Larrakia man Connor Wright represents Australia at G20 Youth Summit

A local Darwin High School graduate and Larrakia man has represented Australia at the G20 Youth Summit, with his policies being formally presented to the G20 this week. Read the details.

Connor Wright at the Y20 Summit in Rio de Janerio. Picture: Supplied

Larrakia man Connor Wright has represented his nation on the international stage at this week’s G20 meeting in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.

Mr Wright, who graduated from Darwin High School in 2015, was chosen as Australia’s first ever Indigenous representative to the G20’s precursor, the Youth 20 (Y20) in August this year.

Recommendations made by the Y20 were presented directly to the official G20 Summit, with one of Mr Wright’s recommendations forming part of the official document.

His policy, which relates to Indigenous rights, received unanimous support from the Y20 forum.

Mr Wright’s recommendation were to:

- Ensure the rights of Indigenous people and traditional communities are upheld and

protected, in line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

- Set mechanisms for traditional land rights and native titles to be given where none currently are.

- Allow communities being affected by development and projects to have ownership in them.

2024 Y20 Summit in Rio de Janerio, Brazil. Picture: Supplied

Mr Wright said the experience to represent his nation and Indigenous peoples at the international conference was bittersweet.

“I feel both incredibly proud and sad at the same time,” he said.

“Proud to be given the opportunity to advocate for Indigenous rights on the international stage and sad that there hasn’t been more before me.

“Indigenous People are the ones who are most impacted by effects of climate change while contributing the least to it.”

Mr Wright is looking forward to COP31 which will be hosted by Australia.

“As Australia is setting itself to host COP31, it is in a prime position to further such policies and champion Indigenous knowledge and perspectives on the world stage,“ he said.

“All the people I have worked with in this process have the potential to be future leaders and this gives me hope for a better shared future.”

Mr Wright is currently studying a Masters in Climate Change and Policy at the University of Melbourne.

Originally published as Larrakia man Connor Wright represents Australia at G20 Youth Summit