29 October 1999

Singapore City, Singapore: Sharon Capeling-Alakija, Executive Coordinator of the Bonn-based United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV), will address the World Youth Meeting in Singapore on 30 October as keynote speaker.

The meeting will mark the close of the 12th annual "Ship for the World Youth Programme" during which 264 young people from 17 countries sailed between Japan and South Africa and Singapore. The ship made several stops on the six-week voyage.

Ms. Capeling-Alakija will speak on youth and voluntary service as well as preparations for the UN-designated International Year of Volunteers 2001 (IYV 2001). UNV is serving as global focal point for IYV 2001.

The "Ship for the World Youth' Programme is organized by the Japanese Government to foster a spirit of international cooperation and to promote friendship and mutual understanding between young people aged 20 to 30 from Japan and other parts of the world. There were 120 delegates from Japan, and nine delegates from each of the following countries: Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, India, Mexico, Norway, Peru, Qatar, Seychelles, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

The programme provides opportunities for participating youth to study and exchange opinions on a number of global issues. National leaders from participating countries chose to discuss the United Nations, volunteer activities, gender, education and human development.

UNV was invited by the Japanese Government's Management and Coordination Agency to send advisers during the Volunteer Activities Week from 4 - 10 October as the ship sailed from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam.