UNODA discuss ways to engage young people in disarmament with UN Youth Delegates

On Thursday 9 February 2023, staff members from the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) met with a group of UN Youth Delegates to discuss the work of the United Nations and ways to engage young people on issues related to disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control.

The hybrid briefing formed part of the UN Youth Delegate Programme, with several representatives travelling to take part in the 61st Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD61) and other meetings. During the programme, youth delegates are able to meet with UN staff to learn more about the organization’s work on a range of topics related to international peace and security.

Youth delegates from Austria, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and Uganda, met with Mr. Rene Holbach, Political Affairs Officer at UNODA, Mr. Henrik Dale, Associate Political Affairs Officer at UNODA, and Ms. Marykate Monaghan, Youth Outreach Consultant with the #Youth4Disarmament Initiative. The group included Ms. Miriam Egger and Mr. Marvin Huber of Austria, Mr. Hung Ly of Finland, Ms. Johanna Lichtschlag of Germany, Ms. Arlinda Ramqaj of Switzerland and Mr. Mukooyo Glenn of Uganda.

Mr. Henrik Dale moderated the session, providing comments on the United Nations’ youth strategy and upcoming opportunities for young people to share their perspectives and ideas for building a safer, more peaceful world for all, such as the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum in April.

Mr. René Holbach briefed the group on the global nuclear stockpiles that exist today and gave a detailed explanation on the status of several multilateral treaties and instruments established nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. This included the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

Ms. Marykate Monaghan highlighted the work of the #Youth4Disarmament initiative to engage, educate and empower young people, as well as the Office’s efforts to facilitate platforms for youth to meaningfully participate and contribute to disarmament efforts.

Following the presentations, the youth delegates engaged in a lively Q&A session, asking questions on how to raise awareness on disarmament amongst young people, what actions can youth take to advance our common objectives, and ideas to strengthen the effective implementation of disarmament treaties.

For more on the UN Youth Delegates programme and to learn how to get involved, please visit the dedicated webpage here.

If you are interested in learning more about the work of the United Nations on topics related to disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control, please visit UNODA’s dedicated website.