The United Nations Video Series

Videos About the United Nations
Featuring UN Ambassadors and Practitioners

• Met a UN Ambassador or senior Secretariat member?
• Had UN diplomats and personnel explain what the UN is really like?
• Heard a debate or discussion between senior diplomats on UN issues?

Scroll through this page for information, or click on the following links:

• Series I: The United Nations General Assembly
• Series II: The United Nations and Terrorism / The United Nations and Financing
• Series III: The United Nations and Women / The United Nations and Racism
• Series IV: Zones of Conflict: The Situation in the Middle East / The Situation in South Asia
• Series V: Zones of Conflict: The Situation in Central Africa / The Situation in West Africa
• For UN and MUN Course Instructors
• Purpose of these videos
• The organizations producing the videos
• Ordering information

Series I: The United Nations General Assembly

Includes four video segments featuring Ambassadors and senior UN Secretariat members speaking about the General Assembly and UN Diplomacy

• SEGMENT I: INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
  Presented by Ambassador Ahmad Kamal
  • This tape is an excellent introduction to the UN General Assembly (GA), perfect for new students of the UN or Model UN. Amb. Kamal provides details and his personal insight on topics such as:
    • Main organs of the UN and their functions
    • Charter of the UN and rules of the GA
    • Use of the rules to achieve Representatives' goals
    • Rights of UN Member States
    • Mechanics of debates in the GA
    • And many more
  • This tape is ideal as a teacher supplement, or for student run groups.
  • Running time: 40 minutes

• SEGMENT II: DRAFTING OF UN RESOLUTIONS & DECISIONS
  Presented by Mr. Jean Gazarian
  • This tape walks through the life of a UN resolution, from drafting to completion. Topics are covered which are appropriate for both beginning and advanced students, including:
    • Definition of resolutions and decisions
    • Construction and parts of a resolution
    • Terminology and accuracy in resolutions
    • Lending emphasis to resolutions
    • The semantics of resolutions -- how to add emotion in clauses
    • The importance of negotiation, compromise and consensus building on draft resolutions
  • Running time: 33 minutes

• SEGMENT III: INTERVIEW WITH AMBASSADORS TO THE GA
  Featuring Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock (United Kingdom) and Ambassador Ahmed Aboul Gheit (Egypt)
  • Ambassadors Greenstock and Aboul Gheit engage in a moderated discussion about diplomacy in the UN GA. Topics of discussion include:
    • What is the real importance of the GA?
    • How important are individuals in molding GA resolutions?
    • How important is negotiation in the GA?
    • Can the UN learn any new procedures from Model UN students?
    • And many more
  • This Segment is an excellent resource on diplomacy for both beginning and advanced audiences.
  • Running time: 32 minutes

• SEGMENT IV: INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE GA
  Featuring H.E. Mr. Han Seung-Soo, President of the 56th GA
  • Ambassador Kamal and President Han discuss topics including:
    • What is the Presidentâs role in reconciling the conflicting national interests represented at the UN?
    • How does the President provide leadership in the GA? How is this authority granted?
    • What is the relationship between the GA and the Security Council?
    • How did the events of 11 September 2001 impact the work and priorities of the GA?
  • This rare, taped footage of a General Assembly President is an excellent resource for any audience.
  • Running time: 16 minutes

Series II: The United Nations and Terrorism / The United Nations and Financing

Includes two video segments featuring Ambassadors and senior UN Secretariat members speaking about pressing UN issues

• SEGMENT I: THE UNITED NATIONS AND TERRORISM
  Featuring Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock (United Kingdom) and Ambassador Ahmed Aboul Gheit (Egypt)
  • This tape explores UN responses to recent acts of terrorism, and some of the obstacles that lie in the way of comprehensive consensus-building on this issue. Amb. Greenstock is the head of the UN counter-terrorism committee, created in 2001 by the Security Council, while Amb. Aboul Gheit represents a Member State which is often a leader in the UN debate on terrorist acts. They address questions relating to international terrorism, including:
    • What are the "root causes" of terrorism, and how are these being addressed in UN deliberations?
    • Can we overcome the fear and paranoia generated by the events of 11 September 2001?
    • How is "terrorism" defined at the UN, and what issues affect the disagreements over the definition?
    • How are the Security Council and the General Assembly involved in the legislative actions to respond to terrorism?
    • Which countries at the UN rank the elimination of terrorism highest among their diplomatic priorities?
  • Running time: 50 minutes

• SEGMENT II: THE UNITED NATIONS AND FINANCING
  Featuring Mr. Joseph Connor, Under-Secretary-General
  • This segment seeks to uncover some of the commonly-misunderstood elements of UN budgeting and financing, as well as that of its subsidiary bodies and agencies. Mr. Connor, a former Chief Executive Officer of Price-Waterhouse in the United States, answers questions relating to financing with in the UN system, including:
    • How large is the UN budget? How large is the Secretariat?
    • What agencies, funds and programs exist within the UN system?
    • Where does the money in the main UN budget come from, and what formulas are used to assess these contributions?
    • How is the regular budget established?
    • What impact has the arrears of Member States had on UN operations?
    • What is "results-based budgeting," and how does it affect the strategic plan behind current UN budgets?
    • How are other UN agencies / programs budgeted and funded?
    • How is the private sector involved in the financing of UN activities?
    • How can the UN increase its resource base for the future?
    • How do personnel costs factor into the annual UN operating budget?
  • Running time: 46 minutes

Series III: The United Nations and Women / The United Nations and Racism

Includes two video segments featuring Ambassadors and senior UN Secretariat members speaking about pressing UN issues

• SEGMENT I: THE UNITED NATIONS AND WOMEN
  Featuring Ms. Noeleen Heyser, Executive Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and Ms. Laketch Dirasse, Chief of African Issues for UNIFEM
  • This Segment discusses issues relating to gender inequality in various cultures and its impact on factors such as health care, development, poverty and human rights. The UNIFEM representatives explore a number of pressing questions relating to the status of women, including:
    • What is the UN doing to improve the status of women? What international treaties and conventions exist on this issue?
    • What have been the successes and failures of such efforts so far?
    • What challenges do women face in today's societies?
    • Are efforts being made to evaluate and compensate the work done by women, with specific attention to women in Africa?
    • How does the HIV/AIDS crisis involve the world's women?
    • What is the status of women in the UN Secretariat?
    • How can the concerns of "cultural differences" be reconciled with efforts to improve the status of women? (topics include female genital mutilation, violence and rape, female infanticide and laws of inheritance)
    • How do international agencies and the private sector help or hinder efforts toward female-oriented development efforts? What more can be done to include women in development efforts?
    • How do the Member States rank gender equality among their diplomatic priorities at the UN?
  • Running time: 47 minutes

• SEGMENT II: THE UNITED NATIONS AND RACISM
  Featuring Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo (South Africa) and Ambassador John Dauth (Australia)
  • This Segment addresses the issue of racism as well as other concerns of discrimination and prejudice against peoples. Both panelists were prominent attendees at the recent world conference on this issue held in Durban, and the efficacy of the conference is also discussed. Specific questions considered in this Segment include:
    • What is racism? Does it include bias against indigenous peoples? Does this term only apply to bias on the basis of color, or is it a broader problem?
    • How did the recent Durban conference address issues of racism?
    • Was Durban's large, diverse agenda the product of "opportunity seeking" for political gains, or was it a justifiable and necessary expression of widespread national frustrations?
    • What impact did the US withdrawal have on the Durban conference?
    • Is there a relationship between world responses to terrorism and racism?
    • Are restrictions on migration (e.g. immigration) a racist phenomenon?
    • How important is racism on the overall UN agenda?
    • When and how do people aquire tendencies toward racism?
  • Running time: 36 minutes

Series IV: Zones of Conflict: The Situation in the Middle East / The Situation in South Asia

Includes two video segments featuring Ambassadors and senior UN Secretariat members speaking about areas of historical tension

• SEGMENT I: THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
  Featuring Ambassador Nasser al-Kidwa (Palestine)
  • This Segment discusses issues relating to this area of historical tension, including:
    • What is the history of the disagreement over Palestine?
    • What political and ideological underpinnings guide Arab and Israeli positions regarding the Middle East?
    • How does the UN play a role in this conflict?
  • Running time: 46 minutes

• SEGMENT II: THE SITUATION IN SOUTH ASIA
  Featuring Ambassador Vijay Nambiar (India) and Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi (Pakistan)
  • This Segment discusses issues relating to this area of historical tension, including:
    • What is the history behind the disagreement over Kashmir?
    • How does nuclear capacity play a role in this disagreement?
    • How do these two governments differ ideologically?
  • Running time: 63 minutes

Series V: Zones of Conflict: The Situation in Central Africa / The Situation in West Africa

Includes two video segments featuring Ambassadors and senior UN Secretariat members speaking about areas of historical tension

• SEGMENT I: THE SITUATION IN CENTRAL AFRICA
  Featuring Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari (Under-Secretary-General) and Amb. Dumisani Kumalo (South Africa)
  • This Segment discusses issues relating to this area of historical tension, including:
    • What are the causes of conflict in post-colonial Africa?
    • How do external players, such as multi-national corporations and globalization, play roles in conflicts in Africa?
    • What is the significance of the HIV/AIDS crisis?
    • Why should the developed world care about Africa?
  • Running time: 53 minutes

• SEGMENT II: THE SITUATION IN WEST AFRICA
  Featuring Mr. James Jonah (Fmr. Minister of Finance, Sierra Leone)
  • This Segment discusses issues relating to this area of historical tension, including:
    • How can the UN and the international community best deal with interrelated, cross-border conflicts?
    • How has the sale of diamonds affected the current situation in Sierra Leone?
    • What are the positives and negatives to Nigerian or other west African involvement in regional crises?
  • Running time: approx. 50 minutes

For UN and MUN Course Instructors

Click here to download the instructor questions for the General Assembly Video Series.

A second file contains the answers to the companion questions, and will be made available to purchasers of any of the Video Segments.

At this time, there is not a companion guide to supplement Series II - V. These are in development and will be made available soon. Purchasers of Series II - V will be notified when the online guide is available.

Purpose of these Videos

Just completed in the Fall of 2002, Series II and III begin our focus on specific UN issues. These tapes feature experts in various areas of UN affairs discussing what the UN has done in the past, and what it is capable of doing in the future to solve some of the many problems facing the world. These two series can be used by a wide variety of groups, from classroom use, to membership organizations with an international focus, community groups interested in these topics, or Model UN participants.

Based on the success of these series, future video segments will focus on other UN issues, UN Organs, and on the roles of specific Member States within the UN.

The organizations producing the Videos

ABOUT THE AMBASSADOR'S CLUB
The Ambassador's Club, founded by Ambassador Ahmad Kamal (former Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN) was created to provide a better understanding in tomorrow's leaders of what the UN is and what its numerous programs do to make the world a safer place. The Club runs a series of video conferences with colleges and universities across the US, bringing in UN Ambassadors and senior Secretariat members to engage in presentations and discussions with students in remote classrooms. Amb. Kamal and the Club see these videos as a natural extension of their educational work, bringing the UN to even more students around the world. Visit the Club online at www.un.int/kamal/club for more information.

ABOUT AMERICAN MODEL UN
American Model United Nations, Inc. (AMUN) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to the promotion of quality Model UN simulations and to UN education in general. AMUN is an official Non-Governmental Organization recognized by the UN Department of Public Information. AMUN sponsors the AMUN
International conference each November in Chicago, Illinois for college students, and also co-sponsored the United Nations International Model UN (UNIMUN)
Conference with the United Nations in August 2000. Additionally, AMUN provides numerous educational resources to MUN educators and leaders at all levels.
Visit AMUN on-line at www.amun.org for more information.

ORDERING INFORMATION

These videos are distributed exclusively through American Model United Nations and all proceeds go to further work in educating students about the United Nations. Videos can be ordered on-line from this page using our secure server or this form may be printed and mailed or faxed to AMUN at the numbers below. These videos are available on VHS, in Region 1 (NTSC) format. Pricing is as follows:

Click here to order online using our secure server

Alternately, you can fax or mail this order form, with payment, to the number and address below.

For more information about AMUN, please write, call, fax, or e-mail us at:

American Model United Nations International
1212 N. Columbian Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60302
Phone: 773-777-AMUN
Fax: 708-386-3806
E-Mail: mail@amun.org