Get a guided tour of UN in Hindi

New York, Mar 12 (UNI) The United Nations has added a new group of multilingual guides for the growing number of visitors to its headquarters, including a guide who communicates through sign language.

The building has now a full complement of guides from 38 countries and among them are guides from India and China.

A mindboggling 38 million people have visited the UN building on the East River since it was built in 1952. The number of visitors last year was 412,000 an increase of 14 per cent from the previous year.

''United Nations tour guides are in many ways the human face of UN headquarters,'' says Under Secretary for Communications and Public Information, Shashi Tharoor.

Twenty-six new guides will join next week, taking the total number of guides to 67.

''They have a daunting task of explaining new challenges confronting the world and the United Nations in the 21st century, from terrorism to bird flu, and also reminding our visitors of the many accomplishments of our first 60 years,'' said Tharoor, a celebrated Indian author.

The Guided Tours Unit, part of the UN's Department of Public Information, offers tours in 16 languages, more than any tour operator in New York city. The guides are considered the UN's 'Ambassadors to the Public'.

To become a guide, the applicants must be fluent in English and at least one other language. College education and public speaking skills are also required.

The selected candidates go through a two-and-a-half week intensive training programme during which they are taught the history and mandate of the UN as well as the current activities of the entire UN system.

The new guides this year reflect the pattern of visitors to UN Guides who are fluent in French, Russian and Mandarin are among the new recruits. There is also one guide skilled in American sign language.

Guided tours are conducted every day, with a few exceptions.

During the hour-long lecture tour, guides present the UN's history and structure, explain its role in current events, describe the unique collection of artworks on display along the tour route and answer visitors' questions.

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