Join the UN Youth Delegate Programme

Editorial Staff — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 15:27:05 +0000

Introduction

Do you know who is a “UN Youth Delegate” and what they do?

They are young people who participate in the meetings of the United Nations, through an initiative that aims to involve young people more in the United Nations’ work.

Each country in the programme chooses one or more young individuals to represent them at meetings. The selection process and responsibilities vary by country.

Currently, 22 EU Member States are part of this programme. Unlike the UN and African Union, the European Union doesn’t have youth representatives.

The UN Youth Delegates engage in important youth discussions at the UN. They also speak up for young people’s rights in Europe, and expand the EU’s youth representation globally.

The aims of the project

The programme aims to improve EU coordination and representation on youth matters and more at the United Nations.

It will help carry out the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and the 2020 EU Council Conclusions on Youth in global actions by promoting dialogue between different generations and cultures and involving youth in policy decisions.

Additionally, a network of alumni will be created to connect youth delegates over the years.

The tasks of a youth delegate differ by country but usually involve giving advice to their delegation on youth-related matters and getting involved in their delegation’s activities, like going to meetings and informal discussions.

Youth delegates can join various United Nations meetings, with many taking part in the General Assembly. Some also attend specific commissions of the Economic and Social Council.

How to become a Youth Delegade?

Some countries already pick young representatives through specific programmes.

You can find out if your country has such a programme by reaching out to government bodies like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Youth Council, or United Nations Associations.

If your country doesn’t have a programme for choosing a youth delegate, you can try to convince your country that having a youth representative at the UN General Assembly is important.

If they agree, the responsible body needs to start the process of selecting a youth delegate.

Discover more about the initiative

If you want to learn more about this topic and would like to become a Youth Delegate visit the official website for more information!

Youth Engagement | Eurobarometer Survey

Editorial Staff — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:13:59 +0000

The new Eurobarometer survey shows growing youth engagement, with a majority (58%) of young people active in the societies they live in, and having participated in one or more youth organisation’s activities over the last 12 months.

The Eurobarometer on Youth and Democracy

The Flash Eurobarometer on Youth and Democracy, run in February and March 2022, shows an increase of 17% in youth engagement since the last survey conducted in 2019.

In addition, young people’s most common expectation for the 2022 European Year of Youth is for decision-makers to listen more to their demands and act on them, and to support their personal, social and professional development (72%).

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has reinforced young people’s conviction that preserving peace, reinforcing international security and promoting international cooperation is the very first objective of the EU (37%).

The next highest expectations are for the EU to

increase job opportunities for young people (33%)
fight poverty and economic and social inequalities (32%)
promote environmentally friendly policies and fight climate change (31%)

Voice Your Vision

The European Commission has also launched a new online tool, the “Voice your Vision” platform, to make it easier for young Europeans to make their voice heard. On this platform, Europeans can record their opinions and ideas for the future of the European project.