Ireland’s Next UN Youth Delegates Are From Leitrim And Wicklow
Ireland’s two UN Youth Delegates for 2017/2018 have been announced. Lauren Flanagan from Kilquade, County Wicklow and Paul Dockery from Dromod in County Leitrim will join Ireland’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this Autumn. The programme is run by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Irish Aid, and the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), which represents organisations working with over 380,000 young people each year.
Lauren Flanagan, UN Youth Delegate
Valerie Duffy of the NYCI said: “We are making this announcement to coincide with International Youth Day (12.08.17) to remind young people of the importance of participating in decision making on issues affecting their lives, today and every day. The UN Youth Delegate Programme provides an exciting opportunity for Irish young people. After a competitive selection process which saw applications from all over the country, in Lauren and Paul we are delighted to have selected two impressive young people who will work throughout 2017 and 2018 to highlight youth issues at local, national, European, and global levels.”
While in New York, Lauren and Paul will speak on behalf of young people in Ireland at the UN Third Committee at the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly in September and October 2017. As part of their role, the delegates will be attending youth events and consultations in Ireland before and after the UN General Assembly in order to consult with young people and take what they hear and research to New York.
“The UN Youth Delegate Programme aims to ensure that young people are more involved in decision making at the UN, and that the views of young people in Ireland are taken into account. The Irish UN Youth Delegates will work with delegates from other countries to produce a Youth Delegate Declaration so that the voices of young people can be acted on,” continued Ms Duffy.
Those holding youth events in Ireland can contact unyouth@nyci.ie to invite the Irish UN Youth Delegates to attend. The delegates will also address a Youth Summit on Peace and Justice, as part of One World Week organised by the NYCI, which will take place on November 23rd in the Aviva Stadium.