In April 2025, Mariah Ichakpa MSYP (Aberdeen Central) was selected to attend the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) Youth Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York. The ECOSOC Youth Forum is an annual event which brings together young leaders from all 193 UN member states to discuss issues young people face on a global level and learn from what others do in their countries. In this post, Mariah shares her experience of this opportunity.
Earlier this year, I applied to attend the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) Youth Forum at the UN Headquarters in New York. Over 20,000 young people from all over the world applied, so I was really shocked when I got the letter telling me I had been selected.
For me, this wasn’t just about going to the UN. It was about representing Scotland on the global stage. We don’t often see Scotland brought into these conversations, and I wanted to make sure our voices, our stories, and our achievements were heard.
The day before the youth forum started, we had a “Youth Blast”, which was a pre-event for all the youth delegates to help us get to know each other and to hear about what to expect from the event. We took part in icebreakers, group discussions about the Sustainable Development Goals and advocacy for young people, and conversations where I learned about youth participation in other countries. I learned that lots of countries don’t have a youth parliament, which made me appreciate how much the Scottish Youth Parliament does to support young people.
The event itself took place over three days at the UN Headquarters. The focus was on five of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including ending gender-based violence, mental health, and partnerships for sustainability, which align with SYP’s current campaign priorities. The other two themes were about life above water, and decent work and economic growth, which are social issues I’m equally passionate about. Before my trip, I spent time preparing, and SYP staff shared information and resources, which helped me feel better prepared to take part in discussions on these issues.
The three days were really busy, with multiple sessions and side events taking place at the same time, so trying to figure out how to get between different sessions was a puzzle. However, once inside the Trusteeship Council Chambers, I got so much out of the presentations and discussions that got me thinking in new ways, and I’m still carrying those ideas with me after the conference.
For instance, mental health came up again and again. Even in Scotland, we’ve seen from the 2024 SYP priorities consultation how serious this issue is for young people. Funding mental health organisations and initiatives to support young people needs to be a government priority. And schools need to treat mental health education the same way they treat PE. New Zealand, for instance, created a Wellbeing Budget that directly funds youth mental health.
Decent work should also mean more than just getting by. Too often, young people are stuck in low-paid jobs or unpaid internships. The solution is meaningful work that pays at least the living wage.
My biggest highlight was speaking at the regional session for Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific. The session gave young people from these regions the opportunity to share experiences and stories from their own countries. Whilst I was not scheduled to give a speech, I came in determined and persistent and got to share Scotland’s journey in incorporating the UNCRC into Scots law. Scotland is now the only country in the UK to have done this, and it represents a huge win for young people’s rights. To share this achievement at the UN headquarters is an unforgettable experience.
Attending this conference was a huge development opportunity for me. It really pulled me out of my comfort zone. Being in a different country, surrounded by thousands of young people from all over the world, felt different, but I challenged myself to socialise and network, to speak to as many people as I could, and to learn about people and about different countries. I feel so much more confident after this trip. I never imagined myself in a space like this before, and I’ve never spoken on a global stage. I didn’t realise the sessions would be aired online until after the event. Knowing now that people all over the world were watching me speak gives me such a confidence boost.
Youth advocacy can feel daunting, but it was such a privilege to be able to speak at the UN and to have the support from people around me. Events like this are important for young people to know we’re not alone in advocating for change. Being in a space like this and seeing thousands of young people do what I do as an MSYP made me realise so many young people around the world are advocating for the same thing. Young people coming to the same place and amplifying our voices like this, with every country listening, increases the volume. The more young people who come together, the louder our voices will be. This is something I won’t forget for a very long time.
Another thing I took away from this experience is the opportunity I now have to help other young people know they can be youth advocates. I shared my experience on social media, and lots of young people reached out to me to find out how to get involved in SYP and my local youth platform, Aberdeen Youth Movement (AYM).
I want to make sure young people know they have a voice, that their voice matters and can be heard, and that they can advocate for change in whatever way they want, whether that’s locally, nationally or internationally.
Leaving New York, I felt inspired, but more than that, I felt responsible. We have a lot of work to do, and I’m ready to keep showing up and working alongside other passionate youths in SYP, AYM and across the world to make a difference.
Note* AYM is supported by the Youth Participation Development Officer and staff team, who are part of the Community Learning and Development Team within Aberdeen City Council
