Students debate ICT issues during FerMUN13
Samsung Galaxy winners Filip Drzazga and Marta Miori receive their prize from Dr Touré and Josh Choi, curator of ITU’s ICT Discovery museum
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09-11 January, Geneva, Switzerland
ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré capped a highly successful mission to the Republic of Korea with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Mr Kye-Cheol Lee, launching the preparatory process for the ITU 2014 Plenipotentiary Conference which will be held in the bustling port city of Busan.
On Wednesday 9th ITU opened its doors to some 350 students from across Europe as host of the Model UN programme run by the Lycée International of Ferney-Voltaire (FerMUN).
At the FerMUN13 Opening Ceremony, held in ITU’s largest meeting space, the Popov Room, ITU Secretary-General Dr Touré welcomed a strong panel of high-level speakers including:
Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva
Ambassador Alexandre Fasel of the Swiss Confederation
Ambassador Sylvia Poll of the Republic of Costa Rica
Mr Sebastien Chatelus, Conseiller with the Permanent Mission of France to the UN
Mr Jean-Paul Brech, Principal of the Ferney-Voltaire Lycée International
Mr Christian Caron, Representative of the Rectorat of the Academie de Lyon, and
Mr Guy Larmenjat, Vice President of the Conseil Général de l’Ain
Dr Touré told a packed room of student delegates, teachers and UN staff that he was delighted to be surrounded by so many bright and inspirational young people committed to debating technology issues in a spirit of international cooperation. "As young men and women, you hold the keys to the future in your hands. In a hyper-connected world, that future includes ICTs in every aspect of modern life – from schools and hospitals and government offices, to homes and businesses and public spaces. Yours is the most connected generation that has ever lived. That connectedness offers fantastic opportunities for engagement and empowerment, as information is accessed, used, created and shared to build tomorrow’s Knowledge Society," he said.
In recognition of ITU’s role as the UN’s specialized agency for information and communication technology, the FerMUN13 students chose the theme of ICTs as the way forward in development, peace and prosperity.
The three-day event (9-11 January) gave ITU a chance to showcase its exceptional conference organizing skills, as teams from across the Union assisted the Ferney MUN Committee with everything from registration and badging to room allocation and seating plans, audio-visual and live webcast support, training for student interpreters and translators, onsite photo and video production, graphic design and printing for promotional banners and two onsite FerMUN13 magazines, and media relations activities.
Students were also invited to visit ITU’s new ICT Discovery museum, with visitors eligible to win one of two Samsung Galaxy tablet computers. The lucky winners drawn by Dr Touré at the closing ceremony on Friday 11th were Filip Drzazga, a Polish student representing Italy in FerMUN debates, and Marta Miori, one of the youngest students at the conference, who was representing Singapore.
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