About Us

The United Nations Association’s main ruling body is the National Council. It has three main roles per the Constitution:

• Governance of the organsiation as a whole
• Policy making body of the organisation
• Coordination and support of our branches
  
  

The National Council meets up to four times a year in order to discuss and vote on yearly budgets, long-term strategic plans, policies, actions, and upcoming events.

The National Executive is responsible for the day-to-day running of the organization and the National office, upcoming events, payments and accounts. It employs the National Administrator, whose key role is public relations, organizational administration and development, and project and event management. The role supports the National President and our Regional Branches.

Honorary Life members are recommended by the National Council at an Annual General Meeting. Usually these are individuals who have carried out distinguished service for the United Nations Association of New Zealand, and/or the UN over a period of years. Honorary Life Members are non-voting members of the National Council. Our Constitution states that Life Members do not pay membership fees, may be in attendance at, and receive the papers for, the National Council with speaking rights, but no vote. Life Members have voting rights at any Special General and Annual General Meetings.

UNA NZ National Executive

• Karim Dickie, National President
• James Bushell, Vice President
• Ramola Duncan, Vice President 
• Mira Karunanidhi, Vice President  
• Vacant, National Executive Officer 
• Steven Arnold, National Treasurer
• Anne Joseph, Secretary
• Hala Barakat, National President, UN Youth New Zealand
• Joy Dunsheath MNZM JP, WFUNA Executive Vice Chair and National Executive Committee Member
• Pat Metham, National Council Representative on the Executive
• Pauline Mckay, National Council Representative on the Executive
• Julian N. Paton, National Council Representative on the Executive

UNA NZ National Council

• Dr Abeer Youssef, Special Officer for Humanitarian Affairs
• Alyn Ware, Special Officer for Peace and Security
• Dulce Piacentini, Special Officer for Human Rights
• John O'Brien, Special Officer for UN Renewal
• Steen Videbeck, Special Officer for Education
  
• Ishant Ghulyani, Special Officer for Global Health
• Steven Arnold, President, Northern Region Branch
• Doug Barnes, President, Tauranga Group
• Mano Manoharan, President, Waikato Group
• Pat Metham, President, Wellington Branch
• Dr Priya Mohan, President, Canterbury Branch
• Ruth Groffman, President, Southland Branch
• Vacant, President, Manawatu Branch
• Vacant, President, Whanganui Branch
• Patrick Metham, Ordinary Member of the National Council
• Pauline Mckay, Ordinary Member of the National Council
• Julian N. Paton, Ordinary Member of the National Council
• Leonardo Bolstad and Sharon Wilson, Communications Officers
• Vacant, Events Officer 

Honorary Life Members

• Alyn Ware
• Dr Kate Dewes
• Dr Graham Hassall
• Lady Rhyl Jansen
• Robin Halliday
• Joy Dunsheath 

In Memoriam

• John Morgan (Ordinary Member of the National Council; National Council Representative on the Executive)
• Margaret Arnold (Honorary Life Member)
  
• Mary Gray (Honorary Life Member)
• Clinton Johnson (Honorary Life Member)
• Margaret Knight (Honorary Life Member)
• Colin McGregor (Honorary Life Member)
• Mary McGiven (Honorary Life Member)

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