Join the United Nations Association of Australia to celebrate UN Day and the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations! UN Day is held on 24 October each year to mark the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. This year it is the 75th Anniversary and in a year of such uncertainty, a time to reflect and look to the future of the UN and consider Australia's role.

Hear from Australian Ambassador to the UN, the Hon Mitch Fifield and Australia's 2021 Youth Representative to the UN, Lucy Stronach. We'll look at the role of the UN today, how it supports member states in multilateralism and Australia's role in a strong United Nations into the future.

The Panel

The Hon Mitch Fifield - Australian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations since 2019. Mr Fifield is a former Australian Senator and Cabinet Minister. In fifteen years in the Senate Mr Fifield’s appointments included Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate; Manager of Government Business in the Senate; Minister for Communications; Minister for the Arts; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Digital Government; and Minister responsible for disabilities and aged care. Prior to entering Parliament Mr Fifield served as a Senior Adviser to the Treasurer of Australia and as a reservist in the Australian Army Psychology Corps. Mr Fifield holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.

Lucy Stronach - Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations for 2021. Lucy is a current student at the University of Western Australia, finalising her dissertation as part of her Law and Society Honours. Lucy has several years of practical experience in the field of crime and justice, particularly with the Parliament of Western Australia, Western Australian Police Force, and the Department of Corrective Services. Her work has taken her to the streets of Mumbai to fight for the empowerment of sex workers, to juvenile prisons in San Diego to assist with literacy skills in young offenders, and to the UNDP in Bangkok to work with youth leaders in the promotion of human rights and justice.

Dr Janine Felson - Dr Felson is a research fellow with the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute. Janine has had a distinguished career in the foreign service of the Government of Belize, including work on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. As Belize's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Janine developed an integrated a approach across development, environment and security on behalf of small island developing states. Janine advocated for this approach in leadership roles in the Caribbean Community and the Alliance of Small Island States, at key multilateral negotiations including the development of the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and negotiations for conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

We want to hear from you! Feel free to answer the optional questions in registration to help us in the topics for discussion. You'll also have the chance to ask questions of the panel in the event!

We look forward to joining you to celebrate UN Day and the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations on 9.00 am AEST on 27 October!