Washington, DC, 10 March 2023 – This past Wednesday, 8 March, the UN Information Center in Washington hosted students enrolled in Arizona State University (ASU)’s International Affairs master’s program, who were the DC area to acquaint themselves with the work of the UN and its critical role around the globe.
Speaking on behalf of the UN Information Center, Anne Musotsi and Brenden Varma noted that, at that very moment, UN Secretary-General António Guterres was in Kiev, Ukraine, stressing the importance of renewing the Black Sea Grain Initiative. They explained the significance of the initiative and how it contributed to tackling global food insecurity. And they noted that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, agreed to last July in Istanbul, had provided for the export of 23 million tons of grain from Ukrainian ports, which were helping efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) by 2030.
During the hourlong interactive session, in addition to discussing the initiative, the students from ASU asked questions about the UN’s communications methods, climate change, refugee programs, Palestine, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Security Council reform, humanitarian funding shortages, women’s rights and career opportunities.
Youth engagement is a significant area of focus for the UN Information Center in Washington, and this week’s engagement with ASU, one of the largest public universities in the United States, was fruitful.
