The Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations is a joint position created by partnership between UN Youth Australia and the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Appointed yearly through a rigorous application process, the Youth Representative holds an extensive nationwide consultation, meeting with young Australians, politicians and leaders. Each year the Youth Representative travels to the United Nation's General Assembly in New York as an accredited member of the Australian Mission to the UN to deliver a statement on behalf of the young people of Australia. Upon returning to Australia the Youth Representative delivers a report to the Australian Federal Government along with all State and Territory Governments on the year's consultations and key findings along with recommendations.
In 2025, the Youth Representative to the United Nations is Satara Uthayakumaran.
Each year, the Youth Representative takes part in a comprehensive national listening tour, engaging with young people across Australia on issues that are important to them. The Youth Representative also meets MPs, Government Officials and NGOs to learn about service delivery, give advice and to represent the views and findings of young people in Australia. The listening tour usually includes a core theme or questions that is the basis for the tours consultations and findings.
Satara Uthayakumaran, the current Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations, has made the commitment to "fiercely advocate for the quietest voices in our community: those who communicate differently, those who feel they are invisible to their leaders, and those who do not see themselves represented in the corridors of power." She will be "collecting and facilitating intersectional, diverse and accessible conversations â with the end goal of shedding more light on inequalities facing youth in Australia, as well as how young people, the very individuals living these realities, propose to solve them."In 2025 the focus of the tour is: In the last few years, young Australians from all backgrounds have led the charge, boldly exposing the deep injustices and inequalities embedded in our systems, minds, and policies. How do we meaningfully and effectively respond to this intersectional, diverse chorus of voices
The listening tour, which is supported by various levels of government, UN Youth Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade holds consultations and meetings in all Australian States and Territories, major cities and regional towns along with rural and remote areas. Consultations and workshops are held in schools, universities, prisons, juvenile detention facilities and community venues.
Each year the Youth Representative travels to the United Nations General Assembly in New York as an accredited member of the Australian Mission to the United Nations, whilst at the UN the Youth Representative will engage with international leaders and deliver a speech representing the youth of Australia.
As part of the Youth Representative program a report is delivered to the Australian Federal Government along with all State and Territory Governments outlining the findings and recommendations of the Youth Representative from their listening tour.
As described by Vasil Samardzhiev, Chief Youth Representation Officer in 2024, "the Report gives people of all spheres of work an insight into how young eyes view the world around them, and the change they do not yet see."
The 2024 Youth Representative Report captured over 2000 perspectives from young Australians across every state and territory, across rural and urban communities, and from diverse backgrounds and identities.