UN Launches Youth Initiative to Raise Awareness on Global Goals

The United Nations in Tanzania is set to reach over 20,000 youth across different regions with an awareness-raising campaign on the Global Goals message with a new initiative which seeks to make use of ‘Youth Champions’. The initiative which was launched on Friday at the closing ceremony for the TIMUN by the UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, will be implemented through the Tanzania Youth of United Nations Association (YUNA).

50 youth who were attending the Tanzania International Model United Nations (TIMUN) 2016 for the whole of last week received the awareness-raising training and are expected to disseminate the Global Goals to other youth in their respective schools and universities. TIMUN is an annual conference in which university and secondary school students from Tanzania and its neighbouring countries roleplay delegates to the United Nations and simulate the UN General Assembly and UN committees.

In his address to the youth at the closing ceremony of TIMUN, which was held at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Mr. Rodriguez stressed to all of the participants that the 2030 Global Goals Agenda requires the involvement of everyone. He told the Youth Champions, “You have a very important role and responsibility towards your fellow youth as the Youth Champions. It is up to you to reach out to others when you get back to your schools and universities and tell everyone about the Global Goals. The Resident Coordinator also added, “The UN will support you through YUNA to ensure that together we tell everyone about the Global Goals to end poverty, combat climate change and fight injustice and inequality.” In September 2015, 193 world leaders adopted the Global Goals. The new universal transformative agenda is to be implemented over the next 15 years and brings together social, economic and environmental sustainable objectives.