Stepping Up, Giving Back

UN Youth New Zealand is led entirely by young people, and our structure reflects our commitment to youth-led change. Across both regional councils and national event committees, there are a wide range of roles available for volunteers aged 18–25 who want to step up, lead, and make an impact.

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National Committees

Each of our flagship events — like NZ Model United Nations or the Aotearoa Youth Declaration — is run by a National Organising Committee. These roles are open to any volunteer through a nationwide application process and are a great way to develop skills in teamwork, event management, education, and strategy.

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Typical roles include:

• Coordinator & Assistant Coordinator – Lead the team and overall vision for the event.

• Education – Design engaging, informative content and programming.

• Logistics – Manage venues, schedules, and behind-the-scenes delivery.

• Promotions – Run marketing, social media, and comms.

• Registrations – Handle delegate sign-ups and communication.

• Relations – Liaise with external stakeholders, speakers, and sponsors.

• Volunteers – Recruit and support our volunteer facilitators.

• Equity Officer – Ensure accessibility, inclusion, and a safe environment for all.

• Head of Press, Head of Welfare, Head MPP Liaison – Role-specific leads that ensure smooth delivery across media, wellbeing, and parliamentary engagement.
   

Regional Councils

Each region (Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago) is governed by a volunteer council, elected by the local membership at an Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the end of each year. These councils lead local events, school engagement, and community building.

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Common roles include:

• President – Leads the regional vision and council.

• Vice Presidents – One for Tertiary, one for High Schools, overseeing engagement and programmes.

• Secretary & Treasurer – Admin and finance leads.

• Equity Officer – Ensures regional events are inclusive and accessible.

• Communications Officer – Manages outreach, design, and regional social media.

• General Members – Contribute across welfare, education, high school, and tertiary portfolios.
   

Whether you’re passionate about education, logistics, design, wellbeing, or community building — there’s a role for everyone. With such a wide range of portfolios, UN Youth offers space for all kinds of strengths and interests. Whether you want to lead from the front, support behind the scenes, or try something completely new, office holding is a rewarding way to grow your leadership, give back, and be part of something bigger.