KUWAIT: Five high school students spent the day at the US Embassy and the Office of the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator in Kuwait yesterday as winners of the US Embassy-sponsored Diplomat for a Day competition, held in collaboration with the UN. The competition is part of a wider effort by the US Embassy and the UN to promote the next generation of global diplomats. Local high school students were challenged to upload one-minute videos on social media with the hashtag #Diplomat4aDayQ8 and present realistic solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues.

Yasmeen Al-Ghanim, Nora Al-Tuwaijri, Lina Lee, Youssef Mokhtar, and Noor Salem were selected from over 50 shortlisted candidates with their videos on climate change, learning disabilities, and preventing illicit drug use, among others. "The five talented winners were offered a window into the world of American diplomacy," US Ambassador to Kuwait Alina L Romanowski said. "They spent the day shadowing US diplomats from different sections and attending in-depth briefings on key embassy functions like consular, political, economic, foreign commercial services, and public affairs."

After a tour of the embassy compound and discussions with working-level American diplomats, the students joined Ambassador Romanowski for a lunch at her residence alongside UN Resident Coordinator Dr Tarek El-Sheikh, representatives from Kuwaiti's Foreign Affairs Ministry, and officials from other international organizations. "We wanted the winners to experience how the business of diplomacy takes place in different settings and with bilateral and multilateral partners," Romanowski explained.

"2021 has been a momentous year for our two countries," the Ambassador added. "In February, we marked the 30th anniversary of Kuwait's liberation by a US-led international coalition, and last September we celebrated 60 years of US - Kuwait diplomatic ties. Highlighting the history of these milestones to a new generation of youth is central to our two countries' shared legacy and diplomatic relations."

"The #Diplomat4aDayQ8 competition is a great example of how young people can advocate for solutions to global challenges and contribute to sustainable development and the Common Agenda. The five winners were announced in celebration of World Children's Day on November 20 to highlight that children and young people are raising their voices on the issues that matter to their generation and calling for adults to create a better future for people, the planet, partnerships, peace, and prosperity," said Dr Tarek El-Sheikh, Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator to the State of Kuwait.

Following the lunch, Ambassador Romanowski and Dr Sheikh presented each winning student with a certificate. The students then ended the day with a tour of the UN House in Kuwait, where they were introduced to the UN Resident Coordinator's Office and its functions and met with UN agency representatives from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNHABITAT, UNICEF, United Nations Volunteers (UNV), and the World Food Program (WFP).