The time has come to celebrate. The 60th anniversary of the United Nations is upon us, and no bash-loving argument may undermine the fact that this is a significant moment in history. The single thought of 191 countries coming together as one in their efforts for peace is in itself an accomplishment, and one that has prevailed through time.
On September 13 2005, the opening of the 60th Session of the General Assembly (GA) will take place in New York City, in the presence of numerous Heads of State and high-level diplomats. In the midst of these events, youth in particular have been given an important role. The Secretary-General will address the GA with a special report on youth, evaluating the progress of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY), adopted in 1995. Additionally, the GA has determined that it will devote two plenary sessions to youth-related issues in October 2005, and prior to these, there will be a round-table consultative meeting with youth experts and Youth Delegates to evaluate WPAY.
A youth delegate is a young individual who is selected through a National Youth Council and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to represent his or her country’s youth interests at the UN General Assembly in New York and other relevant international meetings (see "Youth Delegates" at www.un.org/youth). It is especially important that governments participate in these revisions and sessions through the inclusion of youth to their Missions.
Although governments would highly benefit from official youth participation, mainly by gaining a whole new and fresh perspective of the issues at hand, few have adopted this as common practice. Only ten UN Member-States sent Youth Delegates to the 59th Session of the GA in 2004, these being developed countries from Scandinavia for the most part.
Youth inclusion in developing countries’ Delegations has been slow due to a series of reasons; the main ones being that this modality of participation is little-known to civil society, and that the costs of travel and living in New York City are no walk in the park. The following recommendations may be helpful to lobby governments of developing countries for the inclusion of Youth Delegates, and to draft a proposal that will minimize costs.
Live to Lobby
If a youth representation program does not exist in your country, don’t shy away from the prospect of lobbying for the creation of the position. Believe it or not, governments closely monitor initiatives and recommendations made by civil society groups and individuals. Contact your local branch of the National Youth Council, or equivalent body (it’s always good to have institutional backup), and work together to draft a proposal. This proposal should be presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ideally, the Youth Council and the Ministry should agree to the implementation of the program.
Being in a developing country, you may want to stress the following points in your lobby: 85% of young people live in developing countries, though this sector is seriously under-represented in international decision-making; youth participation from your country would be, in this context, exemplary, as the government would show serious commitment to youth, and; due to the Youth Delegate’s special status, the government will have access to processes that it otherwise wouldn’t be active in without such a Delegate.
If you have difficulty in convincing the Ministry or the Youth Council to approve your ideas, ask eminent officials and academics if they would recommend the inclusion of Youth Delegates in letters by outlining the program’s benefits. You can be very persuasive when obtaining these recommendations from the right people, such as previous or present youth delegates from other countries, UN officials in your country, your country’s Mission to the UN, university researchers, youth leaders, politicians etc.
If you still don’t get an official respose as soon as you expect, don’t give up! Lobby away and keep ‘em coming by being persistant, but not pestering. This shows interest and determination from your part, and you are bound to get an answer.
Short & Sweet: Simplify
A defining issue that will probably be the make or break of your proposal is the budget. It’s important that the budget reflects the entirety of your recommendations, which is why the outline of the proposal is such a delicate matter. Before you reach the final document, consider all the options available, and craft a program that will not be as expensive by simplifying.
If we were to divide the Youth Representative program, we find that it consists of three main periods: before [1], during [2] and after [3] the trip to the Mission at New York. A developing country would want to reduce costs without undermining its representatation and capacities at the GA. Therefore, it’s not affordable to simplify part [2] of the program, but a lot can be done to make [1] and [3] cheaper, simpler and therefore more attractive for your government and sponsors.
Take part [1] for instance, in which the Youth Delegate selection process is contemplated. Several industrialized countries have the candidates go through one written phase and two series of interviews. This is an excellent way to choose the right person, since it involves extensive direct contact with the applicants, but it means that the budget would have to include transportation (maybe flights) for many people to and from the place where the interviews will be taking place. Add living expenses for the extent of their stay, and the result is quite costly. Simplifying, it’s possible to establish two written phases, the first one being the submission of a currículum vitae. After the initial submissions are shortlisted, the remaining candidates can be asked to write an essay describing the input he or she may provide as Youth Delegate. Finally, a shortlist of three candidates will eventually remain, who will be interviewed to select the Youth Delegate. Also, interviews can be conducted at a local level before passing on to the next stage. The selection process is highly flexible, and takes different forms in each country. It can be very managable according to your resources and criteria, so be sure to benefit from that.
Part [3] is also easy to mold to your needs and assets. It consists in the follow-up activities a Youth Representative takes on after the New York stage. Here, it is important to take advantage of information and communication technologies, to spread the word as much as possible to youth in your country. Creating a webpage, talking on TV and radio shows, sending a newsletter and networking with youth organizations from across the country are all effective and direct ways of engaging with the community.
Keep in mind that sometimes, not all funding will come from the government. You, or the appointed Youth Delegate, should be willing to fundraise if this were to happen. After all the hard work of convincing authorities to adopt the program, this will be relatively simple, since you will have the backup of youth and governmental institutions, as well as actual experience at lobbying.
Wrap It Up
Always be concise about what you are asking for, and express your ideas as simply as possible. Make sure that you are not recommending something that will most likely be changed or amended. On the contrary: develop a program that covers all issues and can grow and evolve with time without being significantly altered. Also, keep in touch with Youth Delegates from other countries...they have been exposed to the whole process firsthand!
Once you’re there, never forget where you come from and the values you represent. And always be amazed by the 191 flags that come together as one in the Converging Capital.
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