OUR MISSION
To empower young people through our interactive educational approach, inspiring them to become global citizens and make a meaningful impact in the world.
​
​
_edited.jpg)
WHO WE ARE
UN Youth New Zealand is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest youth-for-youth charity. Our organisation provides youth development educational opportunities for high-school aged rangatahi. Annually, over 4000 rangatahi from across Aotearoa attend a UN Youth event. Our national events include Aotearoa Youth Declaration, New Zealand Model United Nations, and New Zealand Model Parliament.
​
During our events, rangatahi engage with a hands-on style of civics education unlike anything they receive in the classroom. Our events provide rangatahi with a renewed sense of confidence and developed skills in public speaking, negotiation, and team-working. Rangatahi walk away as inspired, active global citizens equipped to be the leaders of tomorrow.
UN Youth is a registered charity and incorporated society run entirely by young volunteers. Our volunteers are all under 25 and largely tertiary students. They devote hours to educating rangatahi, bringing together valuable experience in education, communications, logistics and youth development. UN Youth also forms the youth arm of the United Nations Association of New Zealand (UNANZ).
OUR NATIONAL EVENTS
_edited.jpg)
AOTEAROA YOUTH DECLARATION
Aotearoa Youth Declaration takes place in Auckland each April. The event brings together rangatahi from across Aotearoa New Zealand to discuss and debate critical policy issues facing our communities. Attendees work together to address real-life policy problems and develop proposals as part of the Aotearoa Youth Declaration. The Declaration is a document that represents the voice of rangatahi in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Declaration is shared with decision-makers and community leaders across the motu.
NEW ZEALAND
MODEL UNITED NATIONS
NZMUN is a traditional Model UN style event. Delegates from across Aotearoa New Zealand travel to Wellington to represent UN Member States. Delegates engage with key international issues, standing in the shoes of diplomats and trade negotiators on the world stage. NZMUN is UN Youth's flagship national event. UN Youth partners with Members of Parliament, Wellington-based embassies, and local community leaders to deliver a Model UN that is a dynamic, educational and exciting youth development experience.
NEW ZEALAND
MODEL PARLIAMENT
New Zealand Model Parliament is a Christchurch-based event that offers rangatahi the opportunity to represent Members of Parliament. Members step into the shoes of MPs from real-life New Zealand political parties. New Zealand Model Parliament provide rangatahi the opportunity to shepherd a mock Bill through the House. Members engage in model select committee meetings, deep-dives into current policy issues through workshops and lively parliamentary debate.
OUR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
EVATT
UN Youth New Zealand sends two pairs annually to compete in the EVATT Trophy Competition in Australia. Students engage in world affairs and issues, debating mock Security Council resolutions. In pairs, they are assigned a country and a resolution a week prior to the competition. They will then develop their stance from the perspective of their assigned country. On the day of their round, they will debate, amend and finally vote on both a prepared and impromptu resolution.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT TOUR
Global Development Tour (GDT) is UN Youth’s flagship international event. The month-long tour takes 20 of the brightest high school leavers from across New Zealand to North America and Europe. They engage with international institutions and global affairs in an interactive way, visiting NGOs and the United Nations headquarters. Delegates also compete at Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition (CMUNCE) in New York!
NATIONAL CONVENTION
​​​National Conference (NatCon) is Australia's largest annual residential youth conference, and is consistently recognised by their government as Australia’s premier conference for young people. It brings together over 100 of the brightest and most engaged students from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region for an incredible week of discussion, debate, and exploration of the host Australian city. UN Youth New Zealand sends six high school delegates to attend NatCon annually.
​
