PRESS RELEASE | December 24, 2015
FRIENDSHIP AMBASSADORS FOUNDATION, INC.
2 Member States Officially Endorse 2016 Winter Youth Assembly at the UN
UN Secretary General’s Representative and Head of UN Office in Belgrade serves as Honorary Chair; UN Women, UN Foundation, World Bank, Microsoft YouthSpark and The Resolution Project among partner organizations
L-R: H.E. Mr. Virachai Plasai, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to the UN; H.E. Mr. Milan Milanović, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Serbia to the UN; Ms. Simona-Mirela Miculescu, Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of United Nations Office in Belgrade, Serbia (Photo Credits: Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Thailand to the UN; Permanent Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the UN; Ionut Vacar/FAF)
New York, New York – The 17th session of the Annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations, slated for February 17 and 18, 2016 at UN Headquarters in New York, is officially endorsed by His Excellency Milan Milanovic and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the United Nations, and His Excellency Virachai Plasai and the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Thailand to the United Nations.
A fervent supporter of the Youth Assembly, Her Excellency Simona Mirela-Miculescu, former Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Romania to the United Nations, now the Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UN Office in Belgrade, will be serving as the 2016 Youth Assembly at the UN Honorary Chair.
With the leadership of FAF’s Acting Executive Director Yin-Chu Jou, the forthcoming year would be the first time that the assembly will receive stronger endorsement and direction from high officials in the UN system since the program’s inception in 2004.
The 2016 Winter Youth Assembly will be taking place during a significant year as the world begins to embark on a renewed plan of action towards a more sustainable world. Accordingly, the program agenda focuses on the “Role of Youth in the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. The two-day conference offers a momentous opportunity for youth leaders to engage with Member States, UN High Officials, corporations, and civil society in achieving the new development agenda for the next fifteen years.
The Youth Assembly maintains its long term partnership with The Resolution Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering youth leadership development around the world through collaborative social entrepreneurship, and Microsoft YouthSpark, a global initiative that aims to create education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people around the world. Outside the conference, youth voices continue to be amplified through the Youth Assembly feed in The Huffington Post.
This year’s Youth Assembly is also in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, United Nations Association of the United States of America, UN Women, World Bank, World Federation of United Nations Associations, among many others.
A special evening event featuring the Ambassadorial UNRocks Music Group is planned for February 17, 2016 at the Bohemian National Hall hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the UN and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York. The debut single and CD of the UNRocks Music Group “Strong UN Better World” has been successfully launched by FAF with the support of the Permanent Missions of Denmark, Republic of Korea, Republic of Serbia, Kingdom of Thailand, and Kingdom of Tonga recently at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the UN on December 10, 2016, with a special report by BBC News.
The Annual Youth Assembly at the United Nations (YA) is a unique platform created to foster dialogue and generate partnerships between exceptional youth, UN high officials and staff, private sector, and civil society. The program is produced by Friendship Ambassadors Foundation (FAF), a nonprofit organization formally associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information and an NGO in Consultative Status with UNESCO and ECOSOC.
For media coverage, please contact Ms. Jeanina Casusi at 203-542-0652 .
3