Albanian Youth Delegates' Speech to the 76th UNGA

The speech was delivered by the Albanian Youth Delegates to the UN, Ania Sauku and Diogjeni Kolici on 1 October 2021, as part of the national statement of Albania to the Third Committee of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Full text of the address below:
Honorable Chairperson,
Distinguished Excellencies,
Fellow Youth Delegates,
It’s with great honor that we address this committee as the youth delegates of Albania.
COVID-19 has placed the world in a pivotal moment to turn the greatest reversal of human development into a historical leap forward. Amidst recovery, it’s important to acknowledge that underrepresented groups, such as youth, were disproportionately affected by the pandemic in health, education and employment opportunities. Combatting this crisis and returning to a new, better normal can only come through collective effort. Therefore, we strongly encourage Member States to include young people in constructive consultations regarding COVID-19 recovery policies, seeing them as equal contributors and not just beneficiaries.
We are proud of the historical opportunity that Albania’s mandate in the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for 2022-2023 will bring. We call on members to the Security Council and to UN, as well, to use this chance to bring new momentum to the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, intertwining youth’s perspective and participation across all the priorities. In this regard, we are glad to be part of the Albanian official delegation to UNGA76, for the third year in succession, discussing issues of global importance, as well as applauding the efforts undertaken by civil society organizations, academia and youth in our country, to create a National Network of Stakeholders on Youth, Peace and Security.
Honorable Chair,
With high hopes that the pandemic situation will be alleviated through multilateral cooperation, we as youth delegates are delighted that Tirana will serve as the European Youth Capital for 2022. Under these auspices, hundreds of activities and cultural exchanges between young Albanians and those from all over Europe will take place in the following year. This title, designed to empower young people and boost youth participation, should serve as a possible tool to address the opportunity gap of young people living in small towns and rural areas, as well as minorities and marginalized communities, beyond a 12 months time-frame.
Echoing an old proverb “We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from our children”. That’s why placing young people at the center is essential. Only through empowering and including them in the decision-making table, will we find our way to a more peaceful and sustainable planet.
We thank you for your attention.