World Urban Youth Assembly and World Urban Forum 2010
World Urban Youth Assembly and World Urban Forum 2010
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
March 19-20, and 22-26, 2010
Deadline for Applications: February 10, 2010
UN-HABITAT is looking for young people aged 15–32, from all over the world, to help capture
the youth perspective on issues of urbanization at the upcoming World Urban Youth
Assembly and World Urban Forum in Brazil.
You must be highly literate in English, with outstanding writing skills and the
capacity to absorb, analyze and organize large quantities of information from
diverse perspectives, and to prepare coherent and informative reports. You
must be actively engaged in youth-led development activities focused on
sustainable urbanization, and have a commitment to being an active part of
crafting solutions to the many challenges posed by urbanization, especially
those impacting youth.
If you meet the above criteria, please apply, according to the instructions below, to be a Youth
Rapporteur at the World Urban Youth Assembly and World Urban Forum taking place March
19–26, 2010 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This voluntary position offers young people a chance to gain insight and experience in the
exciting area of international development, and it requires a mature, committed, well–
organized and focused young person who can work under intense pressure in a multicultural
and fast-paced environment.
What Does a Youth Rapporteur Do?
• Youth Rapporteurs are tasked with reporting on dialogue sessions and other events
taking place at the World Urban Youth Assembly (March 19 and 20) and the World
Urban Forum (March 22-26)
• The Rapporteurs will work as a team to cover all sessions, as assigned by their team
leader and using the guidelines provided by UN-HABITAT, to capture the youth
perspective on the information being shared and disseminated at these events
Why is this important?
• The reports prepared by Youth Rapporteurs on sessions at the Youth Assembly and
Forum will be used by researchers, leaders from the private sector, policy experts,
government representatives, community representatives, non-governmental
organizations, program coordinators and youth
• The inclusion of Youth Rapporteurs dedicated to this task is one of the ways that UNHABITAT
is encouraging meaningful, active engagement of youth at the Assembly and
Forum, and represents a unique opportunity for direct youth participation in activities
that help shape policy at an international level
What will UN-HABITAT do with the reports?
• The Rapporteurs’ reports will be compiled and included in a formal report on the Youth
Assembly and World Urban Forum from the youth perspective, which will be made
available widely within the UN system and to partner organizations across the world.
• The report will be included in the UN-HABITAT Governing Council in 2011
• The Rapporteurs’ reports will help inform the overall Youth Statement that is prepared
and presented at the World Urban Forum
Youth Rapporteur Profile:
• Between 15 – 32 yrs
• Highly literate in English
• Excellent writing skills
• Able to analyze, summarize and coherently report on diverse perspectives
• Exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills
• Able to work under pressure and meet tight timelines
• A community leader in his/her home city
• Engaged in youth-led development related to sustainable urbanization
• Strong belief in the importance of youth involvement in issues of urbanization
• Previous experience at international conferences is an asset
Responsibilities:
• Dedicate time (approximately 5 hours per week) prior to the conference to preparation
and training for the role
• Collaborate with the UN-HABITAT point person organizing the Youth Rapporteur
Program to develop a comprehensive plan for coverage of all youth related events,
roundtables, plenary and dialogue sessions at the Youth Assembly and World Urban
Forum
• Work full days and after hours as needed at the conference to provide in-depth
coverage of assigned conference sessions
• Meet assigned deadlines for training assignments prior to the conference, and
reporting deadlines at the conference
• Synthesize daily reporting for distribution to media, inclusion in the conference
newsletter, and for posting on UN-HABITAT’s website
• Produce a final summary report on the final day of the conference, and additional
follow up reports as assigned within the weeks following the conference
How to Apply:
Prepare your responses to the following four (4) questions, respecting the word limits
indicated for each question.
Your responses will be judged on coherence and organization of thought, relevance of
content, and accuracy (including spelling and formatting).
Your answers must be typewritten and in MS Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF format, and
emailed to the contact person indicated below no later than February 10, 2010.
Short Essay Questions:
1. What is your motivation for applying to be a Youth Rapporteur for UN-HABITAT at the
Fifth Session of the World Urban Forum? (max. 150 words)
2. What specific experience and skills do you have that makes you well qualified for this
role? (Do not simply copy your CV here; your answer must give concrete examples that
are relevant to the requirements of this role.) (max. 200 words)
3. The theme of this year’s World Urban Forum is “Right to the City: Bridging the Urban
Divide”. What does this mean to you? Why is it relevant to youth specifically? What
are some of the challenges faced by youth in today’s cities? What are some possible
solutions to these challenges and why would they be effective if adopted? (max. 750
words)
4. What are some of the strategies you will use to ensure that you will successfully
manage the role and responsibilities of being a Youth Rapporteur? (max. 150 words)
Please send your answers, along with your up to date Curriculum Vitae, which should clearly
show how your skills and experience match those needed, to wuyarapp@unhabitat.org by 10
February 2010.
If selected, you will be expected to source funding to cover your travel to and accommodation
at the Youth Assembly and Forum. You will also be required to dedicate time to prepare prior
to the conference, estimated to be five hours per week beginning mi-February 2010. You will
need to remain in regular contact with the UN-HABITAT World Urban Youth Assembly
planning committee through a designated point person.
Please note that the deadline for submissions is 10 February 2010.
NO LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED.
Selected applicants will be notified no later than 20 February 2010.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!
