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This newly created position that you now hold will it make a difference?

          This recently established position leading the new UN Youth Office marks a significant shift in the organization's commitment to young people. Backed by solid political support of member states, it's a real game-changer.  As the youngest senior appointee ever at the UN, I'm genuinely optimistic about the impact we can make. My role isn't about representing youth globally; it's about ensuring they have a seat at the table in decision-making processes at every level.  This means elevating efforts to engage youth in a meaningful way, with all their diversity, while also revitalizing the youth workforce within the organization itself, recognizing the important contributions young people make at all levels of the UN¡¯s work.

How will your office ensure that young people from the Pacific will be consulted - representation on key UN panels is low - there are no Pacific youth representatives on the key SDG or Climate youth panels for instance, will you lobby to rectify this?

          Ensuring meaningful engagement and representation of young people from the Pacific region is very important. Our recent introductory meeting with the Pacific Youth Council (PYC) Coordinator was an eye-opener regarding the challenges faced by Pacific youth in having their voices heard on global platforms. In our ongoing discussions with PYC, we have acknowledged the barriers such as geographic and connectivity challenges that hinder the consolidation of youth insights from across the region. We are exploring strategies to overcome these obstacles and ensure equitable representation.

It's worth noting that the UN has been actively working towards strengthening youth participation through the UN Youth Strategy, , launched in 2018 by the UN Secretary-General. This strategy aims to transform how the UN works with and for young people and is implemented system-wide across 55 UN entities and 132 UN Country Teams.

Last year, the Secretary-General launched his Policy Brief on ¡°Meaningful Youth Engagement in Policy-making and Decision-making Processes¡± ¡ª part of a series of briefs the Secretary-General has released to help guide Member States¡¯ deliberations on key topics of intergovernmental concern in the lead up to the Summit of the Future in 2024.

The brief puts forward a series of wide-ranging proposals for the consideration of Member States, spanning: the establishment of a global standard on meaningful youth engagement, to the strengthening of youth engagement across all UN decision-making processes, to dedicated efforts to ensure more representative youth participation. Our office is dedicated to ensuring that youth are included in global decision-making processes, including from the Pacific region. We will continue to establish targeted outreach programs, forge partnerships with youth led. By aligning our efforts and collaborating with stakeholders in the Pacific region, we are confident that we can empower Pacific youth and amplify their voices on the global stage.

Youth mainstreaming is this a good idea - similar to gender mainstreaming - is this being implemented at the UN - your thoughts?

          By integrating youth perspectives, needs, and priorities across all sectors and levels of policymaking and programming, we can ensure that decisions made by the UN are more inclusive, relevant, and effective for young people worldwide. Regarding its implementation at the UN, there have been significant strides, particularly with the launch of the UN Youth Strategy, Youth2030, which emphasizes mainstreaming youth issues across all UN entities and operations. Additionally, various UN agencies and programs have been actively working to integrate youth perspectives into their policies, programs, and initiatives.

However, there's always room for improvement. There's a risk that mainstreaming youth issues could be seen as tokenistic if not done genuinely and inclusively. Simply including youth in decision-making processes without meaningful participation or empowerment could undermine the effectiveness of mainstreaming efforts.  While progress has been made, there are still challenges and gaps in fully mainstreaming youth across all aspects of the UN's work. This includes issues such as limited resources, capacity constraints, and the need for greater youth engagement in decision-making processes.

¹ú²úAV talks and negotiations - do you think young people should be part of these forums - part of the solutions - will this be part of your advocacy?

          In the face of increasingly fragmented and transnational violent conflicts, exacerbated by the misuse of digital technology, and a growing climate crisis, there is a growing realization that peace processes must be urgently redesigned. The focus on young people stems from their crucial role in violence prevention and peace maintenance, as highlighted by and the .

Despite being the largest demographic in countries with ongoing peace processes, young people are rarely engaged as key strategic partners. Even with the signing of over 1,000 peace agreements in the last two decades, there has been limited attention to their roles and impact.  Young people are key to rebuilding societal trust, economic stability, social cohesion, and leading reconciliation across generations. This requires a shift from viewing youth inclusion as an add-on to emphasizing youth inclusivity, asserting their role as critical partners in peace processes.

The Office of the Special Envoy on Youth, our ¡®predecessor¡¯ office, has been at the forefront of coordinating a multi-stakeholder partnership on youth-inclusive peace processes since 2018. A pivotal moment occurred in 2022 when the UN launched the first of its kind five-year strategy during the High-Level Global Conference on Youth-Inclusive ¹ú²úAV Processes. This strategy is designed to actively engage young people in shaping and implementing peace processes over the next five years.

Advancing in the Youth, ¹ú²úAV and Security agenda is a priority established in the mandate of our Office.

To guide and ensure the success of this strategy, UNYO, DPPA, and Search for Common Ground launched the in 2023, bringing together expert members from various sectors to advance the implementation of the strategy.  This strategy emphasizes a holistic, gender-responsive, and intergenerational approach, seeking to legitimize and actualize the meaningful participation of young people in peace processes. However, its success hinges on securing sustainable resources and financing, alongside unwavering political commitment to bring the strategic vision to fruition.

Moving beyond viewing youth as mere beneficiaries, it's critical to recognize them as indispensable partners and leaders in the pursuit of peace and the reconstruction of just and inclusive societies.

Meeting youth where they are, and harnessing their diverse capacities and experiences, is pivotal for mobilizing sustainable peace globally.

Misinformation and disinformation are now considered by the UN responsible for affecting the balance of the world's peace and security, environmental survival and attacks on democratic processes - in this digital age how can young people be protected and/or advocate? 

          It¡¯s clear that as the most interconnected generation in history, addressing the rapid dissemination and consequences of mis-and dis-information as well as hate speech becomes a pressing concern not just for young people but for everyone. These issues often serve as conduits for divisive rhetoric and ideologies on a global scale, resulting in tangible real-world harm.   

But young people are also actively using digital platforms to shape our societies. By, for example, sparking climate action, championing human rights, and challenging the status quo.  In tandem with these efforts, young people are consistently on the front lines, actively countering harmful content through online fact-checking and myth-busting.   

For young people to exercise these rights safely in online spaces, they must be protected from discrimination, surveillance, violations of their privacy and other threats in online spaces.   This is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which places youth at the absolute core, as well as the Secretary General¡¯s Call to Action on Human Rights, which clearly recognizes the special needs and experiences of young people in this context.      

At the UN Youth Office, we are committing to helping foster a secure and nurturing digital space¡ª one that prioritizes the well-being of young people and empowers young people to harness the full potential of the digital age responsibly.    

Many are saying AI is a challenge but can also be a solution for young people - what are your thoughts including unequal access to technology in regions like the Pacific?

          As noted by the UN Secretary-General, the speed and reach of today's Artificial Intelligence technology are unprecedented. As our world becomes even more interconnected, AI will increasingly affect us all. 

We have seen, on many fronts, the promising potential of AI to help advance solutions, whether using AI-driven tools to help reduce disaster risks in vulnerable communities or using AI to help make learning and education more accessible through AI-powered translation or accessibility tool that makes learning more inclusive to youth with disabilities. 

However, it would be essential to acknowledge that the power of Artificial Intelligence as a tool also comes with risks, especially when AI development and governance are not based on rights-respecting principles and inclusivity.

I echo this recommendation and specifically would like to emphasize the importance of addressing young people¡¯s rights and needs, including the digital divide, to enable youth to meaningfully contribute to the multistakeholder collaboration efforts.   We need intergenerational support ¨C we need leaders, both in the policy processes but also industry leaders, to start engaging youth meaningfully as partners in shaping responsible AI and take their recommendations and expertise into account.  

Lastly what is your call to action - what concerns you the most and what is your wish list for solutions - what do you ask the member states to do? 

          This September, world leaders will gather at UN Headquarters for the Summit of the Future. This will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges, address gaps in global governance, and move towards a reinvigorated multilateral system that is better positioned to positively impact people¡¯s lives. 

At the Summit, Member States will adopt an action-oriented ¡°Pact for the Future¡±, with a full chapter focused on ¡°youth and future generations.¡± 

I am committed to working hand-in-hand young people around the world in advocating for a Pact that paves the way for more meaningful youth engagement in policymaking and decision-making processes at all levels. Putting diverse voices around the table is the only way to ensure we do not repeat or continue to perpetuate past mistakes.  

We need more young people represented in all realms of decision-making ¡ª within government, at the United Nations, in civil society, private sector and academia. It is young leaders who will play a critical role in challenging the status quo and getting our world back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Photo: ASG Olivera (centre) at Youth Festival in Chiang Mai during his visit to Thailand in February 2024.