UN Youth Australia (formerly United Nations Youth Association of Australia, UNYA) is one of Australia's largest youth organisations,[1] and is part of the global network of United Nations Youth Associations. UN Youth is an independent arm of the United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA). UN Youth is a not-for-profit community organisation run entirely by youth volunteers (aged 24 and under).
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Established around 1970, UN Youth has developed into a national organisation, with regional divisions, and associations with many other Australian youth organisations.[2]
The national structure of UN Youth comprises eight divisions; one for each State or Territory represented in Parliament. Divisions meet twice a year with the National Executive in sessions of National Council. Each division is run independently of each other, and collaborate to undertake national events and programs, such as the UN Youth National Conference.
At a national level, UN Youth is represented by a National Executive and various national office bearers. These members are responsible for the day-to-day representation of the divisions at a national level, and the running national events and resources.
UN Youth Australia seeks to promote the ideals and the work of the United Nations. While these aims are similar to that of conventional United Nations Associations in advocating the United Nations Charter and educating young people about the structure and functions of the United Nations, UN Youth is also committed to the task of advocating the role of young people in domestic affairs, and of young people playing an active part in the democratic process.
UN Youth holds two annual national multi-divisional events: the UN Youth National Conference and the United Nations Security Council Competition — the Evatt Trophy, named after Dr H.V. Evatt. These national conferences attract interest, participation and support from young individuals and youth-oriented organisations, as well as publicity and media attention. Both conferences are held in Australian capital cities designated on a rotational system. In addition to this, UN Youth also run two international multi-divisional events. The "Pacific Project" which focuses on building Australia's role in the Pacific, in particular Timor Leste. UN Youth Australia also send a delegation to the prestigious THIMUN competition.
UN Youth Australia also has a significant regional focus, and runs a number of events in regional locations, including the annual UN Youth Regional Youth Summit (UNRYS) held in Albury, New South Wales. Significant conferences typically take the form of a youth summit combining educational workshops, speakers, issue-based discussion, policy drafting, and mock United Nations committee or assembly debate similar in format to a Model United Nations conference.
Divisional bodies of UN Youth also coordinate events in their State or Territory, such as annual State Conferences and Security Council competitions. Educative and participatory youth events, such as speakers forums, are routinely convened by divisional bodies.
UN Youth is the only youth-run organisation on the National Representative Council of the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, is represented on the steering committee of the Australian Youth Forum,[3] and consults with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) on a number of different concerns including human rights. Further, UN Youth Australia works with DFAT to support an Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations General Assembly each year,[4] and has also sent two representatives to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights as part of Australia's delegation.
Although membership to UN Youth is open to all youth younger than 24, there is a perception that a majority of membership and participation comes from current and past students of private schools and selective public schools. This is despite 86% of Australian students being enrolled in public and Catholic schools.[5] Arguably this arises largely from the superior financial and staffing ability of private schools to interact with UN Youth compared to some public schools. UN Youth is trying to broaden the reach of its events through initiatives such as a Northern Territory Roadtrip and various regional forums.[6]