Students Dayang Afeefa Qaleela bintu Amirnorshah and Dayang Norafiqah Amirah binti Zamir, from St Andrew’s School, recently left the country to participate in the 15th The Asia Youth International Model United Nations (AYIMUN) in Bangkok, Thailand, which will take place from November 1 to November 4, 2024.
Themed ‘Empowering Youth Diplomacy for Global Harmony’, this year’s gathering which will gather approximately 700 young participants from 30 countries, aims to inspire collaborative solutions to a number of pressing challenges around the world and offer a unique opportunity for youth empowerment in global diplomacy.
At the event, delegates will engage in discussions through eight different events with each event focusing on a critical global issue, including child poverty, gender equality, water management, public health, and human trafficking where through these discussions, participants will gain a deeper understanding of global challenges and devise constructive approaches to overcome them.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will lead discussions on reducing child food poverty, while the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will focus on strengthening community media to raise women’s voices to achieve gender equality.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) will discuss sustainable water management and conservation technologies, and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will discuss discrimination in sports.
In other events, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will explore economic stability in conflict-affected areas, and the World Health Organization (WHO) will address the effects of air pollution and industrial waste on public health.
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) will lead discussions on combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling, while the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will focus on sustainable agriculture in the context of climate change.
This year’s Secretary General, Cornelia Evers of Germany, will oversee the event’s mission to empower youth through diplomacy.
The event will feature renowned speakers such as Anna Hammargren, Ambassador of Sweden to Thailand, and Thailand’s Minister of Justice, Thawee Sodsong, who will share insights on the role of youth diplomacy in achieving global harmony.
Founded by the International Global Network, AYIMUN has grown into a leading platform for young people around the world to engage in diplomacy and the United Nations. – LYNA MOHAMMAD
