WHAT DOES A YOUTH DELEGATE ACTUALLY DO? let's break it down.

The United Nations can seem so complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Hey, I'm Neisha and I am the UK's senior youth delegate to the Commission on Population and Development. And here's a breakdown of what it actually means to be a youth delegate at the United Nations. One of the key parts of my role is collaborating with and advising the UK Department of Foreign Affairs. This is where I can feed in youth perspectives on UK priorities. Next, one of the big things is being able to speak out at UNHQ in many different spaces. Last year I spoke on a panel, as well as giving an intervention, but the key proudest moment for me was co-authoring and being the UK's national statement. Thirdly, one of the key things that I'm trying to do more of this year is engaging international agreements. At each commission, member states are negotiating for an outcome document. In order to engage in this, you need to understand UN language and political dynamics. I've grown an understanding and a level of expertise in it as well. It's become something that I find very challenging in a good way. And finally, one of the really exciting things that I'm going to be doing this year is hosting a United Nations side event. I'm really grateful to say that I've had such creative control over this event, so I'm very excited to be sharing more with you soon. This is a snapshot of what I get up to as a United Nations UK youth delegate.