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United Nations Day Celebrated in Yerevan

PRESS RELEASE
UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
14 Petros Adamyan St.
Yerevan
Tel: +37410 56 60 73
Contact: Sona Hamalian
Mobile: 091 43 44 48
E-mail: sona.hamalian@undp.org

United Nations Day Celebrated in Yerevan
Observances include 15th anniversary of Armenia’s UN membership

24 October, 2007, Yerevan – On the occasion of United Nations Day, the
United Nations Office in Armenia observed several milestones by holding
a string of commemorative events, a press briefing and several exclusive
interviews to TV stations. The observances marked the 15th anniversary
of Armenia’s admittance into the UN and the establishment of the UN
Office in Armenia, and the 62nd anniversary of the founding of the UN.

The program kicked off in the morning with an awards ceremony at the UN
Office in Yerevan, where local staff members of the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) received certificates of achievement for
their work during 2006 and 2007. The event was followed by a
flag-raising ceremony in front of the UN building.

The celebrations continued inside the UN office with a reception and a
press briefing. After a video screening of the message delivered by UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on the occasion of United Nations Day, Ms.
Consuelo Vidal, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident
Representative, addressed her opening remarks to an audience comprising
the staffs and Heads of various UN agencies in Armenia as well as the
press corps.

During the press briefing, Ms. Vidal commented on the significance of
United Nations Day for Armenia and the international community as a
whole. She also announced the launch of the `10 Best School Projects’
initiative.

To be implemented by the UNDP, `10 Best School Projects’ is funded by
United Company RUSAL, a UN Global Compact partner, within the framework
of UN efforts to promote corporate social responsibility in Armenia.
Through `10 Best School Projects,’ Armenian schoolchildren will be
encouraged to provide creative solutions to improve their schools and
school life and compete for financial support to realize their projects.

`It is very important to engage schoolchildren in finding solutions to
their own problems, and to stimulate their creativity and
self-confidence,’ Ms. Vidal said. `If we want to see a prosperous
Armenia, we must invest in our young generation of today. I am proud
that together with our partners, we are working towards building a solid
future for our youth.’

The main event of United Nations Day was an official reception that was
held in the evening at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic
of Armenia. It was attended by Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan and
other high-ranking officials of the Armenian Government, Ambassadors and
foreign dignitaries, the staffs and Heads of UN specialized agencies in
Armenia, representatives of international and local NGOs, and the mass
media.

In her remarks, Ms. Vidal praised Armenia for its continued and peaceful
engagement in the international community, and stressed the importance
of the UN’s partnership with Armenia for implementing development
projects, particularly in the regions of the republic.

`After a long history defined by adversity and strife, the reborn
Republic of Armenia was accepted and recognized by the international
community in 1992, as a country of remarkable resilience,’ Ms. Vidal
said. `While many nations have left the stage of history, Armenia has
endured.’

`Armenia’s recognition by the global community has been an essential
factor in the UN’s commitment to this republic,’ Ms. Vidal continued.
`Today several of our agencies are active in Armenia, determined to work
closely with the government and civil society.’

The reception at the Foreign Ministry included an exhibition of
photographs, titled UN in Armenia, and the launch of a newly published
commemorative book, UN in Armenia – 15 Years.

The day’s celebrations were concluded with a concert following the
reception, performed by the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia at the
Arno Babajanyan Hall in Yerevan. The night’s program featured works by
Mozart, Elgar, Komitas, Strauss, Babajanyan, and others. In her address
preceding the concert, Ms. Vidal commended the National Chamber
Orchestra and its conductor and artistic director, Mr. Aram Gharabekyan,
for their collaboration with the UNDP. As Ms. Vidal informed the
audience, recently the orchestra has given a series of concerts
throughout the regions of Armenia, in an effort to promote the UNDP’s
Small and Medium Enterprise support program.

`I salute the National Chamber Orchestra, and I salute the Government
and civil society of Armenia, as well as all our local and international
partners, for working so tirelessly to shape the future of this great
nation,’ Ms. Vidal stated.

The concert’s guest roster included Armenian Government officials and
foreign dignitaries, representatives of international and local
organizations, staffs and heads of UN specialized agencies in Armenia,
and the mass media.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Emil Lazarian: “I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS
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