UNYD Marvin Huber war bei der 78. UN-Generalversammlung in New York und vertrat dort die Anliegen von Kindern und Jugendlichen im höchsten politischen Gremium. Dabei hielt er vor dem 3. Komitee der UN-Generalversammlung eine Rede. Das 3. Komitee beschäftigt sich mit sozialen, humanitären und kulturellen Angelegenheiten. Hier könnt ihr seine Rede nachlesen:

Honourable Chair, Excellencies, Delegates and dear young people!

It is an honour to address you as Austria’s 10th Youth Delegate to the United Nations. And whilst I am grateful for this immense privilege to speak in front of you today, the doors to decision-making rooms remain closed for so many of us young people.

Throughout the last one-and-a-half years of my mandate young people with diverse backgrounds, circumstances and interests told me how current events frequently leave them dismantled, disillusioned and sometimes disheartened. I met young refugees who shared their experiences about lost livelihoods, countries they may never return to, and the deep scourges of war. Young climate activists told me about the many challenges involved in working towards a sustainable future for all of us.

And whilst it would be impossible to list all of these conversations, one thing became crystal-clear: Young people from all walks of life, regardless of their gender, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, young people living with disabilities, economically disadvantaged, or currently battling mental health issues deserve not only to be heard, but meaningfully included in decision-making processes at all levels of government, from the community level to the regional, national and international stages.

Let me be clear, all of these young people deserve to be heard – not just because it is the right thing to do but because it is their right. And they all collectively yearn for change. This yearning is a sign of the urgency for peace and sustainable development.

Your Excellencies,

While social inequalities, uncertainties, crises and war concern us all, it is the younger generations who remain most vulnerable. In order to raise the voices of young people, who too often remain unheard, let us embrace the potential of young people to take on a leading role in peace efforts and prevent conflict.

The young people I have engaged with are driven by a vision of a more sustainable future without violence or weapons of mass destruction. A future, where peace is funded, not war.

Collectively, we urge Member States to not only abide by but champion the Youth, Peace & Security Agenda. This agenda is our roadmap to nurturing peace, countering radicalisation and harnessing the boundless potential, energy and determination of young people worldwide. In this endeavour, it is imperative to globally develop, enact and implement YPS action plans both on the national and regional levels and to meaningfully involve youth, including women and girls in all their diversity, in the development of security frameworks, in conflict prevention and resolution, peacebuilding, post-conflict processes and humanitarian action.

Sustainable development is another area I wish to highlight, as for young people all around the world, this is not just a buzzword, but our sore lifeline. Both our future and our present depend on it. To achieve our ambitions of the SDGs, the meaningful and impactful participation of youth in decision-making processes at all levels is indispensable. This means that processes must go beyond one-time consultations, fixed outcomes, or mere photo-ops.

The current finalisation of the establishment of a UN Youth Office marks a significant milestone in this regard. It is our hope that this office will closely listen to and learn from young people, work especially with less privileged youth, uplift young individuals’ voices globally, advocate for gender equality among youth in all areas, provide and create resources and opportunities for stronger meaningful involvement of youth, help elevate youth in global leadership positions and, through all this, accelerate the completion of Youth 2030.

Let’s build on this momentum and make full use of the process leading up to the Summit of the Future, so that we deliver on the Agenda 2030, for the young people of today and tomorrow.“

In closing, I am convinced that most young people have not resigned to the state of the world; rather, we’re resolved to change it. So many young people globally are driving positive change. We need to build on their efforts, visions and experiences and empower them to realise their full potential as change-makers.

Instead of moving towards „break down“, let us young people help “break through” times of unrest and uncertainty towards a more just, peaceful and sustainable world for all.

Thank you.

Medienberichterstattung
In Österreich haben diverse Medien über Marvins Rede berichtet, u.a. der ORF Niederösterreich. Für die Niederösterreichischen Nachrichten gab Marvin außerdem ein großes Interview. Dieses könnt ihr hier nachlesen.

Ihr wollt wissen was Marvin sonst während seiner Zeit als UNYD in New York erlebt?
Auf Instagram unter @at_unyd teilt Marvin regelmäßig seine Eindrücke! Einen Bericht über die Zeit in New York findet ihr außerdem bald hier auf dem Blog.