Celebrating 10 years of Ireland’s UN Youth Delegate programme
Since 2015, the National Youth Council of Ireland, in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, have partnered to provide a unique public diplomacy initiative to young people aged 18-25. Ever since, two young people have been selected annually to represent the experiences, views, and ideas of young people living in Ireland, on the national and global stages. Specifically, Ireland’s United Nations Youth Delegates have attended the UN General Assembly, the UN Human Rights Council, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Economic and Social Council’s Youth Forum, the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and many more important international fora.
On the 10th anniversary of the Programme, this piece highlights its value, through the eyes of former participants, and details how the Programme has subsequently changed their lives. You can explore past UN Youth Delegates’ experiences with the programme below.
Past UN Youth Delegate Testimonies
Colm O’Rourke
A lot of people seem to remember the photo of myself and fellow delegate Samantha O’Brien O’Reilly casually chatting with George and Amal Clooney in the UN […]
David Giles
When I first heard about the UN Youth Delegate programme in secondary school, it felt far out of reach. It took years of youth advocacy - […]
Diandra Ní Bhuachalla
My 2021-2022 term as one of Ireland’s two UN Youth Delegates (UNYD) was online due to Covid-19 from September-February, meaning that we didn't have the opportunity […]
Eoin Lyons
I’d long been active in youth work in Ireland through ShoutOut, a charity I founded which visits schools and delivers free anti-bullying workshops, with a focus […]
Jack O’Connor
We were youth delegates during the year of Ireland’s successful campaign to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, so there were many highlights […]
Jamie Moore
Long before I became a UN Youth Delegate, I was involved in youth work with Comhairle na nÓg. I was 16 when my local council in […]
Jessica Gill
In secondary school, I took part in the Concern debating competition, which focused on global justice and international relations. I quickly realised how interested I was […]
Orla Murphy
Ten years ago, I watched as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Irish UN Youth Delegate programme in Dublin. As I left the event, I ran […]
Paul Dockery
It’s so hard to pick just one highlight from my term as a UN Youth Delegate for Ireland. So instead I will pick a few. One […]
Tara Grace Connolly
I was the first - and, so far, only - person from the North to represent Ireland in the UN Youth Delegate (UNYD) programme. Unfortunately, my […]
Treasa Cadogan
My island heritage has shaped my career path and passion for food security. I come from a farming background on Cape Clear, Ireland’s southernmost inhabited island, […]