The Next Generation of World Leaders Gathers at UNA-USA’s Global Classrooms Conference to Help the United Nations Create a Safer and Healthier World

Nearly 3,000 young leaders and teachers from 24 countries will debate the issues currently facing the United Nations at the 12th Annual Global Classrooms International High School Model UN Conference in New York from May 12-14, 2011.  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, United Nations Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth, and Conference Secretary-General Samuel Lichtenstein will kick-off the event during tonight’s opening ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters.

“The passion and intellect of Global Classrooms participants makes it an exceptional educational experience,” said Patrick Madden, Executive Director of the UN Association of the United States of America. “Our Model UN program’s strength and diversity is rooted in the students who participate and I’m inspired to see the next generation of world leaders discuss the importance of the UN and international cooperation.”
The international conference offers students from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to interact in the professional backdrop of the United Nations, while building life skills and learning international governance. Over 120 student volunteers will be attending from 50 colleges and Universities to help with the event, and will also assist in training 300 teachers to become stronger Model UN educators.  Conference sessions will cover diverse and pressing international issues such as the situation in Haiti, education development and implementation, maternal health communication technology and the Millennium Development Goals, and humanitarian and natural disasters.

Global Classrooms helps students gain valuable skills such as research, writing, critical thinking, conflict resolution and an appreciation and understanding of diverse cultures through mock debates, training sessions and committee appointments.  To learn more about the Global Classrooms International High School Model UN Conference, visit http://www.unausa.org/unausamun.

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About the United Nations Association of the USA
The mission of UNA-USA is to inform, inspire and mobilize Americans to support the principles and vital work of the United Nations and to strengthen the United Nations system; to encourage U.S. leadership to work constructively through the United Nations and encourage everyone to achieve the goals of the United Nations Charter; and through its Programs and more than 100 chapters, to educate the American public about the invaluable work of the United Nations, raise funds and carry out local activities related to the United Nations. For more information, visit: www.unausa.org.

About the United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation, a public charity, was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. We build and implement public/private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and work to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. Through our campaigns and partnerships, we connect people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. These campaigns focus on reducing child mortality, empowering women and girls, creating a new energy future, securing peace and human rights, and promoting technology innovation to improve health outcomes. These solutions are helping the UN advance the eight global targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.