Young People Must Have A Say in Their Future - Schmale
“ We cannot talk about the future and Agenda 2030 without young people at the table. Any development initiative that excludes young people is bound to fail. Young people must have a say in their future,”said the UN Resident and Humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Matthias Schmale at the opening of plenary of the 6th session of Babcock International Model United Nations (BIMUN) General Assembly held on July 17- 22, 2022, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo Ogun State.
Emphasising the need for young people’s voices to be heard on issues that affect them, the Resident Coordinator noted, “I am told that a South-West Nigerian proverb says, ‘You cannot shave someone’s head in his absence.’ At a recent meeting with People Living With Disability, they – including young people among them underlined the importance of ‘nothing about us without us’.
According to him, any development initiative that excludes young people is bound to fail. Young people must have a say in their future. The theme of this Babcock International Model UN 2022, “Fostering global resilience through environmental sustainability, public health management and respect for human rights”, therefore is an opportunity to hear the views on the important topics captured by this theme.
The President and Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Ademola Tayo thanked the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) for consistently supporting BIMUN and urged the delegates to be the change agents in Africa and on the global stage.
He reiterated the importance of BIMUN as an international initiative of young leaders to engage and energize youth support around the work of the United Nations and to empower youths to be change makers in the Decade of Action, which call for accelerated solutions to some of world’s biggest challenges – poverty, inequality and climate change.
The Secretary General of BIMUN 2022, Mr Ifeoluwa Ariyo - Agbaje called on the delegates to provide solutions to issues through valuable discussions and exchange of ideas while promoting diplomacy and the importance of Model United Nations.
Other speakers include the Director -General Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof Osaghae represented by Dr Joshua Bolarinwa. The Minister of the Environment was represented by Dr Yakubu Bala, the Registrar/ CEO Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria.
For more information visit https://bimun.org.ng
