The UN Youth Champion and American Actress of the movie, High School Musical, Monique Coleman was recently in Nairobi to engage with young people in the country and promote the International Year of Youth (IYY). The Year was launched on 12 August 2010 and will end on 11 August 2011 under the theme Dialogue and Mutual Understanding.

As part of the International Year of Youth, the General Assembly will hold a high-level meeting on youth on 25 and 26 July 2011. The high-level meeting will have as its overarching theme “Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”.

The high-level meeting will comprise two consecutive informal interactive round tables on 25 July 2011 and two plenary meetings on 26 July 2011. The round tables will be chaired by Member States at the invitation of the President of the General Assembly and will address the following themes:

American actress Monique Coleman, best known for playing Taylor McKessie in the “High School Musical” movies, was appointed the first ever ‘Youth Champion’ by the United Nations to raise awareness about the challenges facing young people.

The UN Programme on Youth is pleased to launch the new logo for the International Year of Youth. The official slogan for the International Year of Youth (IYY) is: Our Year. Our Voice. The official logo for IYY is available to downloadand attach onto promotional materials for events organized in celebration of the Year.

AIDS and the Family began five years ago, as a background document for the United Nations General Assembly discussions on the occasion of the Tenth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family. Intended as short overview in support of the activities of United Nations bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), it was gradually expanded to include a review and analysis of the rapidly growing body of information, knowledge and international experience surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic.