UN guides receive new Italian designer outfits.

• Position: Passing By - Brief Article

Long considered the Organization's "ambassadors to the public", there are currently 60 tour guides representing 31 nationalities in the United Nations. The guides are now seen in their stylish new look since United Nations Day (24 October) by the tens of thousands of people who visit UN Headquarters in New York each month.

The United Nations received the new uniforms from Mondrian, a renowned Italian fashion house, which agreed to produce, free of charge, two full sets of uniforms for each guide in New York and Geneva over the next three years. They are complemented with shoes designed and produced by another Italian company, Valleverde, which is also donating them for three years.

The four-piece uniform includes a skirt, jacket, blouse and scarf for the female guides, and for the first time a maternity outfit; and a suit, shirt and tie for the male. "We are very pleased that Mondrian and Valleverde will be helping us celebrate the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of guided tours by providing our wonderful guides with a new look", said Shashi Tharoor, Interim Head of DPI. The tour operation will mark its fiftieth anniversary in 2002.

Marina Meneghetti de Camillo, an Ambassador of San Marino, facilitated the conclusion of the agreement on the uniforms between Mondrian and the United Nations. She said it was a unique opportunity for a fashion house to enhance the image of the UN guides. Mirella Bizzini Solignani, owner and President of Mondrian, said the company was delighted by the challenge that the partnership represented, and hoped to provide "a dynamic and appealing look for this highly visible group of young people". Armando Arcangeli, President of Valleverde, said the shoes were designed to match the new uniforms, which were both fashionable and comfortable. The debut of the uniforms on the occasion of United Nations Day provided the opportunity to welcome visitors back to Headquarters with a fresh new look.

In New York, the UN guided tours are conducted every day, except on Thanksgiving Day, year-end holidays, weekends in January and February, and some days during high-level meetings of the General Assembly. During the hour-long lecture tour, guides answer questions about the role of the United Nations in current events and describe the unique collection of artwork on display throughout the tour route. The Guided Tours Unit of the UN Department of Public Information offers tours in New York in more than 20 languages. In Geneva, tours in...