United Nations Association President, Carolina Herrera and Director of Supply Chain and Logistics, Sam Andrus pose for a portrait at Cortado in downtown Iowa City on Tuesday, February 4th, 2020. The United Nations Association at Iowa is a student org dedicated to educating Iowa City and the university on the United Nations and international relations matters.
Rachel Schilke, The Daily Iowan
Newly formed University of Iowa student organization the United Nations Association at Iowa promises to dedicate time to the promotion of the United Nations’ principles and stances on worldwide issues.
The student organization was originally created in 2006 at the UI. However, Carolina Herrera, president of the United Nations Association, said it lacked organizational structure and was ineffective in advocating for the UN, leading to the deactivation of its student-organization status.
Herrera and her executive team created an active organization this year with a clear mission devoted to supporting the ideas of the United Nations, she said.
“We want to promote the importance of the United Nations, what they believe, and what they want to accomplish,” Herrera said. “We focus a lot on sustainability goals, gender roles, and climate change, because those are the most timely.”
The United Nations Association at Iowa adheres to the 17 sustainable development goals set by the United Nations, Herrera said, working hard to educate students at the UI on their importance and how to fulfill the goals. Those include far-reaching targets such as ending poverty, achieving food security for all, and ensuring a quality education.
The organization is made up of eight executive board members, each in charge of a committee that is made up of general members. Paul Richards, treasurer of the United Nations Association at Iowa, said the organization relies upon feedback from their general members.
“We, as an executive board, listen to what the general assembly thinks and what they want to discuss, and then we designate what needs to be done to address the important issues,” Richards said.