HDI Brings U.N. Ambassadors to Austin, Texas to take part in a Special Public Diplomacy Event in Celebration of the United Nation's 60th Anniversary
July 2005Executive Summary
Diplomats from the United Arab Emirates, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda traveled to Austin, Texas to attend a roundtable hosted by Mayor Will Wynn on Tuesday, July 19, 2005 at Austin City Hall. The diplomats joined Austin's hi-tech business leaders and civil society representatives for a discussion on "How Do We Promote Access To and Expansion of Information and Communication Technologies and Related Technologies to Improve the Education, Health and Welfare of the World's Population?" The event was part of a two-day conference that celebrated the 60th anniversary of the United Nations. The discussion, led by Timothy Finton, Senior Counselor for International Communication and Information Policy at the U.S. State Department, focused on the need to build communications technology infrastructures in all countries to nurture environments for entrepreneurial fulfillment and to bridge the digital divide. Austin was selected to host this week's United Nations anniversary events because of its well-established status as a technology leader with far-reaching global ties.
The two-day conference, organized by the Humpty Dumpty Institute, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the International Center of Austin and the City of Austin also served as an opportunity for international diplomats, government officials, Texas business executives and other opinion leaders to get together and discuss United Nations reform - a timely topic as leaders across the world prepare for the 60th United Nations General Assembly commencing in September 2005. The U.N. diplomats attended a breakfast at the University of Texas Club hosted by the International Center of Austin. Richard T. Miller, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs at the U.S. Department of State gave a speech titled "The United Nations: Can It Stand as a Vital Force in International Politics?"
Other highlights of the two-day conference included a concert hosted by the U.S. Department of State featuring Cultural Ambassador Mary Wilson of The Supremes, joined by Pakistani musical guests Nauman Lasharie and Shumaila Hussain at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
