Maddie Adams selected for United Nations tour

PASSIONATE: Maddie Adams is a strong advocate for equality.

Paraparaumu College head girl Maddie Adams has been selected to be part of the United Nations global development tour in January.

She will be among 22 young New Zealanders looking at the 17 United Nations global goals for sustainable development, which were implemented in 2015, and will hopefully be achieved by 2030, and how those goals can be brought back to their community.

The group will go to Geneva, Brussels, Copenhagen, London, Paris and New York, where they will meet various influential people in the field of sustainable development.

"And we will be ending in New York where we will attend the Youth General Assembly in the United Nations headquarters."

Maddie applied for the tour, along with many others, before she was among 60 people shortlisted for interviews, and then whittled down to the 22 United Nations Youth New Zealand delegation.

Maddie, 17, who has to fundraise $8000 for the trip, said she was "so excited".

"I have always been passionate about equality. My speeches since Year 9 in English have always been social justice-based."

Meanwhile Maddie is keeping a close eye on Helen Clark's bid to become the next United Nation's Secretary-General

"I pray every night that she gets that. She is just incredible. And believes volunteers at the United Nations headquarters should be paid, which is so cool."