UN worker to discuss Afghanistan state of affairs

A United Nations expert will examine the situation in Afghanistan at an upcoming University of Queensland free public lecture.

The Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Afghanistan, Martin Hadlow, will discuss UNESCO in Afghanistan: The First Six Months at 12.30pm on Thursday, August 8, in the Social Sciences and Humanities Library Conference Room, St Lucia.

Mr Hadlow will provide an illustrated overview of the organisation’s work since the inauguration of the Karzai administration in December last year.

He will outline various educational, cultural and communication problems and UNESCO efforts to overcome these difficulties.

Mr Hadlow began his career with UNESCO at Regional Communication Adviser for Asia, and since then has held positions as Director of the Division of Freedom of Expression, Democracy and Peace; Representative to Iraq and Regional Communication Advisor for the Arab States while Director of Jordan’s office; and established UNESCOs first office in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia.

He has also spent several years in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea in media training and management roles and worked with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in Melbourne.

Members of the public are invited to attend the lecture, which will be chaired by Professor Ken Wiltshire, AO, Australia’s representative on the Executive Board of UNESCO and Professor of Public Administration at UQ.

The lecture is jointly sponsored by UQ’s Centre for International Journalism and the Australian National Commission for UNESCO.

Media: to arrange an interview with Mr Hadlow between 11.15am and 12.15pm on Thursday, August 8, or for further information, contact Robin Smith, Centre for International Journalism (telephone 07 3365 3268, email: cij@uq.edu.au) or Joanne van Zeeland at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2619, email: communications@uq.edu.au).