This week The Student sat down with two Edinburgh students, Thomas Aarheim, MSc Public Policy, and Giulia Cancellaro, 4th year International Relations and International Law student, to discuss their roles as youth representatives to the UN. The Student asked them about balancing the role with their academic lives, and what challenges there are to amplifying the youth voice on the world stage.
The United Nations is an intergovernmental organisation that consists of different departments working towards goals, like ending poverty and climate change. It includes the General Assembly, in which representatives from every country meet once a year to discuss collective problems. As Youth delegates, Giulia and Thomas attended the 79th Session in New York to speak on behalf of the youth populations of Czechia and Norway respectively.
I asked them about the aim of the role and what they hoped to contribute.
Thomas’ response: “The aim of the youth delegate is to make sure the youth perspective is reflected in decision making [at the UN].”
The delegates are given mandates by their countries, meaning they are official representatives, but as Thomas explains, this is as far as government involvement goes. “It is crucial for youth representation, and for it to be meaningful, that the individual is allowed to say what he or she wants to say.”
Both of them spoke about the influence of AI on academic freedom in their speeches, an issue that is predicted to reshape education over the next decade.
Thomas also focused on advancing gender equality: “As a country we find it very important to think of it not just as something women have to do for other women. We need more men to get on board with gender equality.”
I ask them how much of an impact they have on the outcomes of the assembly. As Giulia explains: “it’s more the program, and the establishment of the program per se, that contributes to pushing the agenda of the youth.”
Thomas adds: “It’s now at a stage where we’ve shown that we are not just happy to be there, they are also happy to have us. In many cases, the youth delegates are not just there to look youthful compared to old grey men in suits. There are real, meaningful engagements between us and diplomats.”
This year’s meeting was overshadowed by war in Europe and in the Middle East, a sign of the diminishing influence of the UN, as it has not been able to pressure any of the involved parties into meaningful peace negotiations.
Thomas said: “The UN this year is quite different to other years. There’s always something going on in the world, but I think it’s different in the sense that there are bigger global powers involved in conflict.”
The delegates were observers at a Security Council meeting, which is between the 5 most powerful states, including America and Russia.
“That was intense. We were observing SC9725, which was on “the Palestinian question”. The language in the security council is harsher, in a way. More poignant. You can definitely feel that there is a little bit more gravitas around the meetings. Everyone officially has the same stance, that they want this to stop. But what’s ironic is that doesn’t necessarily mean they are getting anywhere.”
“They’ve dug their trenches, and they are blaming each other. You feel a little bit hopeless because no one is giving an inch. But things develop day by day, we’ll see what comes out of it.”
I ask them more about their experience balancing life as an Edinburgh student and a representative.
Thomas’s answer: “So, I was gone for three weeks, and I got back, and had three days to do three midterms; that was challenging. I tried reaching out to the university about being more lenient, but they have changed the extension process from last year.”
Giulia said: “I know other youth delegates got much more understanding treatment from their home universities. I wish the university would accommodate students who do extracurricular things like this, especially when it relates so much to your degree and contributes so much to your development as a student, and progressing in that field.”
On a wider scale, there are many threats to youth representation. Governments are choosing to close down programs even in the richest countries with the funding to run them.
“The British Youth Council was recently closed down by the government. That was a big step backwards, and a huge shock for the youth community. It all comes down to what the parties deem important and what they choose to prioritise, and they’re choosing to marginalise the youth voice. This type of representation can’t be taken for granted even in countries like the UK.”
“If we don’t engage with it, then the politicians see it as a failed initiative that doesn’t need prioritising, and we shouldn’t let them have that excuse.”
Both of them are keen to spread awareness of the program and Thomas calls on anyone interested to get involved.
“Any student reading this from Edinburgh university can go and check if their country has a youth delegate role for the UN or the EU etc. and apply. Most delegates have a yearlong mandate so there are always opportunities to apply.”
Giulia was keen to push the idea that it’s not just for politics students and called for STEM students to contribute.
“More people from more diverse backgrounds are needed in diplomacy. We need to get over the initial bias of thinking “I haven’t done international relations so it’s not my space.” I think we can all contribute in some way to make it better for the next generation.”
If you are interested in the Youth Delegate program you can learn more about it here: https://social.desa.un.org/issues/youth/un-youth-delegate-programme
Image via Thomas Aarheim and Giulia Cancellaro.