Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations

Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations
Incumbent Satara Uthayakumaran since 1 January 2025
Reports to	Australian Government, The United Nations
Term length	1 Year
Final holder	Gavin Choong / Vasil Samardzhiev

The Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations is a joint position created by partnership between UN Youth Australia and the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Appointed yearly through a rigorous application process, the Youth Representative holds an extensive nationwide consultation, meeting with young Australian's, politicians and leaders. Each year the Youth Representative travels to the United Nation's General Assembly in New York as an accredited member of the Australian Mission to the UN to deliver a statement on behalf of the young people of Australia. Upon returning to Australia the Youth Representative delivers a report to the Australian Federal Government along with all State and Territory Governments on the year's consultations and key findings along with recommendations. ^[1]

In 2025, the Youth Representative to the United Nations is Satara Uthayakumaran.

Listening Tour

Each year, the Youth Representative takes part in a comprehensive national listening tour, engaging with young people across Australia on issues that are important to them along with meeting MP's, Government Officials and NGO's to learn about service delivery, to give advice and to represent the views and findings of young people in Australia. ^[1] The listening tour usually includes a core theme or questions that is the basis for the tours consultations and findings.

Satara Uthayakumaran, the current Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, has made the commitment to "fiercely advocate for the quietest voices in our community: those who communicate differently, those who feel they are invisible to their leaders, and those who do not see themselves represented in the corridors of power." She will be "collecting and facilitating intersectional, diverse and accessible conversations – with the end goal of shedding more light on inequalities facing youth in Australia, as well as how young people, the very individuals living these realities, propose to solve them."

The Youth Representative travels to all States and Territories of Australia and to regional and remote areas.

In 2025 the focus of the tour is: In the last few years, young Australians from all backgrounds have led the charge, boldly exposing the deep injustices and inequalities embedded in our systems, minds, and policies. How do we meaningfully and effectively respond to this intersectional, diverse chorus of voices

The listening tour, which is supported by various levels of government, UN Youth Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade holds consultations and meetings in all Australian States and Territories, major cities and regional towns along with rural and remote areas. Consultations and workshops are held in schools, universities, prisons, juvenile detention facilities and community venues. ^[2]

Attaché to the Australian Mission to the United Nations

Each year the Youth Representative travels to the United Nations General Assembly in New York as an accredited member of the Australian Mission to the United Nations, whilst at the UN the Youth Representative will engage with international leaders and deliver a speech representing the youth of Australia. ^[1]

Youth Representative Report

UN Headquarters in New York, New York, USA

As part of the Youth Representative program a report is delivered to the Australian Federal Government along with all State and Territory Governments outlining the findings and recommendations of the Youth Representative from their listening tour. ^[1]

As described by Vasil Samardzhiev, Chief Youth Representation Officer in 2024, "the Report gives people of all spheres of work an insight into how young eyes view the world around them, and the change they do not yet see." ^[3]

The 2024 Youth Representative Report captured over 2000 perspectives from young Australians across every state and territory, across rural and urban communities, and from diverse backgrounds and identities. ^[3]

Office Holders

Name	Year	UNGA Statement
Andrew Hudson	1999
Carrie McDougall	2000
Kirsten Hagon	2001	[4]
Rebecca Jenkin	2002
Adam Smith	2003	[5]
Cat Thao Nguyen	2004
Ben Whitehouse	2005
Elise Klein	2006	[6]
Ben Groom	2007	[7]
Elizabeth Shaw and Melanie Poole	2008	[8]
Chris Varney	2009	[9]
Samah Hadid	2010	[10]
Benson Saulo	2011	[11] [12]
Dan Ryan	2012	[13]
Adam Pulford	2013	[14]
Laura John	2014	[15]
Shea Spierings	2015	[16]
Chris Eigeland	2016	[17]
Paige Burton	2017	[18]
Amos Washington	2018	[19]
Kareem El-Ansary	2019	[20]
Lucy Stronach	2020-21
Angelica Ojinnaka	2022	[21]
Imogen Kane	2023	[22]
Gavin Choong / Vasil Samardzhiev	2024	[23]
Satara Uthayakumaran	2025

References

1. "UN Youth Australia - Youth Rep".
2. "Youth Rep Facebook Page". Facebook .
3. Samardzhiev, V., Ng, J. & Gamagedara, R. (2024). Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations Program: Youth Representative Report 2024. Melbourne, Victoria: UN Youth Australia. https://unyouth.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-Youth-Representative-Report-1.pdf
4. Statement by Ms Kirsten Hagon, Youth Representative, for the Australian Delegation, 9 October 2001. Australian Mission to the United Nations
5. Statement by Mr Adam Smith, Australian Youth Representative, 6 October 2003. Australian Mission to the United Nations
6. Statement by Elise Klein, Youth Representative, 3 October 2006. Australian Mission to the United Nations
7. Statement by Mr Ben Groom, Youth Representative, 9 October 2007. Australian Mission to the United Nations
8. Statement by Ms Elizabeth Shaw and Ms Melanie Poole, Australian Youth Representatives to the United Nations, 7 October 2008. Australian Mission to the United Nations
9. Statement by Mr Christopher Varney, Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, 6 October 2009. Australian Mission to the United Nations
10. Statement by Samah Hadid, Australian Youth Representative, 4 October 2010. Australian Mission to the United Nations
11. Mr. Benson Saulo, 2011 High-level Meeting on Youth, 111th Plenary Meeting 26 July 2011
12. Statement by Benson Saulo, Australian Youth Representative, 4 October 2011. Australian Mission to the United Nations
13. Statement by Mr Dan Ryan, Australian Youth Delegate, 8 October 2012. Australian Mission to the United Nations
14. Statement by Mr Adam Pulford, Australian Youth Representative, 7 October 2012. Australia Mission to the United Nations
15. Statement of Laura John, Australian Youth Representative, 7 October 2014
16. Statement of Shea Spierings, Australian Youth Delegate, 7 October 2015
17. , Statement of Chris Eigleland, Australian Youth Representative, 5 October 2016. Australian Mission to the United Nations
18. Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly 72nd Session National Statement by Paige Burton
19. Statement of Amos Washington, Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, 3 October 2018
20. UN Youth Australia (2019-10-08). 2019 Australian Youth Representative Address to the United Nations General Assembly . Retrieved 2025-03-23– via YouTube.
21. UN Youth Australia (2022-10-01). Angelica Ojinnaka | 2022 Australian Youth Representative Address to the United Nations . Retrieved 2025-03-23– via YouTube.
22. UN Youth Australia (2024-10-09). Imogen Kane - 2023 Australian Youth Representative Address to the United Nations . Retrieved 2025-03-23– via YouTube.
23. UN Youth Australia (2024-10-09). Vasil Samardzhiev - 2024 Australian Youth Delegate Statement to the United Nations . Retrieved 2025-03-23– via YouTube.

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