OPENING CEREMONIES
The opening ceremonies at a Model United Nations Conference are the ceremonial kick-off to three-day round of negotiating, drafting, discussions and research. Hofstra’s Spring 2013 conference will feature an address by prominent keynote speaker, introduction of the Hofstra Model United Nations Secretariat, and a welcome to all our faculty and high school delegates by Secretary General Sarah Sicard.
Our keynote speaker, Mr. Kingston Papie Rhodes of Sierra Leone, is a career diplomat and chairman of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). He has enjoyed a long and distinguished career within the United Nations. Prior to his service as chairman of the ICSC, Mr. Rhodes served as its Executive Secretary. He led the ICSC secretariat in strengthening the human resources systems for the United Nations common system. He was accountable for the Commission's administrative, budgetary and human resources management functions where the goal was to bring out the best in an already able staff to better serve Member States and the common system. Mr. Rhodes oversaw the development of revised draft standards of conduct for the International Civil Service, later adopted by the UN General Assembly. He spearheaded pilot studies on pay-for-performance.
Between 1980 and 1999 Mr. Rhodes served in a variety of positions with increasing responsibilities in ICSC, starting as a Statistician in the Cost-of-Living Division of the ICSC secretariat and ultimately serving as Chief of that division and Secretary of the Commission's Advisory Committee on Post Adjustment Questions. From this position he directed work on the United Nations world-wide system of equalizing the purchasing power of staff salaries. He provided technical advice to the Commission on statistical matters relevant to the mission of ICSC. He also expanded professional contacts with other leading statistical agencies.
Prior to joining the international civil service in 1980 Mr. Rhodes was an officer in the service of the Government of Sierra Leone. Between 1969 and 1980 he held a variety of positions culminating with that of acting Deputy Director of the Central Statistics Office.
Mr. Rhodes was the Sierra Leone Government's representative to the 5th and 7th Sessions of the United Nations Africa Commission on Agricultural Statistics and Vice-Chairman of the 7th Session. He holds post-graduate degrees from the Moscow Institute for Economics and Statistics and from George Washington University, Washington D.C.
CLOSING CEREMONY AND AWARDS DINNER
The closing ceremony in a Model United Nations Conference is the culmination of three days’ work negotiating, drafting resolutions and resolving conflicts. We have chosen to combine our closing ceremonies with a lunch in Hofstra’s elegant University Club. During this time delegates, staff and the secretariat will be able to reflect on the conference and their shared experiences. After dinner, each chair will congratulate the delegates on their efforts and will proceed to announce the award winners for the weekend, including best delegate, outstanding delegate, and honorable mentions for each committee.
The Closing Address will be delivered this year by The Honorable Jim McLay, CNZM, QSO. Jim McLay is the New Zealand Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. He took up his appointment in June 2009. He practiced law before being elected as a Member of the New Zealand Parliament in 1975. Until his retirement from politics in 1987 he held, at various times, the positions of Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. He received the Queen’s Service Order (QSO) for public services (1987) and was made a Companion of the Order of New Zealand (CNZM) for services to conservation (2003).
From 1993 to 2003, Jim McLay was New Zealand Commissioner on the International Whaling Commission He served three years as Chair of its Finance and Administration Committee (responsible for budget and related issues) and was a member of its Advisory Committee (which advises the Commission’s Chair and Secretary). He was formerly a member of the Humane Society of the United States’ International Council of Advisers. He has chaired New Zealand government public policy reviews of wholesale electricity markets, defense funding and financial management, and reform of road funding and management. He also participated in two reviews of New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme.
Ambassador McLay was founder Chair of the New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development (and, subsequently, its Patron), Honorary New Zealand Chair of the Trans Tasman Business Circle and a New Zealand delegate to the Australian New Zealand Leadership Forum, focused on the development of a Single Economic Market (SEM) between two countries (and was, for several years, a member of the Forum’s New Zealand Steering Committee). From 1998 to 2009, he was Convenor/Chair of the Project Manukau Audit Group, responsible for the environmental and resource management audit of Auckland’s Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Prior to his move to New York, Ambassador McLay was Executive Chair of Macquarie Group Holdings New Zealand Limited (subsidiary of Macquarie Group, Australia), Chair of Goodman (NZ) Limited (manager of the publicly-listed Goodman Property Trust), Chair of publicly-listed MetLifecare Limited and Just Water International Limited; and was previously a director of several other companies (including Motor Race New Zealand Limited, Neuren Limited and Evergreen Forests Limited) and Chairman of Pharmacybrands Limited.
