2022 Youth Representative Program

Angelica Ojinnaka as the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nation will leading consultations with young people aged 12 to 25 across Australia to engage with and discover the issues that are most important to them. Following this journey across every State and Territory, Angelica will present to key UN stakeholders and government.

Participate in a consultation.

Each year, the Youth Representative carries out a national Listening Tour to consult with young people 12 to 25 to understand the diversity of experiences and perspectives of Australia’s youth. A young person themself, the Youth Representative travels to their communities and the spaces they occupy, whether that be from schools to youth councils to community organisations. The voices of young people will inform the Youth Representative’s contributions to dialogues at the United Nations and fora within Australia.

Consultations for this year’s Listening Tour, led by Angelica Ojinnaka, are now being planned. We invite young people and organisation leaders to express your interest in hosting an interactive, workshop-based consultation with Angelica, co-designed to best support the young people who make up your group. Our passionate Youth Representation Team, all run by young people, organise 100s of consults across all cities of Australia. With no fees or charges*, our primary aim is to engage, listen and elevate as many young voices as possible so Angelica can champion a representative understanding and voice of young people.

Please submit all requests for consultations (expressions of interest) through this form. One of our dedicated Tour Managers will collaborate closely with you to ensure we design an impactful and meaningful consultation. Any questions but not requests for consultations can be directed to listeningtour@unyouth.org.au.

*We ask you to provide a venue space and, where applicable, may ask for assistance in printing and workshop materials (pens, paper). We are an entirely community-funded program.

Reporting to the UN

In September/October, the Australian Youth Representative travels to New York to represent Australia’s young people at the United Nations as a member of the Australian Permanent Mission to the UN. While in New York, the Australian Youth Representative will represent the views of both the Australian Mission and Australia’s young people to the international community.

Culminating in a speech to the 3rd Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations, the Australian Youth Representative’s stay in New York will involve negotiating with Youth Representatives from other countries, and helping to inform the debate around topical issues from the youth perspective.

Report Back Tour

Following the report to the United Nations, Angelica will produce the 2021/2022 Australian Youth Representative Report, in collaboration with the 2021/2022 Australian Youth Representative to the UN. This report will detail all the findings of the 2021 Listening Tour and 2022 consultations, and will be available to all.

Angelica will then begin her Report Back Tour, where she will travel around Australia interacting with the Australian public, government officials, policymakers, Members of Parliament, and other organisations and deliver the report and her findings.

The youth of Australia will have an opportunity to join Angelica at parliament at a federal and state level, and other events.