25 Jul 2011

UN / YOUTH WRAP

At a UN High-level meeting on Youth today, delegates observed a moment of silence for the tragic attack in Norway which left over 60 young people dead at a Labour party youth camp. Norwegian representative Gjermund Sæther said “those killed were part of Norway’s political future” and “were driven by their belief in democracy, diversity and inclusiveness.” UNTV

Posted at: July 25, 2011 4:38 pm

Duration: 03:41

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / YOUTH WRAP
TRT: 3:41
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 25 JULY 2011, UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, General Assembly hall
2. Cutaway, Norwegian delegation
3. Various shots, moment of silent for victims in Norway
4. Cutaway, delegates
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Gjermund Sæther, Chargé d'Affaires, Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations:
"The attacks were the deadliest in Norway since the Second World War. The bombing of the government complex and the massacre of young people gathered for the annual Labour Party summer youth camp struck at the heart of Norwegian democracy. More than 80 young people have been shot and killed, one by one. Those killed were party of Norway's political future."
6. Cutaway, delegates
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
"I am particularly saddened that this murderer singled out young people keen to engage meaningfully in the future of their country. This atrocity stands in stark opposition to the theme of this meeting, which is dialogue and mutual understanding."
8. Wide shot, General Assembly
9. Med shot, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe
10. Wide shot, start of press conference
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Alek Wek, Supermodel:
"I would say that the young people are truly are the people that shapes and it tells us who we are. If we don't address that, we don't take care of it, where are we going to be tomorrow."
12. Wide shot, press conference
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Monique Coleman, Actress and Youth Champion for the International Year of Youth:
"I personally was deeply, deeply devastated especially since I had just gotten finished travelling all around the world. And going to events such as this, you know everybody is trying to include young people, everyone is trying to hear young people and bridge this gap between young people and policy makers and so in one moment to extinguish that possibility in this particularly place is very devastating."
14. Wide shot, General Assembly meeting
15. VOXPOP (English) Erin Harrison-Taylor, 27, Canadian Labour Congress and Trade Union Confederation of the Americas:
"I think everyone was shocked specifically when the news came through. I'm from the Trade Union Central so we were really appalled that not only that the event happened, one it targeted young people and two kind of the Labour representative young people in that country."   
16. VOXPOP (English) Sutharee Wannasiri, 27, Amnesty International Thailand:
"What took place in Norway is really heartfelt for me because, actually I studied there for one year and I really see how the social trust in that country is that country is very high and people really have a very progressive mind about human rights and democracy and what happened is to highlight and reaffirm that the power of youth is in our hand."
17. VOXPOP (English) Wissam Samhat, 23, Youth Representative, United Nations Population Fund:
What happened is Norway is really a shock for all of us, something that shocked us all. Wake up! We should do some real work more to make sure that all young people are really being involved in different actions so they are part of all the policies which are part of security, social security." 
18. Wide shot, General Assembly

STORYLINE:

Hundreds of young people converged on the United Nations (UN) today (25 July) as the General Assembly kicked off a high-level meeting devoted to tackling the challenges facing youth and exploring their potential to bring about change in their societies and in the world at large.

The meeting, which took place at the UN headquarters in New York, opened with a moment of silence observing the tragic events that took place in Norway on Friday (22 July).

Addressing the General Assembly, Norway's delegate Gjermund Sæther said the attacks "were the deadliest in Norway since the Second World War" adding that "killed were party of Norway's political future."

According to the Norwegian Government, over 60 died at Utoya after a lone gunman opened fire last week on participants in a youth camp connected to the ruling Labour Party.

That attack followed a large bomb blast in central Oslo, close to key Government buildings, killing several others.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the "atrocity stands in stark opposition to the theme of this meeting, which is dialogue and mutual understanding."

The two-day meeting, which is focusing on the theme of "Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding," is among events to mark the International Year of Youth, which comes to a close on International Youth Day on 12 August.

Attending the meeting were Supermodel Alek Wek and Youth Champion for the International Year of Youth Actress Monique Coleman.

Following a press conference later today, Wek, who was born in South Sudan, said that if issues relating to young people are not addressed, where are we going to be tomorrow?"

Wek fled South Sudan during the civil war and started living in London as a refugee when she was 12 years old.

Speaking after Wek, Actress Monique Coleman, who was appointed the UN Youth Champion in November last year, said the tragic events like the attack on the youth camp in Norway in one moment extinguished the possibility of bridging the gap between young people and policy makers.

Coleman is best known for her roles in the "High School Musical" movies and on "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody." Most recently, she launched an online talk show to empower youth, "Gimme MO."

Youth delegates present at the meeting also expressed shock and devastation at the events in Norway. One delegate from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said that this is a wake up call that "we should do some real work more to make sure that all young people are really being involved in different actions so they are part of all the policies" including security.

The meeting is expected to conclude tomorrow with the adoption of an outcome document that calls for strategies to give young people everywhere a real chance to find decent work and urge countries to take effective measures to protect young people from terrorism, among other elements.