UNYA's Beth Phillipson with On The Spot.
The United Nations Youth Association of Australia has recently launched their Pacific Project, a unique project that will explore ways UNYA can engage with our wider region. A representative recently travelled to Samoa and Tonga with the United Nations Association of Australia to meet with UN officials, Government officials and members of civil society groups.
In both Samoa and Tonga, UNYA and UNAA met with a range of inspiring organisations and found a strong youth contingent in both countries. The Youth specific organisations that we met with in Samoa were the Rotaract Club of Apia, the Catholic Youth Sector, the Student Association of the National University of Samoa, and the Youth Division of the Samoan Ministry for Women, Community and Social Development. In Tonga we met with the Tonga Street Boys, On the Spot Arts Initiative, the Youth Parliament, Tongan National Youth Congress and the National Youth Stakeholder Forum.
The important role of young people in society was recognised by all organisations that UNYA and UNAA met with in Samoa and Tonga. UNYA is excited to explore the opportunities to become involved in the Pacific, specifically through UNYA’s National Conference (UNYC), the Pacific Model United Nations (PacMUN) educational program and the Youth Representative Role. We look forward to learning from fellow youth organisations and building strong relationships between young people in our region.