UN YOUTH CONFERENCE

Four Aberfoyle Park High School students recently attended the UN Youth’s state conference.  This three day residential event brought together students from all over the state to focus on leadership, diplomacy, and advocacy.  The theme for 2022 was international law and students learnt about global and local issues currently facing word leaders.   Congratulations to Abinav, Sinchi, Georgia and Ashwin for representing our school so well at this event. It is clear from the below reflections that they thoroughly enjoyed this experience and learnt a lot from it. 

Abinav (Year 8 IGNITE) 

I was very grateful for the opportunity that Aberfoyle Park High School had provided to me, it was a very insightful and fun event. I learned many things about the United Nations and how they serve as a mediatory organ, helping different nations function together. The best thing about this event was probably the guest panel that consisted of professional speakers from various backgrounds relating to common law, and international law, and even someone who was an expert in space law! I have learned so much about cooperation between nations, international treaties/laws and all about the United Nations.

Sinchi (Year 11 IGNITE)

The UN Youth South Australian Conference (SACON) is a great experience that I recommend to all students that wish to pursue a career in politics, international relations, or who just have a passion/interest in international politics. This year was my second time participating and was still just as exciting and new as last year. There were new debate topics, more interesting professionals to learn from, and new friends to meet. The conference wouldn’t have been the way it is without the amazing facilitators who make it their duty to create an amazing experience for all delegates, and who create such a positive environment. The best part was that I got to dress up as a Banana.

Ashwin (Year 11 IGNITE) 

With political intrigue, high-stakes crises, and Machiavellian diplomacy, the UN Youth Conference was a phenomenal introduction to international law, encapsulating the theoretical underpinnings of law and pragmatic application to international courts. The highlights of the event were certainly the model UN debate and law seminars conducted by leading litigators in their respective fields, comprising space law, domestic law and international law. Fascinating questions were posed in these talks, ranging from ‘what are the philosophical foundations of law and development of customary practice?’ to ‘how is sovereign territory demarcated in space and where does a country’s airspace end?’ Moreover, the model UN debate was a riveting demonstration of diplomatic proceedings and general assembly protocol, oftentimes culminating in the declaration of nuclear warmongering!

In essence, a delegate (student) is designated a country to represent in the general assembly and must endeavour to implement/affirm clauses in a debated resolution (contested issue) that are favourable to the respective country’s foreign policy objectives. I was designated Hungary and the resolution pertained to ‘the enforceability of general assembly resolutions’, meaning the legal binding of passed resolutions. For interested students, the next major event is the Evatt competition – a model UN debate tournament - that will take place in early June; I would emphatically recommend participating in this superb opportunity to cultivate public-speaking skills, build civic engagement and develop a sounder understanding of the legal mechanisms that make our international order tick.