Our State Conference is held anually in first term of the school year. The Conference is aimed at Senior High School students with an interest and passion in international affairs, the UN, politics, youth affairs, or human rights. Throughout the conference, which is held over three days, students will be able to meet and engage in activities with like-minded peers, fostering valuable friendships and being exposed to individuals of a wide variety of views. Each year, the conference is focussed around a different theme, which allows students to grasp an understanding of this particular element of international affairs.

Throughout the conference, students  are visited by a number of guest speakers, often prominent South Australians involved in the political or humanitarian realm, who will provide personal insight and offer their own expertise in relation to the conference's theme. Students also engage in workshops, during which they are able to convey their personal views and debate and discuss a number of issues in a more intimate setting. Participation in workshops helps students to improve their group-work skills, learning how to listen effectively and responsing in a respectful manner to the opinions of others .

The latter part of the Conference is focused on mock sessions of the United Nations General Assembly. Having been assigned a member-state of the UN before they attend the Conference, delegates are encouraged to engage in some research before the conference in order to achieve an understanding of their country's role in the international community. They can then utilise this knowledge as they represent their member-state when participating in the mock sessions of the General Assembly. Here students debate from their country's perspective a range of resolutions which focus on pertinent issues, ranging from human rights, development and the environment. Diplomacy, negotiation and public-speaking skills are all skills that State Conference helps to foster within participants. No previous debating experience is required to participate in or get the most out of the conference; in fact, the conference is a brilliant setting in which to develop skills in public speaking and debating.

State Conference 2012 will be held March 16-18 at Nunyara Conference Centre, Belair. More details will be available soon. If you wish to register your interest in the mean time, please contact State Conference 2012 Convenor, Priya Pavri, at sacommunications@unyouth.org.au.