2018 UNCTAD Youth Forum | Diplomacy Opportunities

UNCTAD Youth Forum 2018

From 22 to 26 October 2018 the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) organizes a Youth Forum that will take place at UNCTAD, in Geneva, Switzerland as part of the UNCTAD 2018 World Investment Forum. If you are a student, a young entrepreneur, or a young professional between the ages of 18 to 30, and interested in trade and development issues, want to debate with other millennials from all continents around the theme of Youth Entrepreneurship: A Force Towards Inclusive and
Sustainable Growth, and to participate in the Forum, please read carefully what follows.

Objectives of the Forum

• Exchange experiences and strengthen a network of future leaders from around the world
• Have an interactive dialogue with global players involved in the achievement of the
  Sustainable Development Goals where youth can raise awareness on issues they consider of major concern and what areas they want to see greater action taken on
• Raise greater awareness on UNCTAD’s work and projects with youth, and discuss how to enhance youth involvement.

The Forum will gather around 250 youth from around the world, between the ages of 18 and 30 who are passionate about trade and development issues, and in exchanging local and global focused experiences, ideas and best practices. The Forum will provide a platform for the perspective of youth to be presented in the wider debate throughout the week. This will be through workshops, TED-style plenary sessions, breakout sessions and networking events. UNCTAD Youth Forum participants will also be able to attend public sessions of the World Investment Forum. Further information on social activities and logistics will be made available in due course.

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Participation Criteria

Participants in the Forum will be pre-selected based on the following criteria:

• Be between the age of 18 and 30
• Able to speak in and understand English
• Have a valid passport (for applicants outside of Switzerland)
• Have experience (from their studies or work) in the areas of UNCTAD’s work/focus.
  Evidence of projects related to trade and development (academic and professional) will be considered as experience in the field. Participants will then be invited to describe their experience in their video and/or letter of motivation (please see the application process section below).

Application Process

The application process consists of two steps:

Step 1 – Click here and fill in the online application form. Please ensure that you:

• Create a short video (maximum of two minutes and in mp4 format only) demonstrating your motivation for wanting to participate in the UNCTAD Youth Forum. Creativity and originality are encouraged. You can upload the video from a computer to either Youtube or Vimeo
• Fully complete the online application form, including the URL of your video and your letter of motivation (300 words maximum). The letter of motivation should address the following points:
  • Why do you want to participate in UNCTAD Youth Forum?
  • In which way do you intend to contribute to the Forum?
  • What knowledge and skills have you gathered from any previous experience or education and how will these enrich the conversation and actions moving forward?

Step 2 – Provide a letter of recommendation from a high-level official or authority at a University, Institution or Business. The letter must be sent to the email address unctadyouth@unctad.org and clearly mention your name.

Funding

Participants are expected to identify their own sources of funding for their participation.

Selection Criteria

The UNCTAD Youth Forum is designed for a maximum of 250 participants from around the world. The selection criteria will be based on principles of equitable geographical representation, balanced gender distribution, diversity of backgrounds (e.g. age, areas of studies and additional experience), and the quality of the supporting material attached with the applications, (e.g. originality in the video and letter of motivation).

Deadline for Submission of Applications

No applications will be considered after 15 August 2018 at 5 p.m. Geneva Time (UTC+2).

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Read more on 2018 UNCTAD Youth Forum website

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