The United Nations Information Centre in Tanzania was established in June 1961. The Centre provides a wide range of information services to the United Republic of Tanzania. As a branch office of the United Nations Department of Information (DPI), the Centre is an important source of information for Tanzanians interested in the activities of the United Nations in the country and globally.

The Centre distributes to the local media, Government Departments, Non-Governmental Organizations, educational institutions and youth a wide range of information materials, including press releases, brochures, posters, audio-visual materials and UN publications.

From time to time, the Centre translates UN information materials and publications for the benefit of the local audience. Some of the publications recently translated into Kiswahili are available in the Centre’s library for easy reference by school students and the general public. These publications include the Millennium Development Goals, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and The UN at Your Fingertips.

In order to fulfill its mandate to promote understanding of the United Nations and its activities, UNIC also produces its own newsletter, UNIC Tanzania News, highlighting the latest local news from the UN and reports on such global issues as advancement of women, empowerment of youth, migration and least developed countries.

Recognizing that today’s youth are the future leaders, UNIC involves young people in all its programmes. The Centre holds regular briefings for students in schools. It encourages and assists in the establishment of “Friends of the UN Clubs” in educational institutions in an effort to reach out to the young people. In the clubs, students plan after-school activities, such as environmental clean-ups and debates highlighting global problems as seen from the local perspective. The Friends of the UN Clubs are voluntary associations, created by UNIC for students and anyone interested in the United Nation’s work, global problems, and development issues.

The Centre works closely with the Youth of the United Nations Association in Tanzania (Yuna) in establishing new clubs and ensuring their stability and continuity.

UNIC Dar es Salaam organizes briefings and screens videos on the work of the UN for students on its premises as well as at educational institutions and community centres. Together with the Government, NGOs and students, UNIC organizes commemorations of UN observances such as International Women’s Day, International Day of Peace, International Youth Day and UN Day among many.

UNIC also provides background information materials and their expertise in organizing Model United Nations conferences conducted in educational institutions countrywide. Model United Nations is an authentic simulation of the UN General Assembly and other multilateral bodies. Model United Nations conferences not only give students first-hand knowledge about the work of the United Nations, but also help prepare tomorrow’s leaders in dealing with global challenges. UNIC has actively supported Model United Nations conferences in Tanzania since 1997.

The Centre is involved, on an on-going basis, with the dissemination of information on the UN System as a whole to the people of Tanzania.