ULURU YOUTH DIALOGUE REPRESENTING AUSTRALIA ATTENDING THE EIGHTEENTH UNITED NATIONS EMRIP
Five members of the Uluru Youth Dialogue are set to attend the 18th Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) held at the United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, from 14 to 18 July 2025.
The EMRIP, established by the Human Rights Council, provides expertise and advice on the rights of Indigenous Peoples across the globe and assists countries in achieving the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Uluru Youth Dialogue Co-Chairs Allira Davis (Cobble Cobble) and Bridget Cama (Wiradjuri and Indigenous Fijian) will lead the delegation of Uluru Youth Dialogue Ambassadors (Youth Ambassadors) Brydie Zorz (Wiradjuri), Sonjah Stewart (Juru Birrigubba) and Dwayne Coulthard (Adnyamathanha and Kokatha), who is also a signatory of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
The Uluru Youth Dialogue delegates are attending EMRIP as a part of the work of the Uluru Dialogue to further progress political participation through structural reform and constitutional recognition of Australia’s First Peoples and the mandate laid out in the Uluru Statement.
Uluru Youth Dialogue Co-Chair Allira Davis said this trip is a ground-breaking achievement for Aboriginal Australians and sets the stage for the young people leading change in this nation.
“The Uluru Youth Dialogue is the only established youth body working towards the meaningful constitutional recognition of First Peoples in this country. To be part of this work now on a global scale and recognised for the work we have done to date is a great achievement for us,” Allira Davis said.
“This represents the tireless work of our Youth Ambassadors from across the nation. We hope to bring back learnings that will help inform our work moving forward, learnings that can be passed through our network and reach the wider Australian public.”
“First Nations youth in this country and Indigenous youth from around the world all have aspirations of a future that is just, a future that has hope and a future where our place in the world matters. Our voices must be heard, and they will be heard.”
Uluru Youth Dialogue Co-Chair Bridget Cama said the mandate of the Uluru Statement remains and is more important now than ever, with First Nations youth voices critical in driving the work forward.
“We are the ones who inherited the outcome of the Referendum, and we are not going to let that result halt our progress. The status quo isn't working and it is directly impacting the lives of our people in this country,” Bridget Cama said.
“Going to the United Nations in Geneva will be incredibly insightful for our work moving forward, as it will assist our advocacy and cement our position on succession planning for the future.”
“I am motivated to see change in my lifetime, not just for me but for my children and future generations to come. The work that we will be undertaking at EMRIP will be critical to the work we continue to drive forward - to continue moving forward on a path for a better future, something we will not stop fighting for.”
The Uluru Youth Dialogue operates under the guidance and leadership of the Uluru Dialogue. Professor Megan Davis AC, Co-Chair of the Uluru Dialogue, who has been instrumental in leading the work of the United Nations, having served two terms on the EMRIP, including one as Chair.
“Our youth are the future. They will be the ones to drive this mandate forward. The Uluru Youth Dialogue, led by Allira and Bridget, is full of brilliant minds. We must see them succeed. EMRIP will play a crucial role in shaping their work in Australia moving forward.
For more information on the Uluru Dialogue, visit https://ulurustatement.org
