(Image source from: The Guwahati Times)

A seven-year-old from Manipur in Indian is all set to address the United Nations’ sixth session of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2019 held from April 13 - 19 at UN headquarters in Geneva in Switzerland.

Licypriya Kangujam, the second-grade student, is currently working as Child Disaster Risks Reduction Advocate in International Youth Committee (IYC). She is the youngest participant invited and convened by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the Government of Switzerland. At the UN, the Indian child will represent all children and young people of Asia and the Pacific.

The theme of the programme is “Resilience Dividend: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Societies”.

The event is expected to host participants from 140 countries and over 3000 delegates from different government, non-government, National Societies of Red Cross, Academia, Children and youth organizations, and others.

She was quoted by North-East Now saying: “I get scared when on television I see people suffering and dying because of earthquakes, floods, and tsunami. I cry when I see children losing their parents or people becoming homeless due to dangers of disasters. I urge everyone to join their hands, minds, and passions to create a better world for all of us.”

Earlier in 2018, she was invited in 2018 Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risks Reduction in the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar from 3-7 July 2018.

By Sowmya Sangam