Happy Emirati Women's Day. In episode 2 of the UAE Trailblazers podcast series, we have an engaging conversation with the impressive Fuzeya Ahmed. She is a Trainee Lawyer specializing in Dispute Resolutions at Al Tamimi & Company. What's even more remarkable is her role as the UAE Youth Delegate to the United Nations. In this episode, she shares her inspiring journey, shedding light on how she became a part of the UN Youth Delegate Programme.
Furthermore, Fuzeya Ahmed imparts a compelling message to the Emirati youth. Her insights and experiences serve as a source of motivation and guidance for the UAE youth.
Furthermore, Fuzeya Ahmed imparts a compelling message to the Emirati youth. Her insights and experiences serve as a source of motivation and guidance for the UAE youth.
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00:00 Hi everyone, welcome to Khaleesh Times.
00:07 Fuzaiya Ahmed.
00:08 We are so excited to have you on episode 2 of the UAE Trailblazers.
00:13 Thank you so much for being with us today.
00:14 Thank you so much for having me.
00:16 It's a pleasure to be here today.
00:18 And guys, if you're watching this, it's Emirati Women's Day today.
00:22 So we have a very special guest with us.
00:26 Fuzaiya Ahmed, you are part of the UAE Youth Delegate Program to the UN.
00:31 Now, how does one get into such a program?
00:36 How did you get to be involved in something like that?
00:38 Tell us a little bit about yourself and a little bit about your background.
00:41 Yeah, of course.
00:42 So I'm Fuzaiya Ahmed.
00:44 I'm currently a trainee lawyer at Seltamimi & Company, pursuing dual legal qualification
00:50 as a UAE qualified advocate and an England and Wales qualified solicitor.
00:55 I'm half Emirati and half Peruvian, but I was born in Sweden and later moved to Dubai,
01:00 where I've spent most of my life.
01:03 I studied law at the University of Bristol in the UK before moving back to Dubai to begin
01:08 my legal career.
01:10 And a few months after I started working at Seltamimi, I decided to apply for the UAE
01:16 Youth Delegate position.
01:19 And so the application process consisted of a few rounds, including taking part in written
01:25 assessments and being interviewed.
01:27 So I was selected after getting through those stages and was later endorsed by Her Excellency
01:31 Shaman Mazroui, who was, of course, the Minister of State for Youth at the time, and subsequently
01:37 approved by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, our Minister of Foreign Affairs.
01:42 Amazing.
01:43 Amazing.
01:44 You should be so proud of yourself.
01:46 So what kind of skills did you have to work on or did you have to have in order to be
01:51 involved in that kind of delegate program?
01:54 Was it something that was planned from before or how did you get into it?
01:57 So I think the ideal youth delegate has a diverse set of skills, but there are a few
02:02 that I found to be particularly important.
02:07 For me personally, some of these skills were more developed than others when I assumed
02:11 this role.
02:12 But of course, occupying this position has been an incredible learning experience.
02:16 But to keep it short, for one, I think it's important to have a solid understanding of
02:22 international affairs and global challenges, as well as the UN's role in addressing them,
02:27 so that you can be an effective advocate for the interests of the youth.
02:30 I think it was really helpful to have participated in a lot of related activities while I was
02:35 a university student, including, for example, being part of my university's model United
02:41 Nations Society and interning at the U.E.
02:45 Embassy in London.
02:46 I gained a lot of transferable skills and knowledge that I was able to sort of build
02:50 on during my role as a youth delegate.
02:52 I think having strong communication and collaboration skills are also very important, especially
02:57 because the role involves interacting with people from all over the world, whether it's
03:02 working on youth-related initiatives or projects with other youth delegates, activists, or
03:08 members of the UN, or representing the views of the youth in discussions with policymakers,
03:14 diplomats, and subject matter experts.
03:19 Of course, these are skills that we continue to strengthen and develop throughout our lives,
03:24 but I think the global mindset I've adopted as a result of my multicultural experiences
03:30 and my ability to speak four languages fluently has really helped me to connect with people
03:36 on a deeper level and work well with others.
03:40 This isn't exactly a skill, but I think it's important to be genuinely passionate about
03:44 youth-centric challenges, particularly those affecting the youth in the UAE.
03:50 Not only does that make the role more enjoyable and fulfilling, but it drives meaningful change.
03:58 The youth don't have a very big seat at the decision-making table, so I think being visibly
04:03 dedicated to a cause strengthens the credibility of our representation and allows us to exercise
04:10 our roles in the most impactful way possible.
04:12 Amazing.
04:13 That brings me to my next question.
04:17 Participation in decision-making is huge on the agenda list of the youth delegates in
04:23 the UN.
04:25 What was your role as the UAE representative for the Youth UN?
04:31 It is indeed, and there's been a lot of progress made to ensure youth participation in global
04:37 decision-making processes.
04:39 I think the UN Youth Delegate Program is a great example of that.
04:44 Essentially my role as the UAE Youth Delegate to the UN is being the representative of Emirati
04:50 youth at the international level and working to ensure that their perspectives are taken
04:56 into account in the development of policies and programs at the UN, which involves spending
05:03 two months at the UAE permanent mission to the UN in New York and taking part in a wide
05:08 range of different activities and engagements.
05:11 So one aspect of my role is representing Emirati youth at official UN meetings and conferences.
05:19 So for example, I had the privilege of delivering a speech on behalf of UAE youth at the 77th
05:25 session of the UN General Assembly, and being the first UAE youth delegate to attend Security
05:34 Council meetings since we were elected as a member for the second time ever.
05:40 Another part of my role is meeting with UN policymakers and stakeholders to discuss youth-related
05:48 challenges and find effective solutions.
05:52 So that's included, for example, a meeting with the President of the UN General Assembly
05:57 to discuss the urgency of promoting youth education and decent employment, and meeting
06:03 with the Executive Director of UN Women, where we discussed gender inequality and the empowerment
06:08 of women.
06:09 I was going to ask you about what are the challenges that the UAE youth are facing right
06:14 now.
06:15 I don't know if you can go into that.
06:16 I mean, you just did, but can you elaborate more, or are you able to give us a little
06:21 bit more insight on what those challenges are and what you guys kind of discussed at
06:27 the UN delegation?
06:29 Yeah, of course.
06:30 So I think there is a wide range of complex global challenges that affect the youth, but
06:37 of course the significance of these issues sort of vary between countries and are prioritized
06:44 differently by each member state.
06:47 Some of the most common challenges, though, include climate change, gender inequality
06:52 and-
06:53 Pertaining to the UAE.
06:54 Yeah.
06:55 Yeah.
06:56 I think all of them, like in general.
06:57 Yeah, all globally.
06:58 And then youth unemployment and underemployment.
07:00 So I've had the pleasure of working with other youth delegates on some great projects relating
07:07 to these common issues.
07:09 And a good example of that is the pre-COP28 consultation session that I organized with
07:14 the help of other youth delegates while I was in New York at the end of last year.
07:18 Of course, you know, the UAE is set to host COP28 this November.
07:22 Yes.
07:23 Especially at this year's conference, the stakes are high because it will be the first
07:27 ever global stock take where the world will come together to assess the progress we've
07:33 made towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement while also trying to ensure that
07:38 everyone has a seat at the table and that trust in the COP process is maintained.
07:42 So especially while I was in New York, I had the opportunity to get involved in many initiatives
07:48 and discussions relating to climate change and action with key stakeholders, including
07:55 members of the youth, NGOs, government officials, as well as UN officials.
08:02 With COP28 set to take place in November 2023, the UAE is gearing up to tackle the pressing
08:10 issues, climate change.
08:12 So tell us how you're going to be involved with COP28.
08:14 Yeah, of course.
08:15 So I was involved during the initial stages of the preparations for COP28.
08:21 And essentially this was a pre-COP28 consultation session which was held to discuss key takeaways
08:28 from COP27 and set goals for COP28.
08:33 There were a few hundred participants in attendance who were representing the views of a wide
08:38 range of countries, groups, and communities.
08:41 And I think this sort of diverse set of perspectives and insights we then consolidated and shared
08:47 with decision makers to feed into the preparations for the early stages of COP28.
08:52 Okay, amazing.
08:54 So what message do you have out there for the young Emirati youth, you know, people
09:02 who are trying to do what you've done?
09:04 I think my message would be dream big, you know, and don't be afraid to make mistakes.
09:12 Be eager to learn.
09:14 And I think most importantly, stay true to yourself.
09:17 Fawzia, thank you so much for being with us today.
09:21 And yeah, good luck on future endeavors and COP28.
09:25 Thank you so much.
09:26 And no, it was great and exciting to be here.
09:29 Amazing.
09:30 Thanks, guys.
09:31 And if you are watching this, then do like, share, and subscribe.
09:34 And we'll see you in the next one.
09:35 Bye.
09:36 Bye.
09:37 (upbeat music)
09:39 (upbeat music)