Belfast student heads to World Congress of Youth event

A young Belfast woman has been picked to attend the largest international youth conference in the world.

Jenny Gibson, 21, is the only delegate to be selected from Northern Ireland to go to the World Congress of Youth in Morocco.

The Queen's law student will join 1,000 representatives from over one hundred different countries at the two week event. She will leave the province on Wednesday and head out to the conference being held just outside Casablanca.

Commenting on being an ambassador for Northern Ireland, she said: "I really can't wait. It is such an honour.

"I am involved in a cross community group called the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES). It is a mentoring organisation where young men and women mentor 10-13-year-olds.

"Young people have such a vital roll in the future here and it sounds like a cliché but they need to be seen and heard.

"Going to this conference is a great chance to learn from other young people and to make a better future for all of us."

Representatives at the event will get to learn about a number of global issues affecting young people, including HIV/AIDS, gender equality, poverty, illiteracy and preservation of natural resources.

The United Nations backed gathering is held once every two years, the last one in Hawaii.

(MB)