Daniel Carter attends UN Youth NSW State Conference From Friday 11 March to Sunday 13 March 2022, I joined 150 other students from across NSW and attended the UN Youth NSW State Conference in Collaroy. This event is a three-day camp designed to simulate the experience Daniel represented Mali at the model UN during the conference. of being at an actual United Nations conference. The theme of the weekend was ‘international law’. On the Saturday, we attended workshops on topics that included ‘statehood and sovereignty’ and ‘the effect and enforcement of international law’. These workshops were presented by experts and were tied in with a guest speaker panel of lawyers and academics, who told us about their journey. However, the highlight of the weekend was the MUN, or model UN, held on Sunday. We were allocated a country in advance to represent, and we were prepared to participate in different UN committees. For example, there was the Disarmament Committee, the Economic Committee, and the Human Rights Council. I represented Mali, as part of the Human Rights Council, and had a great time, debating a resolution – or bill – about the use of sanctions and ensuring they are used effectively, given that often, sanctions only serve to harm the people, and make no change to government or policy. Overall, it was a truly amazing experience. It fuelled my curiosity in this area greatly, answering many questions I had, and giving me many new areas to explore. It was a great environment that encouraged asking questions and learning as much as possible, Daniel participated in various UN committees. in addition to meeting the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ and making so many great friends. It gave me a real insight into the inner workings of the UN. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the machinations of the UN, or anything they do. Daniel Carter Year 9 We would like to congratulate Daniel for winning the UN Youth Australia Voice public speaking competition on Saturday 9 April. Daniel’s speech on methods to combat modern slavery hugely impressed the judges. This was the second successive time Daniel had progressed to the National Final. The Years 9 to 12 students learned about leadership, diplomacy and advocacy. 32 | Curiosity |News Autumn 2022 | Stanmore 7–12