2010 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, Samah Hadid.
The United Nations Youth Association, in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is pleased to announce the selection of the 2010 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, Samah Hadid.
22 year old Ms Hadid has played a significant role in the youth sector, and has already served as the Youth Representative for the Australian National Commission to UNESCO and has volunteered for many years for the Muslim Women’s Association.
"We are very excited to work with Ms Hadid over the coming months and to again give the youth of Australia a real voice on the world stage", said Hannah Stevens, Vice-President of the United Nations Youth Association.
"The overarching aim of the youth representative program is to engage with young people and communicate the ideals and concerns of young people to policy-makers. We have a lot of faith that Ms Hadid will give young people this much needed representation", she said.
Samah will soon be embarking on a consultation tour right across Australia to further gauge the opinions of young people, before taking these findings to the United Nations in September 2010.
"The Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations can have a significant role in communicating the views of young people throughout the country to influence government policy, in particular youth policy" said Ms Hadid.
"I am really humbled to be given this amazing opportunity and I plan to get out and listen to a wide range of young people over the next 6 months, particularly those who have traditionally struggled to find a voice" she said.
The Youth Representative position was created in 1999, when the United Nations Youth Association of Australia presented a proposal detailing the need for a Youth Representative to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This proposal was based on many General Assembly resolutions calling for youth representation at the highest level of decision-making.
"The continued support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations and to the United Nations Youth Association of Australia is a testament to the Federal Government's commitment to youth representation and to the youth sector," said Ms Stevens.