# United Nations Information Centres

The United Nations Information Centres (UNIC) were established in 1946, headquartered in New York, United States. Spread across 63 countries worldwide. These centres, until 2018, facilitated the exchange and sharing of current global events on behalf of the United Nations. Under the management of the Department of Global Communications within the UN Secretariat until 2018, UNICs were pivotal in communicating the organization's challenges. The Department of Global Communications oversaw and sanctioned all developmental initiatives, primarily concentrating on thematic campaigns promoting UN-related concerns, subsequently distributed through regional information centres.

## History

Established in 1946 under the auspices of the United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC), the United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) stand as integral pillars in fostering global collaboration and facilitating the exchange of vital information. The DGC, committed to serving the diverse populations under the United Nations umbrella, assumed responsibility for the oversight and coordination of UNIC operations.
The inaugural establishment of UNICs in 1946 marked the genesis of a network designed to bridge communication gaps on a global scale. Initially consisting of two centers, their mandate swiftly expanded over the years, extending their footprint to encompass 63 countries worldwide. Positioned as central hubs within their respective regions, UNICs assumed a pivotal role in the dissemination of pertinent information pertaining to the United Nations system.
From their headquarters in New York, USA, UNICs served as conduits for the transmission of updates, initiatives, and challenges encountered within the United Nations framework. By leveraging their strategic locations and robust communication networks, these centers fulfill their mandate of fostering a more informed and interconnected global community.
Head of Department is Ms. Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. She leads the UN’s Department of Global Communications, which informs global audiences about the state of the world and engages them to build support for the work and goals of the United Nations.
The United Nations Information Centres (UNICs), the field offices of the Department of Global Communications, are the principal sources of information about the United Nations system in the countries where they are located. UNICs are responsible for promoting greater public understanding of and support for the aims and activities of the United Nations. UNICs deliver information about the United Nations in their respective countries, in local languages, to a wide range of people, including journalists, government officials, civil society representatives, students, educators and researchers.

## Scope

United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) have been strategically established across various regions, including Europe, the Americas, the UAE, Asia & the Pacific, and Africa. These centers serve as vital conduits aimed at bridging communication divides by disseminating essential United Nations information to people worldwide. To ensure accessibility and comprehensibility, all information is meticulously translated and presented in the regional languages of their respective areas.
Often referred to as United Nations Regional Information Centres, these entities play a crucial role in fostering connections between the United Nations and the populations of developing nations. Their mandate extends to engaging with media outlets, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to facilitate coordination within the UN system. Additionally, UNICs forge partnerships with governmental, non-governmental, and private sector organizations to advance shared objectives and initiatives.
In line with their mission, UNICs maintain both physical and digital repositories of information, including libraries and electronic mediums. These resources serve as valuable assets in promoting awareness and understanding of the United Nations' work and objectives among diverse audiences across the globe.

## Activities

UNICs are involved in various core activities aimed at disseminating the latest information about the UN system.
* Communication - UNICs implement communication strategies utilizing current affairs, traditional festivals, and events. They ensure information is translated into the regional languages of the countries they serve.
* Media Outreach - UNICs establish connections with national and regional media outlets to distribute information. These centers utilize press conferences, print media, electronic, and digital mediums to disseminate information collaboratively.
* Information Resource Development - These centers develop and maintain resources such as libraries and websites through regional information centers. UNIC activities encompass training sessions for journalists to keep them updated on development projects. They regularly conduct television and radio broadcasts featuring UN stories in regional languages.
* Events Organization - UNICs organize numerous events on international and national celebration days. Additionally, they coordinate seminars, sports, and other competitions in educational institutions.

## List of centres

The following are all of the current information centres, as well as all the areas they serve:

### African States

| Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
| UNIC Accra | 1958 | Ghana Sierra Leone | Sylvia Lopez-Ekra |
| UNIC Antananarivo | 1963 | Madagascar | Violet Kakyomya |
| UNO Asmara | 1993 | Eritrea | Susan Ngongi |
| UNIC Brazzaville | 1983 | Congo | Anthony Ohemeng-Boamah |
| UNIC Bujumbura | 1961 | Burundi | Garry Conille |
| UNIC Dakar | 1964 | Senegal Cape Verde Ivory Coast Gambia Guinea Guinea-Bissau Mauritania | Damian Cardona Onses |
| UNIC Dar es Salaam | 1961 | United Republic of Tanzania | Alvaro Rodriguez |
| UNIC Harare | 1982 | Zimbabwe | Bishow Parajuli |
| UNIC Lagos | 1967 | Nigeria | Ronald Kayanja |
| UNIC Lome | 1962 | Togo Benin | Damien Mama |
| UNIC Lusaka | 1975 | Zambia | Janet Rogan |
| UNIC Nairobi | 1974 | Kenya Uganda Seychelles | Nasser Ega-Musa |
| UNIC Ouagadougou | 1982 | Burkina Faso Chad Mali Niger | Metsi Makhetha |
| UNIC Pretoria | 1995 | South Africa | Masimba Tafirenyika |
| UNIC Windhoek | 1992 | Namibia | Rachel Odede |
| UNIC Yaounde | 1965 | Cameroon Central African Republic Gabon | Allegra Maria Del Pilar Baiocchi |

### American States

| Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
| UNIC Asuncion | 1962 | Paraguay | Jorge Meza |
| UNIC Bogota | 1954 | Colombia Ecuador Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | Helene Papper |
| UNIC Buenos Aires | 1948 | Argentina Uruguay | Tamar Hahn |
| UNIC La Paz | 1963 | Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | Mauricio Ramirez-Villegas |
| UNIC Lima | 1960 | Peru | Maria del Carmen Sacasa |
| UNIC Mexico City | 1947 | Mexico Cuba Dominican Republic | Giancarlo Summa |
| UNIC Panama City | 1984 | Panama | Harold Robinson |
| UNIC Port of Spain | 1962 | Countries: Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Dominica Grenada Guyana Jamaica Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Other areas: Aruba Bonaire Curaçao Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten | Juan Miguel Diez |
| UNIC Rio de Janeiro | 1947 | Brazil | Maurizio Giuliano |
| UNIC Washington | 1946 | United States of America | Robert Skinner |

### Arab States

| Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
| UNIC Algiers | 1963 | Algeria | Eric Overvest |
| UNIC Beirut | 1962 | Lebanon Jordan Kuwait Syrian Arab Republic | Marguerite El Helou |
| UNIC Cairo | 1949 | Egypt Saudi Arabia | Radhia Achouri |
| UNIC Khartoum | 1963 | Sudan Somalia | Gwi-Yeop Son |
| UNIC Manama | 1977 | Bahrain Qatar United Arab Emirates | Samir Al-Darabi |
| UNIC Rabat | 1962 | Morocco | Fethi Debbabi (Acting Director) |
| UNIC Sana'a | 1994 | Yemen | Lise Grande |
| UNIC Tunis | 1960 | Tunisia | Diego Zorrilla |

### Asia and Pacific States

| Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
| UNIC Canberra | 1948 | Australia Fiji Kiribati Nauru New Zealand Samoa Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu | Christopher Woodthorpe |
| UNIC Colombo | 1961 | Sri Lanka | Hanaa Singer |
| UNIC Dhaka | 1981 | Bangladesh | Mia Seppo |
| UNIC Islamabad | 1951 | Pakistan | Vlastimil Samek (Acting Director) |
| UNIC Jakarta | 1985 | Indonesia | Francyne Harrigan (Acting Director) |
| UNIC Kathmandu | 1964 | Nepal | Sara Beysolow Nyanti |
| UNIC Manila | 1953 | Philippines Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands | Ola Almgren |
| UNIC New Delhi | 1947 | India Bhutan | Darrin Farrant |
| UNIC Tehran | 1950 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | Maria Dotsenko |
| UNIC Tokyo | 1958 | Japan | Kaoru Nemoto |
| UNIC Yangon | 1959 | Myanmar | Knut Ostby |

### Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States

| Centre | Established | Areas serviced | Director |
| UNO Almaty | 1993 | Kazakhstan | Abdurahim Muhidov (Officer-in-Charge) |
| UNIC Ankara | 1975 | Turkey | Irena Vojačkova-Sollorano |
| UNO Baku | 1992 | Azerbaijan | Ghulam Isaczai |
| UNRIC Brussels | 2004 | Countries: Andorra Belgium Cyprus Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Holy See Iceland Ireland Italy Luxembourg Malta Monaco Netherlands Norway Portugal San Marino Spain Sweden United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Other areas served: European Union | Deborah Seward |
| UNIS Geneva | 1947 | Switzerland | Alessandra Vellucci |
| UNO Kyiv | 1992 | Ukraine | Osnat Lubrani |
| UNO Minsk | 1992 | Belarus | Joanna Kazana |
| UNIC Moscow | 1948 | Russian Federation | Vladimir Kuznetsov |
| UNIC Prague | 1947 | Czech Republic | Michal Broza (Officer-in-Charge) |
| UNO Tashkent | 1992 | Uzbekistan | Helena Fraser |
| UNO Tbilisi | 1992 | Georgia | Vinton Louisa |
| UNIS Vienna | 1984 | Austria Hungary Slovakia Slovenia | Martin Nesirky |
| UNIC Warsaw | 1995 | Poland | Mariola Ratschka (Officer-in-Charge) |
| UNO Yerevan | 1992 | Armenia | Shombi Sharp |