The Wellspring

The aforementioned UN Global Youth Leadership Summit - that I had labelled ‘mysterious’ as there was little information on its website about the Summit agenda or participant selection - has apparently concluded. UPI is reporting that the Summit, attended by hundreds of young people from across the globe, and focused on realising the Millennium Development Goals, finished with the (majority, not unanimous) adoption of a statement acknowledging the importance of youth involvement in the achievement of the Goals.

Well, that certainly doesn’t sound very innovative or useful. And unfortunately, at this stage, the final outcome document isn’t available online at the Summit’s website. Additionally, despite several emails requesting information on how Australian participation was organised, it seems that, in the end, we simply didn’t have anyone there at all. Quite a conspicuous absence I would imagine, given that UPI reports that ‘youth delegates comprised a young woman and young man from nearly every one of the 192 U.N. member states.’

Oops.

Update (3 Nov): I received an email from Joe Rafalowicz this afternoon letting me know that apparently, Elise Klein, this year’s young Australian delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, attended the Summit. I don’t know what the deal is with that, as she’s not on the official delegate listing. Perhaps she was moonlighting in addition to her representative role to the GA.