On 16 August UNA Westminster held an on the UN Olympic Truce in Central Hall Westminster, the venue for the inaugural meeting of the UN General Assembly in 1946. The event recognised an initiative by London's diplomatic community to re-affirm their support for the UK's resolution to promote the Olympic Truce, which was co-sponsored unanimously by UN Member States in October 2011.
Attended by representatives from more than fifty embassies, UNA-UK members and members of the NGO community, the event witnessed the presentation of a unique collection of letters of support for the Olympic Truce written by ninety Heads of Missions to London, led by HE Mr Khaled Al-Duwaisan GCVO, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, to UNA-UK's Executive Director, Phil Mulligan. The unique gift will now reside in the Library of Central Hall Westminster alongside its UN memorabilia from 1946.
The event also included contributions from Conrad Bailey, Head of the FCO's Conflict Department; the London Peace Network; Truce 20/20, a youth initiative in the London Borough of Newham; Peace Unlimited, which works with young people in Rochdale and district in Lancashire; and the Office of the UN High Commission for Refugees.
World G18 Somalia announced the publication of the UN educational comic Score the Goals in association with UNA Westminster Branch and Somali Youth Vision reported on its work in Mogadishu and southern Somalia. Members of the United Nations Veterans Association, all former UN peacekeepers, were applauded as they marched on parading the flags of the United Nations and the Olympic Truce.
A full write-up of the event is available on the UNA Westminster website.
