United Nations Global Youth Leadership Summit

Young leaders from around the world gathered at an unprecedented summit at the United Nations in New York from 29 to 31 October to commit themselves to initiatives to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The youth delegates became spokespersons for the Millennium Development Goals in their home countries, creating a global network to encourage young people to get involved in community, national and international activities to accelerate progress in reaching the Goals. Each of the 192 United Nations Member States were represented at the United Nations Global Youth Leadership Summit by two delegates - a young woman and a young man - and it was the first time that many countries fulfill pledges to include young people and their views in their United Nations representation. The young leaders examined their roles in helping their countries and regions reach goals such as reducing extreme poverty, enabling all children to complete primary school and stemming the spread of malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases, with sport and culture as entry points. The youth delegates opened their summit in the General Assembly chamber with an address from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain.