When have young people addressed the UN?

Young people have addressed the United Nations many times over the years. Here are some examples of statements by young people at UN conferences, summits, and formal meetings of the UN organs.

• Severn Cullis-Suzuki:
  • UN Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 1992
  • UN videos
• Ishmael Beah:
  • General Assembly Third Committee, A/C.3/62/SR.14, New York, 2007
  • Appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, 2007
  • General Assembly plenary, A/72/PV.83, New York, 2018
  • UN photos / videos
• Malala Yousafzai:
  • Youth Assembly for Universal Primary Education, New York, 2013
    • Webcast of 2013 Youth Assembly
  • Appointed UN Messenger of Peace, 2017
  • Security Council meeting, S/PV.8853, New York 2021
  • UN photos / videos
• Autumn Peltier:
  • Launch of the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development 2018–2028, New York, 2018
  • UN photos
• Greta Thunberg: 
  • UN Framework Convention for Climate Change, Conference of Parties (COP24), Poland, 2018
    • Written statement
  • UN Framework Convention for Climate Change, Conference of Parties (COP25), Madrid, 2019
  • UNFCCC videos
  • UN photos / videos

UN Youth Delegates

One form of youth participation at the United Nations is through the inclusion of youth delegates in a Member State's official delegation. Youth delegates can participate and speak in several intergovernmental meetings at the UN. Mostly, they participate in the General Assembly, but some also attend Functional Commissions of the Economic and Social Council.

Below please find a link to Youth Delegate Search, a platform for researching speeches by youth delegates that was established by a student research group at the Department of Law of Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.

United Nations Youth Office

The United Nations Youth Office was established by the General Assembly resolution A/RES/76/306 of 8 September 2022. It is a dedicated office for youth affairs in the Secretariat. 

Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs

• 2023 - : Felipe Paullier, press release SG/A/2237

Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth

The UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth was a position held from 2013-2023, the United Nations Youth Office replaced this role.

• 2017-2023(?) : Jayathma Wickramanayake, press release SG/A/1739-BIO/4974
• 2013-2017: Ahmad Alhendawi, press release SG/A/1388-BIO/4444

Finding Statements

• Meeting records for UN principal organs open formal meetings (search in the UN Digital Library)
• UN Photo may have pictures of events held at UN headquarters and offices
• UN Press Releases may have summaries of statements or round-ups of events and conferences
• UN webcasts may be available from the UN Audiovisual Library or UN Web TV

Additional information about youth participation:

• YOUTH 2030: The United Nations Youth Strategy: an umbrella framework to guide the entire UN as it steps up its work with and for young people across its three pillars – peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development – in all contexts. It seeks to significantly strengthen the UN’s capacity to engage young people and benefit from their views, insights and ideas.

•  ECOSOC Youth Forum  an annual event that brings together youth leaders from around the world, giving them an opportunity to engage with government representatives, youth delegates, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders in civil society and the private sector on issues that affect them. The two-days high level event concludes with ideas on innovation, collective action and proposes solutions to global problems.
•  Reports of the UN Secretary-General on Youth
  • Reports to the General Assembly 
  • Reports  to the Economic and Social Council
• Resolutions on youth adopted in the General Assembly, ECOSOC and Security Council
• World Youth Reports Flagship publication on youth issues prepared biennially by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs