**** MEDIA ADVISORY ****
UNICEF: Young people to meet world leaders in L’Aquila
ROME, 1 July 2009 - Young people gathering in Rome for the J8 summit with G8 leaders have confirmed their meeting with the heads of state on the 9th of July in L’Aquila.
The half hour meeting, starting at 2:30, will be the culmination of a week of intense collaboration and debate obn the G8 topics among 56 young people.
In the meeting with the leaders, one representative from each of the fourteen country teams of four from the G8 and invited countries (Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Mexico and South Africa) will have the opportunity to engage their respective leaders on the concerns identified by the entire group.
Immediately following the meeting, at 3:15 p.m. there will be a press conference.
Other J8 participants will be meeting with the head of the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome, where they will also be presenting their outcome document.
The J8, now in its fifth year, brings together 56 young people, aged 14 to 17, four from each of the G8 countries and four from the extra-G8 countries from the 4th to the 10th of July to discuss issues as they effect their lives. This year, the issues are climate change, economic crisis and poverty, particularly in Africa.
The list of press conference and public events is as follows:
4 July, 12:00 – The “Big Ear” will be on display in a centrally located spot in Rome where the young people will informally begin their work.
4 July 7:00 p.m. – Dinner with celebrity chef Gualtiero Marchese on the importance of nutrition (journalists must request invites) hosted by the Goodwill Ambassadors, the Firefighters of Italy. Journalists must RSVP.
6 July 5:00 – Official opening ceremony at the Sala Polifunzionale of the Presidenza del Consiglio, via di Santa Maria in Via 37/d (entrance on the backside of Galleria Sordi at the corner of Via del Corso and Via Tritone). In addition to the 56 young people, Gianni Letta, Undersecretary of the Presidenza del Consiglio, Giorgia Meloni, Minister of Youth and Vincenzo Spadafora, President of UNICEF Italy. For accrediations to this event, please write to ufficiostampa.meloni@governo.it
9 July 11:00 – Official presentation of the outcome document to the President of the Chamber of Deputies Gianfranco Fini by 42 young people.
9 July 2:30 – Meeting of 14 young people with leaders in L’Aquila, followed by press conference with young people in the Media Village.
10 July 11:00 – Official closing ceremony, Sala del Carroccio, Campidoglio, with Giovanni Alemanno, Mayor of Rome.
To read more about J8 2009 globally, and read the past Declarations, please visit: www.j8summit.com. For more information about each country’s J8 participants and reporting, please visit:
Canada: www.unicef.ca/junior8summit
France: http://jeunes.unicef.fr/
Germany: http://www.younicef.de/junior8wettbewerb.html
Italy: http://www.unicef.it/j8
Japan: http://www.unicef.or.jp/j8/
United Kingdom : www.unicef.org.uk/j8
United States: www.unicefusa.org/j8
Russia: http://www.juniorg8.com/
The Junior 8 Summit has been organized thanks to the collaboration between UNICEF and the Office of the Prime Minister, the Office of the Sherpa, the Department of Civil Protection, the Ministry of the Interior and the Departments of the Firefighters, Public Emergencies, Civil Defence and the Minister of Youth, the Ministry of Education and the City of Rome. The Italian Firefighters have been UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors for over 20 years and will escort and house the young people during the J8 summit
Note to journalists:
B-roll of the youth participants activities during the J8 summit will be prepared and distributed through http://www.thenewsmarket.com/unicef
For additional information and to interview young people, please contact:
Kate Donovan, UNICEF Media, + 39 328 6059213 or +1 917 378 2128Tel: e-mail: kdonovan@unicef.org
Italian National Committee press office +39 06 47809 226 or 06 47809 233
Luca Cappelletti, Italian Nat Comm press officer: Cell: +39 3357275877 e-mail: press@unicef.org
