Revamped website tells UN story in 130 languages

The Department of Public Information is marking United Nations Day today by launching a redesigned website for UN Information Centres (UNICs) that aims to tell the Organization’s story in 130 languages.

The website will serve as a portal to the Department’s network of 63 UNICs worldwide, most of which are located in developing countries.

“This website enables our Information Centres to bring the UN story to people around the world and to do so in their local languages,” said Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka.

The website features information on both current activities and milestone agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as on the globally agreed anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“The site reflects the invaluable contribution of the United Nations and its network of Information Centres to this year’s observance of the International Year of Languages, highlighting the importance of preserving linguistic diversity,” stated Mr. Akasaka, who was also appointed UN Coordinator for Multilingualism by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May.

New features of the site include content explaining the public information work of the UN and an interactive “Voices from the field” section, which features short video clips in local languages of UN staff describing their work.

Visitors can also learn about the activities of the Information Centres, via a blog or through automatic updates provided by a technology known as RSS (Really Simple Syndication).

Upholding the spirit and message of UN Day, the new website will provide reliable and up-to-date information on the UN to a wide range of groups, including journalists, government officials, civil society representatives, students, educators and researchers.