Hello, I'm Matilda - new UN Youth Delegate for Sustainable Development

Since 2002, the German Federal Youth Council and the Federal Ministry for the Environment have been sending two youth delegates as part of the German government delegation to international UN processes on sustainable development. At the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York, we represent the perspectives of young people from Germany on the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In concrete terms, this means giving speeches at conferences, working on resolutions and contributing youth perspectives in dialogue with diplomats and experts.

The youth delegates are selected for two years at a time and rotate according to the zip fastener model. This means that a new position is filled each year so that there is a junior-senior structure in the delegate duo. This ensures continuity and, above all, experience. In this case, I am the junior delegate and Flo is the senior delegate, who now has one year's experience in office.

A few words about me: I'm involved with BUNDjugend, where I'm active in the climate working group and the DBJR's coordination centre for youth participation in climate issues. It is important to me to emphasise the opportunities and possibilities for effective implementation of the sustainability goals and to make environmental and sustainability policy socially compatible. For me, this naturally includes thinking about and demanding social issues, equality and fair participation.

In my view, effective youth participation is a key prerequisite for the inclusive and intergenerational implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In the spirit of "Our Common Future", I would like to work with and for young people to bring fair and sustainable solutions to the sustainability goals into political spaces and represent them effectively there. With a view to 2030, it is also important to me to maintain an encouraging narrative around the SDGs during my term of office and to continue thinking about them "beyond 2030".

If you are interested in an exchange, workshops or collaboration, you are welcome to contact me by email: matilda.ramge@dbjr.de

When I take office, the regular term of office of my predecessor Audrey MacLean, who was Youth Delegate for Sustainable Development 2024/25, will come to an end. I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her extraordinary commitment! Audrey has not only strengthened and advanced the content of the delegate programme, but has also demonstrated a great deal of courage, expertise and foresight, which is particularly important in times of current change.