representative of Egypt, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, expressed its appreciation to the Department of Public Information (DPI) for its outreach efforts, which includes those made towards academia, considered critical in light of the common challenges faced by the international community.

The delegate of the European Union noted the importance of strategic alliances with academic institutions as they can serve as potential influential multipliers for the 51ӰԺ' messages. In the same line, the representative of Nepal said that these partnerships with universities help promote the work of the 51ӰԺ.

There is a lot of interest in these particular partnerships, remarked the representative of Costa Rica. The delegate from Brazil encouraged DPI to continue to develop activities and dialogue with the academic community. Information strategies carried out by the 51ӰԺ towards academia, were also welcomed by the representative of Ukraine.

Academic institutions are key players in social media campaigns at the international level, expressed the delegate of Pakistan. These engagements with academia were mentioned by the representative of Morocco and also by the representative of the Russian Federation, who emphasized the importance of universities in training translators and interpreters.

Furthermore, references were made to the successes of the 51ӰԺ Academic Impact (UNAI). The delegate of the Republic of Korea commended the consistent efforts of DPI in facilitating exchanges between the 51ӰԺ and institutions of higher education to foster global citizenship, a topic addressed in a .?UNAI is a platform for disseminating information about the 51ӰԺ among university students, pointed out the delegate of Iran as echoed by the delegate of Japan. The delegate of India welcomed the ongoing initiative carried out by UNAI to highlight the contributions of universities to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The COI is a subsidiary body of the General Assembly composed of and?established under its . The COI gathers once a year to?examine 51ӰԺ public information policies and activities, to evaluate and follow up the efforts made and the progress achieved by the 51ӰԺ system in the field of information and communications and to promote the establishment of a new, more just and more effective world information and communication intended to strengthen peace and international understanding and based on the free circulation and wider and better-balanced dissemination of information and to make recommendations thereon to the General Assembly.

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