ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY MEETS WITH HIGH LEVEL UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS

AZG Armenian Daily #160
05/09/2007

August 24, 2007

Washington, DC – An Armenian Assembly delegation met with the
United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public
Information Kiyo Akasaka this month in New York, to exchange views on
a broad scope of issues, including international peace and security,
regional development, democracy and civil society-building, and
human rights as it pertains to the South Caucasus, and Central and
Eastern Europe.

The Under-Secretary-General noted how impressed he is of Armenia’s
progress towards social and economic development since independence,
and how important the Armenian Diaspora’s contribution has been to
that effort.

The Assembly delegation, led by Board of Trustees Member Jirair
Haratunian, Executive Director Bryan Ardouny, and Director of
Research and Analysis Armen Kharazian, reiterated its interest in
sharing knowledge and expertise, within the broader UN framework,
regarding the methodology and practice of development advocacy,
in benefit of historic homelands.

"Armenia may be a small country, but the Armenian Diaspora, with
its geographic reach and organizational capacity, imparts a global
dimension to the Armenian people – a tremendous value in today’s
globalized world," said Kharazian, the Assembly’s Main Representative
to the United Nations. "The Assembly intends to utilize that potential
in full, to the benefit of Armenia and its region, as well as the
international community as a whole."

The Assembly delegation also met with Shamina de Gonzaga, Special
Advisor on NGO Relations of the Office of the President of the General
Assembly. Both meetings were requested by the Assembly, to discuss
issues of interest or concern to the Armenian-American community,
including universal affirmation of the Armenian Genocide in the light
of the growing global focus on genocide prevention and other crimes
against humanity.

The UN meetings were followed by a session with Ambassador Armen
Martirosian, Armenia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, to discuss
strengthened collaboration between the Assembly and the Mission of
Armenia to the UN.

The meetings in New York provided an important stimulus to the
Assembly’s efforts to further develop its United Nations outreach
and advocacy strategy. The Armenian Assembly is an NGO in Special
Consultative Status with ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social
Council) since 1999.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.