Press release
Tánaiste announces United Nations Youth Delegates
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
The Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, has formally announced this year’s United Nations Youth Delegates, Mohammad Naeem and Alicia Joy O’Sullivan.
The UN Youth Delegates will work closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs, including Ireland’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Irish Aid, and the National Youth Council of Ireland throughout their year in office. They will have the opportunity to engage with young people across Ireland about foreign policy issues and to represent the young people of Ireland at UN events, including this month at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High Level Week and the UNGA’s Third Committee, which focuses on human rights issues.
The Tánaiste said:
"I am delighted to announce Ireland’s UN Youth Delegates for 2023-2024.
"The UN Youth Delegate Programme is an avenue for young people to become more involved in international cooperation while championing change and representing the voices of the millions of young people in Ireland. The programme offers a wonderful opportunity to build their networks, engage with other UN Youth delegates, and advocate on matters that concern young people globally through UN meetings and events.
"It is essential that young people are equipped to be effective global citizens, contributing to policy and decision making at local, national, and international levels. This is what we achieve through the Programme.
"It is my pleasure to support the UN Youth Delegate Programme in its ninth year and I look forward to engaging with Alicia and Mohammad in the future."
This is the ninth year that the Department of Foreign Affairs has sponsored the UN Youth Delegate Programme, in partnership with the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI). NYCI manages the application and selection process for the programme.
Ireland is committed to amplifying the voices of young people at the United Nations. The programme seeks to empower young people to be agents of change and foster active global citizenship through engagement with the UN.
If you would like to keep up to date with news and information about the UN Youth Delegates’ work, you can follow the DFA (@dfatirl), NYCI (@nycinews) and UN Youth Delegate (@UNYouthIRL) Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Additionally, those holding youth events in Ireland can contact unyouth@nyci.ie to invite the Irish UN Youth Delegates to attend.
Mohammad Naeem, from Claremorris in County Mayo, is an 18-year-old student who has recently completed his Leaving Certificate. In 2022 he represented Ireland at the UN in Geneva with the Ombudsman for Children’s Youth Advisory Panel. There, Mohammad met with the UN Committee on the rights of the child and spoke about issues affecting children in Ireland. He has been involved with many of the major youth organisations in Ireland, striving to ensure young people are represented at the decision making table. In 2022, he was awarded Mayo Young Person of the Year, and Mayo Young Environmentalist of the Year in 2021.
Alicia Joy O'Sullivan is a 22-year-old young woman from Skibbereen, West Cork, Ireland. She is a final year Law student and Quercus Scholar at University College Cork. At an early age Alicia began volunteering and campaigning for change on many different issues. She joined Cork County Comhairle Na nÓg in 2017. She was also on the National Executive where she worked on Student Voice at post-primary level. In 2018 she began working with YMCA Ireland, developing her digital media skills for advocacy and creativity. Alicia sat on the National Youth Council of Ireland's Young People’s Committee and was elected by her peers as Education Officer at the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union in 2020.