UNO/DPI Yerevan

Mandate

The United Nations Department of Public Information (UN DPI) is the public voice of the UN and the principal source of information about the United Nations system. It promotes global awareness and greater understanding of the work of the UN, using various communication tools including press, electronic and new media. It was established in 1946.

At present, there are 63 Information Centres, Services and Offices, which are part of the Department of Public Information. They are key to the Organization's ability to reach the peoples of the world and to share the United Nations story with them in their own languages.

By translating information materials into local languages, engaging opinion-makers, organizing events to highlight issues or observances and supporting the UN Country Teams (UNCT) in implementation of their communications strategies, the network of UN DPI Offices, Services and Centers is one of the main vehicles through which the UN tells its story.

UN DPI in Armenia

The UN DPI Information Office in Armenia (UNO/DPI) was established in Yerevan in 1992 and is one of 63 UN Information Centres, Services and Offices worldwide. Besides its global mandate, and in accordance with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), UNO/DPI Armenia cooperates with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) to promote UNCT work assisting efforts aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals, promoting the UN Human Rights standards, organizing the commemoration of UN observances, arranging thematic exhibitions and ensuring media coverage of all UN activities.

The UNO/DPI provides expert advice and assistance to the UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes regarding communication strategies. The UNO/DPI leads the UN Communication Group (UNCG) aimed at uniting the efforts of UN system in Armenia to increase visibility of the UN's achievements and promote its success stories. This, in turn, helps to generate public cooperation and support, leading to new achievements.

The UNO/DPI, working in close coordination with the UNCT and its local partners, reaches out to the media and educational institutions, engages in partnerships with authorities on national and local levels, civil society groups and the private sector in bringing the core messages of the UN to the people in Armenia.

To reach a wider Armenian audience, UNO/DPI has prepared over 90 translated and locally produced UN materials in Armenian and disseminates this information to all interested partners, including visitors of UN House, participants of different events, state and non-governmental organizations, libraries and educational institutions.

UNO/DPI staff, together with its colleagues from other UN institutions, regularly conducts outreach lectures for students and other interested groups in Yerevan and other parts of Armenia. The Office maintains UN Corners housed in cities Hrazdan, Gyumri, Idjevan, Kapan and Artashat Youth Centers together with the Center for
Organization of Youth Activities within the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. These UN Corners serve for local public as the direct source of information about UN and are used to promote youth activism.

The UNO/DPI manages the bilingual website of the UN Country Team in Armenia (www.un.am), which serves as one of the main sources of information about the activities of the Organization, both locally and globally. Together with its partners, the UNO/DPI and the Armenian UN Association organizes Model UN Conferences for the youth, which simulate the work of different UN bodies.

The UNO/DPI Office also maintains two UN depository libraries, located at the Yerevan State University and the National Library. The Office regularly updates their stock and trains their staff. Traveling around Armenia with the Bibliobus of the National Library, UNO/DPI distributes UN publications and information to the members of the
Library network in Armenia.

CONTACT:

United Nations Office in Yerevan
Department of Public Information
UN House
14 Petros Adamyan St.
Yerevan 0010, Armenia
Tel: (374 10) 56 02 12
Fax: (374 10) 56 14 06
E-mail: uno.yerevan@unic.org
URL:    http://unic.un.org
            http://www.un.am