Why is the United Nations coming to Salt Lake City? SALT LAKE CITY — When the United Nations first announced Salt Lake City as its recommended location for the historic 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference — the first conference to be held in the U.S. outside of U.N. headquarters in New York — some likely questioned, “Why Salt Lake?” On a list of the most globally recognized cities in the U.S., Salt Lake City doesn’t even make the top 20. For many, the city is best known for being the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as Utah’s capital and the host of the 2002 Winter Olympics. But when selecting cities that align with the goals and principles upheld by the U.N., that criteria made Salt Lake stand out. The United Nations coming to Salt Lake City is a result of the work of Mayor Jackie Biskupski, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Utah Valley University, credited Sister Sharon Eubank, president of Latter-Day Saint Charities and first counselor in the Church’s Relief Society general presidency. Another key reason, as Sister Eubank explained, is the reputation that Utah has for being welcoming — and both the history and recognition of the Church play a big role in that. “This is a place where everybody is welcome,” Sister Eubank said. And there is certainly a sense of belonging with more than 5,000 people from 138 different countries meeting together in downtown Salt Lake City to discuss problems and solutions on a global scale.
Supportive partners
The U.N. and the Church have worked together in an official capacity since 2011, when the U.N. recognized Latter-day Saint Charities, the humanitarian arm of the Church, as an accredited nongovernmental organization. Attendees listen to Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski speak during the 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference at the Salt Palace Convention Center on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019. Credit: Steve Griffin, Deseret News “It’s important for the Church to have these relationships because we’re a multilateral organization, we work in multiple countries, multiple political systems, multiple cultures, and the United Nations does as well,” she said. “When multiple countries are involved, you have to work with the United Nations. So it’s good for us and a sign of the maturity of the organization that Latter-day Saint Charities and the United Nations have this relationship.” This year marks another progressive step in the partnership as the organizations have worked closely together throughout the planning and executing processes for the global conference. Jeff Brez, the chief of NGO relations advocacy and special events in the U.N. Department of Global Communications, explained how the Church and Latter-day Saint Charities have been a part of the planning process from the beginning https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2019-08-28/un-salt-lake-city-church-of-jesus-christ-158099
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