Tammy Randall has been selected as the UNECE Youth Delegate for 2020-21 following the call for qualified and experienced candidates.

The Minister for Environment and Sustainability, Prof John Cortes clarified: “We were delighted with the response we had to our call for a new youth delegate which demonstrated that young people have an interest in sustainable development issues and are keen to be involved in shaping the future of the planet. Given her training in diplomacy and experience in international relations, Tammy is well placed to undertake the UNECE delegate role.”

The new youth delegate has worked in Brussels, Washington D.C., and Warsaw as well as represented Gibraltar at the Commonwealth Youth Forum in 2018.

In response to her appointment, Tammy said: “I am thrilled to have been appointed as this year’s youth delegate and look forward to working closely with Professor Tilbury on initiatives at UNECE level and locally. I hope that through my role I can bring a younger perspective to decision-making which is often lacking.”

Professor Daniella Tilbury, the UK government focal point at UNECE on matters of environment and education, added: “It is essential that we create spaces for young people to actively engage in the dialogues and decisions which will most affect them. Over the next year, Tammy will form part of UNECE Working Group on youth, drafting proposals for the UNECE Strategy for 2030. She will be looking at ways of bringing younger voices into policy-making and creating opportunities for youth engagement on key sustainability issues.”

Tammy’s diverse academic and professional experience has enabled her to cultivate a unique profile in international relations with a specialisation in European political and legal frameworks. She studied at the prestigious College of Europe in Natolin where she gained a deep understanding of how countries conduct their foreign affairs and which built upon her first class honours degree in international relations from Exeter University.

On the 19-20 October she participated online, alongside Professor Tilbury, in the 15th Steering Committee meeting of the UNECE originally scheduled to take place in Geneva. Over 45 countries participated which brought together national government focal points with academic experts and NGOs stakeholders. The meeting mapped strategic pathways and collaboration for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in 2021.