Armenian Professionals at U.N. Hold Forum in New York
Armenians at the U.N. reunite in New York City
Thirty Armenian professionals working across United Nations agencies gathered at Fordham University in May 2026 to discuss their involvement in the global organization. A follow-up forum in June brought together 25 participants to explore ways to increase Armenian engagement at the U.N.
Speakers included Armenia's U.N. Ambassador Paruyr Hovhannisyan and Bryan D. Ardouny, executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America, who recently became the first elected Armenian board member of CoNGO, the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations.
Participants identified several action items: compiling a global roster of Armenian U.N. professionals, expanding the list of Armenian NGOs registered with the U.N., and creating workshops to help Armenian organizations gain U.N. ECOSOC status. The group agreed to hold quarterly gatherings and plan a third forum for fall 2026.
