UNITED NATIONS GIRLS EDUCATION INITIATIVE

NEW YORK, USA, 5 July 2006 – In the run-up to the G8 meeting, as government leaders fine-tune their agendas and prepare for the annual international forum, adolescents from the G8 countries are getting ready for a forum of their own.

For the first time in 30 years, the annual summit – hosted this year by the Russian Government in St. Petersburg from 15 to 17 July – will include in its official agenda an exchange between children and G8 leaders.

The ‘Junior 8’ Youth Forum will allow participating children to address their concerns on issues such as infectious diseases, violence, corruption, education, energy and security. It will provide a unique opportunity for them to present their views, voice their opinions and debate the issues topping the G8 agenda.

At the conclusion of the forum, eight children representing the J8 will attend the G8 official working meeting on 16 July.

 

64 students to attend

UNICEF, in collaboration with Morgan Stanley International Foundation, selected the team members from each country (see photos of some of the team members at left).

Each of the eight teams from the G8 nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – is composed of eight members.

A total of 64 students between the ages of 13 and 17 will attend the event, accompanied by four adult chaperones.

The national youth delegations are scheduled to arrive in St. Petersburg on 7 July and depart on 18 July. During their stay, the young participants will attend plenary sessions on issues to be covered at the summit, take part in a series of global video conferences and prepare for their climactic meeting with G8 leaders.

The youth event comes in the wake of last year’s C8 summit in Dunblane, Scotland, where children from eight of the world’s poorest countries and eight of the world’s richest presented their own recommendations for G8 leaders to end child poverty. The event unfolded on the sideline of the G8 summit, which was taking place in nearby Gleneagles.