"I will continue the good work of my predecessors and push for the Nordic Council's agenda to include items with a younger and different angle," says Paisley, who has been a member of the NYC Presidium for several years.

The new President named commitment as one of the organisation's strength and said that he is looking forward to the task ahead. The first item in his official programme is to attend the Session of the Nordic Council in the Danish parliament, 1-3 November.

"Equality was one of the big issues at the Session of the NYC. For example, we adopted a resolution calling on the Nordic countries to countenance asylum on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity," he explains.

The NYC also adopted a resolution calling on national legislation to be reformed so that names become gender neutral and everybody can be called whatever they like, regardless of gender. The resolution will now be submitted to the Nordic Council.

The Session of the NYC also decided to make the Nordic Region and EU co-operation the main themes of its political work in 2012.

The outgoing President, Minna Lindberg, was thanked profusely for two years of hard work at the head of the NYC.

The annual Session of the Nordic Youth Council 2011 was held in the Danish parliament in Copenhagen, 28-30 October.

The NYC is made up of representatives of political youth organisations in the Region. It provides activists with the opportunity to exchange ideas and visions and to put young people's demands on the agenda.

Erik Winther Paisley
Phone +358 9 4542 080

Silje Bergum Kinsten
Phone +45 33 96 02 51
Email siki@norden.org