ROMUN2015 kicks off with the simulation of the General Assembly reserved for those who are under 30.

Sending a strong message to the leaders of the world: “in order to build a future, you can’t leave us behind”

 More than 500 young people, 4 continents, 60 nations represented, 5 days of negotiations, and one goal: to send a clear message to the leaders of the world that “Young people must help build the future.” ROMUN2015 (the official Model United Nations in Rome) will be held in Rome from the 16th to the 20th of October 2015, hosted by SIOI (Italian Society for International Organization - UN Association of Italy) and the Diplomatic Missions of the United States to Italy and to the UN Agencies in Rome. The goal is simulate a General Assembly of the United Nations seen through the eyes of the younger generation.

The hashtag #ROMUN2015 is already a success on social media, where Italian and foreign students have already started exchanging position papers of the country they are representing with the goal of reaching at a final resolution called “The Youth Road Map”, that will be delivered to the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon.

For 5 days ROMUN will become an important center of debate and discussion among young people about subjects that are at the center of international attention: from the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approved just a few days ago at the UN Headquarters, to the ongoing crises that are driving the global foreign policy agenda.

The participants range from age 16 to 30 and come from over 60 member states of the United Nations, some with complex political situations, such as Afghanistan, Indonesia, Libya, Ukraine, Pakistan and Ethiopia.

They are all clear one thing: that “putting up walls don’t resolve the tragedies of the world, we must build more streets and bridges”. They will transmit this message to the leaders of the world also through a group photo shoot, illustrating their collaboration.

The work schedule foresees an opening ceremony at FAO on the 16th of October in the presence of several important guests: Dan Gustafson Deputy Director General of FAO, the President Emeritus of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, the American Ambassador to Italy, John Phillips, the president of SIOI UNA Italy Franco Frattini, the president of the Permanent Secretariat of the Nobel Peace Laureates’ Summits, Ekatrina Zagladina, the First Secretary of the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome, April Cohen, and Pietro Sferra Carini from the general Secretariat of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. We also expect a written message from Pope Francis.

Other conference locations will be the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (where the participants will deliver the final resolution to the Secretary general Michele Valensise), SIOI headquarters at Palazzetto Venezia, the Center for American Studies, and the University of Washington Rome center. Evening events will take place at Villa Aurelia - American Academy in Rome and the Italian National Olympic Committee. The final event of this simulation will take place the 20th of October at the Milan Expo 2015 where the young people will promote a flash mob on the themes of feeding the world the environment.

Journalists and the videographers interested in covering this event are asked to confirm no later than Thursday October 15th, by sending their information to the email media@sioi.org

For info and accreditation:

Lucrezia Pagano, Media Relations SIOI – UN Association Italy

+39.06.6920781 - +39.348.6532003 - media@sioi.org