U.S. Youth Observer to the UN Brings Voice of Young Americans to Geneva
Munira Khalif, the 2017-2018 U.S. Youth Observer to the UN, spent several days in Geneva observing the 37th Session of the Human Rights Council. The mission of the U.S. Youth Observer is to increase youth engagement in global affairs. For Munira, that means providing a voice for young Americans at the UN and bringing the UN to young Americans throughout the United States. During a moderated discussion at the UNOG Library on March 15, Munira discussed how young people can make a difference in global affairs, have their voices heard on relevant policy, and overcome the financial challenges of working in public service. She spoke about the need to incorporate youth voices at all stages of UN policy development and implementation – not just as tokens, but as important stakeholders. Munira is an undergraduate studying economics and government at Harvard University, a recipient of the prestigious UN Special Envoy for Global Education’s Youth Courage Award, and co-founder and leader of Lighting the Way, a youth-run non-profit organization that works to make education more accessible and equitable for girls in East Africa.