Griffith University student Amarina Smith will experience firsthand the decision-making process of international governments when she attends the World Trade Organisation Public Forum in Geneva this month.
The first-year Bachelor of Laws/Government and International Relations student will join five other young Australians from across the country to comprise the Global Voices WTO Australian Young Delegation.
Amarina said the forum would give her a better understanding of multi-lateral trade between countries and complement her studies in government international relations.
“It will increase my knowledge-base of what these types of organisations do and also give me a taste of whether this is something I want to pursue in my career,’’ she said.
The 18-year-old Honours College student is an active community member and volunteer, both in Queensland and internationally in China and Cambodia. She recently returned from Canberra, where she and fellow delegates met with Prime Minister, Tony Abbott and other members of parliament.
As part of her experience, Amarina is completing a Research Fellowship with Global Voices which includes writing a paper on an aspect related to multilateral trade to be published by Global Voices.
The Public Forum is the WTO’s largest annual outreach event, which provides a platform for participants to discuss the latest developments in world trade and to propose ways of enhancing the multilateral trading system. The event regularly attracts more than 1500 representatives from civil society, academia, business, the media, governments, parliamentarians and inter-governmental organisations.
Established in 2011, Global Voices is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to provide opportunities for young Australians to engage with international policy both at home and abroad. It does this through regular events and research and development opportunities at home, along with the coordination of youth delegations to important diplomatic forums abroad.