Real experience at the United Nations, Vietnamese schoolgirls spread enthusiasm to young people

The youth disarmament champions had a field visit and study session at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo: NVCC)

Along with young people from England, Egypt, Canada, Germany, Lebanon, Nigeria, Turkey, Rwanda, South Africa, Vietnamese youth representative Phung Trang Linh, fourth year student, runner-up at Foreign University Traders, was honored to participate in these useful activities from March 14-18 as the only representative from Southeast Asia.

A rare and meaningful experience

The 5-day journey gave young people the opportunity to visit the UN headquarters, and at the same time meet and learn from UN experts and experts in charge of each treaty and treaty on international law. such as the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), the Convention on Biological Weapons (BWC), the International Convention for the Prohibition of Cluster Munitions (CCM), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CNN) CTBT), Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW),…

The youth group for disarmament also had the opportunity to meet with diplomats representing the Canadian and Korean Permanent Delegations in Geneva.

On this occasion, the representative of Vietnamese youth Trang Linh also visited the Vietnamese Delegation to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and other international organizations in Geneva and was welcomed by Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai. dance and share a lot of enthusiasm for multilateral diplomacy.

In particular, youth representatives also listened to sharings from NGOs working in efforts to promote the abolition of nuclear weapons and humanitarian assistance to overcome the consequences of war such as the National Campaign for Nuclear Weapons. ICAN, Small Arms Survey, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Youth Fushion, United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR),…

Returning from a trip to the UN headquarters, the Vietnamese female student shared: “I really feel like I’m dreaming. This is absolutely a life-changing experience for young people like me, because it is rare to have the opportunity to go to the UN headquarters to meet and talk with leading international experts and diplomats, especially is in the field of disarmament, which is quite a hot issue right now.”

Trang Linh and Head of the Vietnamese Delegation in Geneva, Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai. (Photo: NVCC)

Through lectures and active exchanges from speakers, Trang Linh draws an overview of the system and how countries negotiate through binding and voluntary agreements and agreements to ensure world security, committed to reducing or eliminating many types of weapons.

To some extent after the trip, from a personal point of view, a young person like Trang Linh feels more positive trust when world peace is protected by a strict system of rules. It is also the fruit of diplomacy, negotiated over many years.

On the other hand, listening to the sharing of difficulties and deadlocks in negotiations and the emergence of conflict issues in the region and in the world, Trang Linh understands that, there is still much to be done, many agreements remain. need to develop, negotiate to sign and monitor the implementation of existing commitments, especially in the current complicated and unpredictable context.

Through projects on the topic of disarmament, the speakers all expressed their desire for the young generation to participate, learn and act more. That shows that young people are being interested and supported to participate more deeply in the field of disarmament.

Phung Trang Linh is the only representative from Southeast Asia participating in this trip. (Photo: NVCC)

Continuing the “fire” of Vietnamese youth enthusiasm

Honored to be the first Vietnamese youth representative to participate in this program, Trang Linh always tries her best to perform well and receives many positive feedbacks from the United Nations Office on Disarmament (UNODA) such as becoming a member of the United Nations Office on Disarmament. 1 in 4 young people speaking at the Conference on Disarmament, or the founder and organizer of the Vietnamese Youth Leaders for Disarmament project (Vietnamese Youth Leaders for Disarmament),…

During the 2-year term “Youth Champions for disarmament” (Youth Champions for disarmament – Youth4disarmament), Trang Linh has successfully fulfilled her role and hopes in the future, many young Vietnamese will have opportunity to participate in similar beneficial programs.

“I hope to be able to convey information and opportunities from the UN, as well as inspire young Vietnamese people, and I hope to have more young Vietnamese representatives join me!”, Trang Linh said.

Recalling the most memorable trip of the trip, Trang Linh said, it was the experience of sitting in a meeting to directly observe the Plenary session of the Conference on Disarmament, which is taking place from February to the end of March in Geneva.

Trang Linh excitedly: “I have a dream to become a diplomat and used to participate in the UN simulation conference in Vietnam to hone my knowledge and negotiation skills. Therefore, I am really happy that I have reached my dream when I can sit directly in the meeting room at the UN headquarters and watch the plenary session.”

At the meeting, the youth delegates were able to witness first-hand issues arising in the negotiation process. Especially in the current news context, when the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a controversial topic among delegates of the countries.

“Being directly involved in the meeting is really a blessing for young people, helping us to prepare more firmly for the future”, Trang Linh shared.

The trip of the representative of Vietnamese youth is even more meaningful when it takes place in Youth Month 2022. Throughout the country’s history, Vietnamese youth have made great contributions to the construction and preservation of the country. defend the Fatherland.

From her story, Trang Linh wishes to affirm the role of young people in a new situation, a new context, fueling the “fire” of enthusiasm and youth to bring glory to Vietnamese youth in the new era.

The female student of Foreign Trade University said that young people need to have faith in themselves before seemingly impossible things. Overcoming nearly 7,000 applications to participate in the UN’s disarmament program, Trang Linh believes that only if she makes enough efforts and is ready to seize the opportunity, all doors to the world will gradually open. .

“Wishing young Vietnamese people good health, ideals and enthusiasm to devote themselves to the cause of national construction and defense!”, she reminded.

Youth delegation at the Conference Room for Disarmament. (Photo: NVCC)