Reon van der Merwe is a final-year Masters in International Relations candidate at the University of Cape Town. He holds a BSocSc in Politics, Philosophy and Economics and an Honours in Development Studies. Reon serves as the youngest member elected to the board of the UN Association of South Africa, an affiliated chapter of the World Federation of UN Associations (WFUNA). He is also Head of International Relations at the South African BRICS Youth Association, an organisation dedicated to the promotion of youth issues and voices within the BRICS bloc; and serves as Deputy Secretary-General of the International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS). He has led teams in organising several international conferences and platforms dedicated to the promotion of youth in international relations, including as head of the 3rd SADC Youth Forum technical committee and head of the 2020 WFUNA International Model UN in New York. His research interests include African regional governance, peace & security and state-civil society relations.
