Joonatan Ikonen is member and peer mentor of the SOS Young Developers group, a group of young experts with care experience in Finland. Joonatan speaks out for children’s and young people's rights, in particular for strengthening child and youth participation in alternative care.
In 2022, Joonatan participated in the UN Universal Periodic Review of human rights in Geneva. The Universal Periodic Review is a process that requires UN member states to report on their human rights situation every five years. In his speech, Joonatan stressed the need for more child and youth participation in decision-making, better access to mental health services and more training for people working in alternative care.
“The process itself was very interesting, and it was great to go to the United Nations Office in Geneva to give a speech and express important issues to a wide audience. This was certainly a rare opportunity.” -Joonatan.