How to Be an Expert UN Delegate
Learn about the Youth Delegates program., Find out the situation in your country., Find out about the application process in your country., Check your eligibility., Contact the UN for advice., Lobby your government for youth representation.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn about the Youth Delegates program.
Every year youth delegates join their senior national delegates at the UN General Assembly.
Take some time to read material on the UN website to familiarise yourself with the program and its stated objectives.
Three of the key aims are:
To enhance global awareness of youth issues and youth rights.
To promote national youth polices in co-operation with governments and non-governmental organisations.
To strengthen the participation of youth at all levels of decision-making. -
Step 2: Find out the situation in your country.
Currently, only around 30 of 193 countries that are members of the UN send Youth Delegates to the General Assembly.
The UN is working to increase that number, but you will have to find out whether or not your country is involved in the program.Check to see if you country has a Youth Delegate by looking at the representatives from previous years on the UN Youth website.Some of the countries that do include:
Europeans countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Germany, Georgia, and Ireland Asia and Pacific countries, including Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Countries from the Americas, including Mexico, Peru and the USA., The process to apply will be different in every country, but you should be able to find out information relevant to you by looking on the webpages of your government and UN associations.
In the US, the Youth Delegate is known as the Youth Observer.
Candidates have to apply in June to be considered.
The skills you will need include:
Being a talented writer, able to read and digest lots of information quickly and accurately.
Having a strong intellectual curiosity and interest in the world around you.
Having some experience of public speaking.
Being proficient on computers and other digital media.
Being able to have meaningful conversations with people at a high level., The eligibility requirements will vary by country, and there is not a strict definition of “youth” in the UN.
To be eligible in the US, you need to be a US citizen between 18 and 25 years old.
You have to have a demonstrable passion for international affairs, civic engagement, youth issues and the United Nations.
You must be able to travel to New York during the General Assembly in late September, and for some time in October for the Third Committee of the General Assembly.
You will be prepared to participate in social media and other events, and write blogs, tweets and newsletters about your experience.
You may also be required to travel around the country to talk to other young people about your experience.
Travel, accommodation and reasonable costs will be paid for by the UNA-USA., If you are interested in establishing a Youth Delegate scheme in your country, it’s a good idea to contact the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA).
This organisation runs a scheme designed to increase participation in Youth Delegate events and can provide you with some guidance about how to begin the process.
You can email them directly through the website: http://www.wfuna.org/wfuna-youth-delegate-programme-multipliers You can also download a handbook about the program, which contains some useful information about the scheme and how to get started.
Visit the website to get a PDF: http://www.wfuna.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/images/wfuna_handbook_singles_150.pdf , If your country is not involved in the Youth Delegate scheme, the UN provides some guidance on how you can try to lobby your government to take part.
Try to make contact with some large national youth organisations in your country, and ask them to get involved in a campaign to take part in the Youth Delegate event.
You may also want to write a formal letter to the minister in your government responsible for foreign affairs and international relations.
It might also be a good idea to contact the minister responsible for youth or education in your country.If your country applies for a position and it is accepted, you will still have to go through a formal application process before you can become the delegate. -
Step 3: Find out about the application process in your country.
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Step 4: Check your eligibility.
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Step 5: Contact the UN for advice.
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Step 6: Lobby your government for youth representation.
Detailed Guide
Every year youth delegates join their senior national delegates at the UN General Assembly.
Take some time to read material on the UN website to familiarise yourself with the program and its stated objectives.
Three of the key aims are:
To enhance global awareness of youth issues and youth rights.
To promote national youth polices in co-operation with governments and non-governmental organisations.
To strengthen the participation of youth at all levels of decision-making.
Currently, only around 30 of 193 countries that are members of the UN send Youth Delegates to the General Assembly.
The UN is working to increase that number, but you will have to find out whether or not your country is involved in the program.Check to see if you country has a Youth Delegate by looking at the representatives from previous years on the UN Youth website.Some of the countries that do include:
Europeans countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Germany, Georgia, and Ireland Asia and Pacific countries, including Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Countries from the Americas, including Mexico, Peru and the USA., The process to apply will be different in every country, but you should be able to find out information relevant to you by looking on the webpages of your government and UN associations.
In the US, the Youth Delegate is known as the Youth Observer.
Candidates have to apply in June to be considered.
The skills you will need include:
Being a talented writer, able to read and digest lots of information quickly and accurately.
Having a strong intellectual curiosity and interest in the world around you.
Having some experience of public speaking.
Being proficient on computers and other digital media.
Being able to have meaningful conversations with people at a high level., The eligibility requirements will vary by country, and there is not a strict definition of “youth” in the UN.
To be eligible in the US, you need to be a US citizen between 18 and 25 years old.
You have to have a demonstrable passion for international affairs, civic engagement, youth issues and the United Nations.
You must be able to travel to New York during the General Assembly in late September, and for some time in October for the Third Committee of the General Assembly.
You will be prepared to participate in social media and other events, and write blogs, tweets and newsletters about your experience.
You may also be required to travel around the country to talk to other young people about your experience.
Travel, accommodation and reasonable costs will be paid for by the UNA-USA., If you are interested in establishing a Youth Delegate scheme in your country, it’s a good idea to contact the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA).
This organisation runs a scheme designed to increase participation in Youth Delegate events and can provide you with some guidance about how to begin the process.
You can email them directly through the website: http://www.wfuna.org/wfuna-youth-delegate-programme-multipliers You can also download a handbook about the program, which contains some useful information about the scheme and how to get started.
Visit the website to get a PDF: http://www.wfuna.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/images/wfuna_handbook_singles_150.pdf , If your country is not involved in the Youth Delegate scheme, the UN provides some guidance on how you can try to lobby your government to take part.
Try to make contact with some large national youth organisations in your country, and ask them to get involved in a campaign to take part in the Youth Delegate event.
You may also want to write a formal letter to the minister in your government responsible for foreign affairs and international relations.
It might also be a good idea to contact the minister responsible for youth or education in your country.If your country applies for a position and it is accepted, you will still have to go through a formal application process before you can become the delegate.
About the Author
Stephen Gonzales
Committed to making organization accessible and understandable for everyone.
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