By Shraddha Nair
On a sunny July morning in New York outside the United Nations (UN) headquarters entrance, a few people gathered together for the Preparatory Meeting of the UN Ocean Conference introducing each other, some exchanging greetings – old acquaintances perhaps.
Everyone was waiting patiently for the organisers to arrive and issue passes for those who did not have a UN blue pass. We saw staff and other visitors enter through the gates that we all so looked forward to entering.
Some people who were used to the drill talked about the various things you could see inside the headquarters. While people like me, first timers, eagerly waited for the personnel to bring us our passes so that we could explore what little area we had access to.
A few minutes after 9AM, our entry time, two UN staff members who were also the organisers of the event gathered everyone to check our government issued identification and issue our entry passes into the UN headquarters. A clear instruction was given to not lose the passes for security purposes.
After a long anticipated 15 mins, we were all given the passes and ushered through the gates to go through the airport level security. The security was done in under 5 mins and I was in the courtyard of the UN headquarters. After having only seen this view through photographs and videos, I felt a small tingle in my body to be there in person.
As instructed in the communications before the event, I found my way to the Trusteeship Council Chamber on the third floor with smaller security checks by guards on the way, a clear indication of the level of security within the headquarters.
I saw visitors being taken around by staff members in groups to tour the building and there were many photographic displays along the walk to the chamber. Once in the chamber I felt a sense of self wash over me like a wave as I stood in one of the key council chambers at the UN headquarters.
Many delegates took their seats in one of the three levels. The bottom most level or level 1 was for country delegates, organisers, chairs, moderators and such. The second level was for stakeholders – UN, external and special delegates who would be given a chance to speak, while the third or the top most level was for observers. As per prior communication, I found the lead organiser for the meeting who seated me at one of the seats for special stakeholders as a speaker on Level 2.
The event started as per the schedule and followed the agenda items. Then as the key stakeholder 1 on the list, after the chairs and other key delegates were done with their introductory speech, the floor was open to delegates to produce their statement.
Once you press the button on the table near the mic, the mic turns green showing that you are in the queue to be given a chance to speak. Then the co-chair will call out the respective delegate’s representative organisation/state and the mic turns red giving them the floor to speak. Once done, you should end your statement with a thank you addressed to all attending and the chair so the moderators know to continue with the session.
When submitting the official statement for the preparatory meeting, YWISD was asked if we wanted to present our statement at the time of the event as a speaking opportunity, which we had registered for and the organisers were kind enough to present us with the opportunity to deliver our statement. We focused on the theme of the UN Ocean Conference 2025, “Accelerating action and mobilising all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean”. Two key points from our statement were the need for Ocean literacy and disbursing funds for young women led grassroot projects within the ocean community.
There was a two hour break in between the morning and the afternoon session which people used for networking and having lunch at the UN cafeteria. Overall, it was a whole new and different experience which I would do again in a heartbeat.
Young Women in Sustainable Development had received a special accreditation for the UN Ocean Conference and it’s a ray of sunshine that this is a beginning of many more such exciting opportunities for all young women investing their time in contributing to the work by this organisation.
Young Women in Sustainable Development 