The United Nations Association of Fiji has been officially admitted as a member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations following deliberation and approval by the 44th Plenary Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
The decision comes during WFUNA’s historic 80th year of existence, marking eight decades of the People’s Movement for the United Nations since its establishment in 1946 at the Executive Board Room of the World Health Organization.
UNA Fiji President and Founder Akmal Ali, who is attending the Plenary Assembly in Geneva, described the decision as one of the most significant moments in the Association’s history.
He says it is one of those moments that is difficult to put into words because it is not simply an institutional milestone, but one that is deeply personal.
UNA Fiji says the journey towards this moment began in 2013, when Ali travelled from Fiji to Russia to participate in InterSeliger.
They say during that experience, surrounded by young people from around the world and exposed to discussions on diplomacy, international cooperation, leadership and global citizenship, the question that why should the United Nations feel so far away from ordinary people in Fiji remained with him.
UNA Fiji says on 14th October 2014, on a rainy day at the University of the South Pacific campus in Suva, the United Nations Association of Fiji was formally established.
They say there was no grand conference hall or elaborate launch.
UNA Fiji says there was a tent, a table and a few chairs, with rain falling around those gathered and a small group of people who believed that Fiji needed an organisation capable of bringing the ideals and work of the United Nations closer to ordinary people.
Ali says that humble beginning has remained central to UNA Fiji’s identity.
He says the organisation was never meant to be defined by buildings, titles or prestige, but by people, service and the belief that global ideals only have meaning when they touch local lives.
They say from the beginning, UNA Fiji’s vision has been to build a Fiji where the United Nations is not something distant from its people, but something citizens can understand, engage with and feel part of.
UNA Fiji says their mission has been to bring the United Nations closer to the people of Fiji and, just as importantly, to carry the voices, experiences and aspirations of the people of Fiji back to the United Nations.
They say one of UNA Fiji’s flagship initiatives has been its Diplomacy Training Programme, designed to give young Fijians practical exposure to diplomacy, negotiation, international relations, leadership and the United Nations system.
They say over the years, more than 500 people have graduated through UNA Fiji’s diplomatic and leadership programmes.
Ali says UNA Fiji’s work has never been confined to conference rooms.
The organisation has deliberately sought to connect global commitments with local action.
They say young people who participated in diplomacy and Model United Nations activities also found themselves working directly in communities, including standing in the mud along Fiji’s coastlines planting mangroves.
They say trough its programmes, volunteers, communities and partnerships, UNA Fiji has contributed to the planting of around 40,000 mangroves, alongside a range of community impact initiatives, youth programmes, school engagements and grassroots activities.
Ali says the organisation realised early that talking about the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change and youth empowerment was not enough.
He says if those words were going to have meaning, they had to leave the conference room and become visible in people’s lives.
Ali says UNA Fiji’s philosophy is simple which is that if the organisation speaks about climate action, it must act and if it speaks about young people, it must create opportunities for young people to lead; and if it speaks about 'We the People', those words must include people who may never walk through the doors of a United Nations building.
He says UNA Fiji’s formal admission to WFUNA is therefore not regarded as a trophy or the end of a journey, but as a new responsibility.
Ali says membership is not proof that the organisation’s work is complete and, if anything, it raises the standard UNA Fiji must now hold itself to.
UNA Fiji intends to use its membership to learn from fellow United Nations Associations, build international partnerships, contribute its grassroots experiences and ensure that the perspectives of Fiji and the wider Pacific are represented within the global UNA movement.
Ali says the Pacific brings a distinctive perspective to multilateralism.
UNA Fiji says Pacific Island countries are among those on the front lines of climate change and other global challenges, despite contributing comparatively little to many of the problems affecting them.
At the same time, he says the Pacific is not defined only by vulnerability.
He says it is a region of resilience, knowledge, culture, community and leadership.
Ali says while Pacific islands may be small, their voices are not, and the experiences of their people are profound.
He says the Pacific’s ocean is vast, its communities are resilient and its young people have ideas, ambition and something meaningful to contribute to the world.
UNA Fiji says their admission to WFUNA represents the culmination of more than a decade of volunteerism, institution-building, youth development, community service and commitment to the principles and purposes of the United Nations.
They say from an idea born in Russia in 2013, to a tent in the rain at USP in 2014, to more than 500 graduates, around 40,000 mangroves, schools, villages, community impact projects and years of service, UNA Fiji now formally joins the global family of United Nations Associations.
Ali says they dedicated the milestone to everyone who had helped carry the Association through its journey.
He says behind the achievement are the volunteers who gave their time, the young people who found their voices, the communities that welcomed UNA Fiji, and the people who planted in the mud, debated in classrooms, organised programmes and built partnerships.
He says UNA Fiji is ready to learn, contribute and serve alongside the global United Nations Association movement.
Ali adds the journey did not end when they arrived in Geneva and, in many ways, this is where the next chapter begins.
