UNA-NI - Trustees’ Report
The United Nations Association Northern Ireland registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland as Charity Number: NIC 103663 in October 2015. Since registration, UNA-NI has continued to convene regular meetings of the Trustees and has planned and delivered several events in support of its aims and stated public benefit.
UNA-NI was established for the promotion of a safer, fairer and more sustainable world through a strong, credible and effective United Nations.
We believe that UNA-NI meets the public benefit requirement by:
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connecting people within Northern Ireland to the work and values of the UN;
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informing people locally of the UN goals internationally;
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explaining how the UN works and what it can realistically achieve;
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offering opportunities for debate on how to make the UN more effective.
In other words, we aim to bring the United Nations more closely to the people of Northern Ireland through information-sharing, awareness-raising and debate. We believe that this is of public benefit. The direct benefits which flow from the work of UNA-NI are through its annual programme of events, details of which are outlined below. All of these events were provided free of charge.
05/06/24 - UNA-NI AGM followed by a Public Talk with Guest Speakers
The 2024 AGM was held on 5 June 2024 in the Parish Hall of St George’s Parish, Belfast. Following the AGM, a public talk was held with guest speakers, Kate Nicholl, MLA and Eithne McNulty, representative from CADA (Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies in Northern Ireland) of which UNA-NI is a member. The aims of the public talk were to outline the reestablishing of the NI Assembly’s All-Party Group for International Development (APGID), the involvement of CADA in its secretariat role, and plans for the APGID.
Featured left is Eithne McNulty, who represented CADA, and Kate Nicholl, MLA and Chairperson of the newly set up All Party Group for International Development in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
15/10/24 - Hope for the World Event with Guest Speakers
UNA-NI’s Hope for the World Event took place in the Hill of the O'Neill and Ranfurly House, Dungannon on 15 October 2024. UNA-NI was grateful to Cllr McConnell, Chair of the Mid Ulster Council, who sponsored the event.
Two guest speakers were Manuel Carta and Laura Hampton. A former Commissioner of the Italian Red Cross, Manuel Carta has been serving in Belfast as an Emergency Response Volunteer. He has participated in several humanitarian missions, including earthquakes, floods, landings, and the rescue of immigrants in the Mediterranean. The title of Manuel’s talk was ‘Where Chaos meets Hope: The role of the Disaster Manager, with a subtitle ‘Field Experiences amid Natural Disasters and Community Recovery’.
Laura Hampton from County Armagh recently completed a round the world sailing adventure to benefit UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund. The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race on the UNICEF boat raised over £440,000 for UNICEF and they won the final race as well. The title for Laura’s talk was ‘From Orchards to Oceans – Tales of Eleven months spent circumnavigating the Globe’. Laura was pleased to share her story, trials and tribulations, inspiring hope for our future.
Featured in the photograph with Cllr McConnell, Chair of the Mid Ulster Council, were guest speakers Laura Hampton and Manuel Carta, seated second and third from the right. Students and teachers from the Integrated College Dungannon, the Royal School Dungannon and the Royal School Armagh joined in the photograph along with UNA-NI members. Photo credit: Ian Maginess
18/10/24 - Introduction to a Model UN –with Guest Speakers from UNA Scotland
UNA-NI was very pleased to benefit from the support of Ulster University in the hosting of an event with their students. Guest speakers Yeumiao Ma and Nicholas Estee from UN House Scotland gave a presentation, followed by an activity for the students to participate in. UNA-NI thanked all involved and was pleased to learn that, following this event, a Model UN has been established at Ulster University.
Photographs below show some of the student attendees at the event. Long time supporter of UNANI, Professor Stephen Farry, Professor of Strategic Policy and Co-Director of the Strategic Policy Unit at Ulster University, welcomed the students to the event and added his support to them in setting up an MUN.
Professor Farry speaking with the students. A selection of the students with UNA-Scotland
and UNA-NI representatives.
Committee Meetings
The Committee has met online on five occasions and once in person to carry out the business for UNA-NI.