Who is Representing Swiss Youth?
The Swiss UN Youth Reps represent young people of Switzerland internationally at the United Nations. A team of three representatives is mandated every year for two years to be the voice of young Switzerland in the international arena. They are part of the Swiss delegation to three large UN conferences in New York. Furthermore, the Swiss UN Youth Reps are observers at UN Geneva. Besides collecting experiences internationally, they raise awareness for UN-related topics in Switzerland, with an annual project and by organizing school visits and events about the Sustainable Development Goals.
Affiliations
Swiss UN Youth Reps is A project initiated by the Swiss National Youth Council
and supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
Founded in the 1930s, the Swiss National Youth Council (SAJV/CSAJ) is now established as the umbrella organization for around 60 youth organizations in Switzerland, representing more than 500,000 children and young people. The SAJV's main goal is to serve as a spokesperson for the interests of Swiss youth on a political and public level. To achieve this goal, the SAJV initiates and develops various projects in its central areas of Youth engagement, our future, and inclusion. SAJV also coordinates the Climate Youth Delegate programme.
The task of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) is to safeguard Switzerland's interests abroad and in its relations with foreign countries. Currently, the head of the FDFA is Federal Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs is Ignazio Cassis. In international UN conferences, in coordination with the Swiss Missions to the UN, we are allowed to make statements on behalf of youth in Switzerland.
Youth participation in decision-making is one of the key areas highlighted within the UN agenda on youth. This emphasis on youth involvement is why it has become increasingly common for countries to appoint youth delegates to participate in conferences such as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Most activities involving youth delegates are coordinated by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA).
Marta Zaragoza NAvarro
Priority topics:
science-policy interface,
water & climate agendas (SDG 6 & SDG13), gender equality (SDG5)
Mehdi Mesbah
Priority topics:
Economic and social development of the global south (SDG 1 & SDG 8)
International cooperation & global governance (SDG 16 & SDG 17)
"I aspire to represent a multicultural youth concerned and working towards the improvement of our world"
Hanishha Soosai
Priority topics:
equal opportunities (SDG10), migration and refugees, inclusive education (SDG4), and human rights
AneSchKA Berchtold
UN conference:
78th UN General Assembly 3rd committee
Priority topics:
Climate action (SDG7 & 13), Gender equality (SDG5 & 10), Youth exchange and engagement.
Flora CHiper
UN conference:
62nd CSocD - Commission for Social Development
Priority topics:
Health promotion (SDG3), Education (SDG4), Equal opportunity (SDG5 &10) and Youth engagement in innovation and technology.
Pleun Vaartjes
UN conference:
79th UN General Assembly 3rd committee
Priority topics:
Migration and Refugees, Gender equality (SDG5), Climate Change mitigation (SDG13), reducing social inequality (SDG10).
Anna Kurth
2024-2026
conference:
COP29
Alexis Balimann
2023-2025
conference:
COP28
