Young People’s Meaningful Involvement Vital for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals, Speakers Stress as Youth Forum Concludes
Youth Envoy Rallies Participants to Outline Vision, Take Action, Not ‘Pat Ourselves on the Back and Move On’
The participation of young people is vital in order to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, young delegates and high-level Government officials alike told the Economic and Social Council today as it concluded its eleventh annual Youth Forum.
In closing remarks, Collen Vixen Kelapile (Botswana) President of the Economic and Social Council, said young people must take what is theirs by right: “a seat at the table when decisions are taken that would impact your own future”. Over the two-day session, young people had shared their ideas on how best to accelerate progress on achieving the Goals. Above all, they had emphasized the need for innovative thinking, and argued forcibly for support in acquiring the skills and knowledge to compete in the job market.
Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, shared his admiration for young people in their efforts towards a global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sharifah Shakirah, Founder and Director of the Rohingya Women Development Network, said that youth are able to bring fresh perspectives to issues that adults may not be able to see. It is essential that they be included in decisions on how to tackle challenges faced by the global community.
Jayathma Wickramanayake, the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, thanked the thousands of young people around the world who are “leading our conversations every step of the way” throughout the Youth Forum. Stressing that many ideas, visions and solutions were put forward over the last two days, she urged participants not to simply “pat ourselves on the back and move on”. This must be a moment of action and realization, she stressed.
In a video message, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres encouraged young people to mobilize, push and continue bringing their ideas to the table. “Meaningful, diverse and effective youth participation — inside the United Nations and far beyond — is essential to advancing human rights, addressing the climate crisis and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
Also today, the Forum held an interactive dialogue on the theme “Youth2030: Achieving the SDGs With and For Youth”, during which panelists emphasized the importance of young people’s education in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. It also held an hour-long session, during which panelists answered questions from the world’s young people compiled via social media, with a focus on the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda report. Regional breakout sessions were held throughout the day to identify gaps, opportunities and scalable solutions that lead to rapid transformational change towards meeting the Goals.
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals With and For Youth
JAYATHMA WICKRAMANAYAKE, the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, said “Youth2030” is the Organization’s first‑ever youth strategy. It was launched by the Secretary-General in September 2018 and invigorates the Organization’s work for and with young people. It aims to address the needs of young people to ensure their participation in the implementation and follow‑up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In the past three and half years, despite challenges, Youth2030 has gained traction around the world and advanced across its priority areas, she said. Noting the launch of its second progress report, she asked leaders and young people alike to take stock of how the strategy’s implementation is progressing.
ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, United Nations Secretary-General, in a video message, called the Youth Forum “the primary space at the United Nations for checking the pulse of the world’s young people”. War, COVID-19 and the climate crisis are compounding the challenges that youth face today. But, young people are also leading the way in the fight against climate change, standing up for racial justice and gender equality and holding leaders to account. They are at the forefront of United Nations efforts to secure a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous future for all. He encouraged them to keep pushing, mobilizing and bringing their ideas to the table.
The United Nations is committed to working with — and for — young people through its Youth Strategy, he said, pointing out that the Our Common Agenda report proposes a series of recommendations to strengthen and deepen solidarity with young people — and future generations — to “build a more networked, inclusive and effective multilateralism”. Plans include a Transforming Education Summit in September, as well as the creation of a new United Nations Youth Office that will upgrade engagement with young people across the Organization’s work. “Meaningful, diverse and effective youth participation — inside the United Nations and far beyond — is essential to advancing human rights, addressing the climate crisis and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”, he concluded.
Ms. WICKRAMANAYAKE, introducing the second progress report, said it is based on the reporting of 40 United Nations entities and 130 United Nations country teams on key performance indicators. There has been “all-around progress” by both the entities and teams. She highlighted progress made in 2020 and 2021 in relation to the milestones and targets set for 2024, pointing out that United Nations entities met 45 per cent of the key performance indicators in 2021, while country teams advanced from 25 per cent to 30 per cent in “green” or achieved indicators. She called for an accelerated approach to reach the targets set for 2024, noting that the report also explains how the United Nations advanced its global commitments. Some 85 per cent of United Nations entities provided new data on youth through global and regional databases, she added.
In terms of the United Nations support to Governments in 2021, she said country teams worked with and for young people in seven areas, including in the area of “leaving no youth behind”. Ninety-five per cent of country teams supported at least one area and 40 per cent supported all seven areas. The United Nations also advanced its strategic partnerships with and for youth. Eighty-five per cent of the country teams supported investments in youth-led solutions; 70 per cent of these decisions were made in partnership with young people. In terms of “funding and transparency”, country teams improved public access to information, while in the area of “internships and youth workforce”, several entities improved the quality and accessibility of internships, as well as in terms of talent management for young staff. She said the report could be used as a tool to accelerate the implementation of the Youth2030 agenda.
The Forum then heard video messages delivered by Sangheon Lee, International Labour Organization (ILO); Diene Keita, Deputy Executive Director for Programmes, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); Catherine M. Russell, Executive Director, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); Hiroshi Kuniyoshi, Deputy to the Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); Jean-Luc Lemhieu, Director, Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); and Anshu Banerjee, Director, World Health Organization (WHO).
Daniella Solano, President of Gente Positiva Foundation, and Nidal Benali, youth representative of Morocco, moderated a discussion on “Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals With and For Youth” featuring presentations by Bora Muzhaqi, Minister of State for Youth and Children of Albania; Wang Hongyan, President, All China Youth Federation; Rafalel Feliz Garcia, Minister for Youth of the Dominican Republic; Jose Alberto Gonzalez, General Director of the National Youth Council of Guatemala; Jao Paolo Correia, Secretary of State for Youth and Sport of Portugal; and Mohamedorman Bangura, Minister for Youth Affairs of Sierra Leone.
Ms. MUZHAQI said that, for the first time, Albania prepared a youth strategy for 2022-2029 with the direct involvement of 1,200 young people. “They themselves have decided what are the pillars of the next generation of youngsters,” she said. They are focused on well-being, innovation and social inclusion, along with governance and the administration of youth policies. She described an extracurricular programme — “Life on Land” — that teaches children about green gardens, the Earth, giving them an understanding of where food comes from and helping them become aware of sustainability. She also pointed to a new programme that sponsors young people to help Albania be competitive as a nation.
Ms. WANG, underscoring the Forum’s importance in “pulling wisdom from youth”, said China prioritizes young people and takes a “youth first” approach to development, driving implementation of the youth development plan in the medium- to long-term. Noting that more than 90 cities in China have taken a “youth first” approach, she drew attention to the 2021 Youth Sustainable Development Report, which describes gains China has made in various areas. Among them, she said the Government, working with young people, helped to reduce global poverty. She expressed hope that young people will practice multilateralism, advocate peace for development and help build a shared future for humankind.
Mr. GARCIA said the Sustainable Development Goals align with his country’s national policies. He went on to describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased inequalities, underscoring the importance of placing young people at the centre of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr. GONZALEZ said his country’s National Youth Policy is currently being updated in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. He called for harnessing the demographic dividend of young people in Guatemala. Thanks to the work of President Alejandro Giammattei Falla, a vision on youth has been developed to cover the next 12 years, he said, stressing that the Sustainable Development Goals must be implemented “for the sake of young people, who are not statistics”.
Mr. CORREIA said young people must be at the centre of United Nations efforts around the world, emphasizing that they must have the opportunity to take charge and share their ideas, particularly in the context of the digital and green transitions, as well as in crisis situations. In the midst of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, there must be a youth agenda throughout the United Nations, he affirmed.
Mr. BANGURA said young people in his country participated in the National Youth Summit, outlining such priorities as the improvement of livelihoods and dialogue between youth and the Government. The Government is working in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education to ensure the education of every young person. Additionally, there is a bold, national youth policy geared towards empowerment and investment in young people, he said.
The Forum then heard short video presentations from United Nations resident coordinators around the world on their diverse work with young people.
Question-and-Answer Session
The Forum then held a question-and-answer session on the theme “Strengthening Solidarity with the World’s Young People”. Moderated by Jayathma Wickramanayake, the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, it also featured Nandini Tanya Lallmon, African Youth Charter Hustler for Mauritius; Roman Gojayev, Member of the ITU Generation Connect Visionaries Board; and Ilona Szabó de Carvalho, Founder and President of the Igarapé Institute and Member of the United Nations High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism.
Ms. WICKRAMANAYAKE said that, in recent weeks, more than 5,000 young people have sent their comments and questions to her office via a social media campaign. Noting that today’s question-and-answer session will tackle some of their inputs, she directed one of those questions to the panellists, pointing out that many young people are losing faith in the United Nations and asking what can be done to reignite that confidence.
Ms. LALLMON replied that young people’s radical, creative and transformative agendas make them critical actors in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. To help them thrive in leadership roles, she called for horizonal alliances that do not repeat exclusionary patterns, as well as a shift away from individualistic approaches and towards more concerted and communal action.
Mr. GOJAYEV agreed that many young people are indeed losing faith in the United Nations. However, that is in part because they have not been well educated on the Organization’s real role and structure. Today, young people are learning more about the United Nations through their engagement with civil society and grass-roots organizations, including most recently on the ground in Ukraine. “We have to readjust our expectations of institutions around the world,” he added.
Ms. SZABÓ, asked about her experience in working to “redefine multilateralism” for the next generation, recalled that she took part in a multistakeholder consultation on that topic which led to the development of Our Common Agenda, a future-oriented document bringing together the expertise of thousands of organizations and individuals — including young people — from around the globe. At its heart is a fresh approach centred on inclusion and equity, as well as a practical approach to implementation. “We know that young people are often on the frontlines of driving change,” she said, adding that “we need their energy and acumen” now more than ever.
Ms. WICKRAMANAYAKE, posing another question collected from the social media campaign, pointed to a serious gap between the United Nations words and action in engaging and empowering youth. In that vein, she quoted the social media comment, asking: “What is the holdup” in implementation?
Ms. SZABÓ agreed that efforts to scale up the meaningful engagement of young people are stalling, as many policies aimed at achieving that goal are still not sufficiently well-coordinated at the national, regional and local levels. They are also not being monitored or evaluated to determine if they are really fostering youth engagement and empowerment, she said, stressing: “We lack evidence of which measures are working and which are not.”
Ms. LALLMON, asked about her role in ensuring that young people are playing a key role in the upcoming “Stockholm+50” meeting, said she has encouraged young people, women and other marginalized groups to “think outside the box” and to not be afraid of radical approaches as they prepare for such critical meetings. For example, as human health and climate change and intertwined, the needs of indigenous and front‑line communities — as well as migrants and refugees — must be centred. Such approaches are embraced by youth and brought forward through their participation, she said.
Ms. WICKRAMANAYAKE, quoting another social media message, said there has been a new focus on the importance of “youth building systems for youth”, an approach which essentially side-lines young people to “youth forums” and “youth issues”. She asked how young people can break free of those silos and have a say in broader issues that also impact their lives.
Mr. GOJAYEV replied that gender equality, employment and many other issues all affect youth. At the International Telecommunication Union, young people are seen as equal partners, and not siloed to particular sectors or issues. He described various platforms designed to that end, pointing to the World Telecommunications Conference as one example of an event where youth participate on an equal footing.
Ms. SZABÓ said young people need to be included in the entire policymaking process, from design to development to implementation and evaluation. The decisions made today will impact all young people in the future, she said, stressing that they are facing huge obstacles and must therefore be listened to by today’s leaders — both inside and outside the United Nations.
Ms. WICKRAMANAYAKE, posing another social media question, said the questioner asked how young people can “claim a seat at the table for ourselves” in countries where youth engagement remains negligible.
To that, Ms. LALLMON responded that tackling ageism is a crucial step to gain a seat at the table. Platforms, such as the Youth Forum, provide a focus for young people to share their experiences and build intergenerational bridges. Youth should also make the most of social media and virtual networks to make their voices heard, she said.
Mr. GOJAYEV added that young people are not only the future, but also the present. Globally, a huge percentage of today’s population is under the age of 30, and decision-making that does not include them is simply not representative. Many young people also remain offline due to the digital divide, rendering them marginalized.
Closing Remarks
SHARIFAH SHAKIRAH, Founder and Director of the Rohingya Women Development Network, said in brief closing remarks that the 2030 Agenda was launched to end poverty and set the path to peace, prosperity and equality for all on a healthy planet. However, “today, we live in two different worlds”, she said: in one world, people are privileged to be protected by their countries, and in the other — exemplified by the country in which she was born — children are forced to flee violence and persecution. Young people are the bridge between both worlds.
Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, 1 in 5 young people around the globe suffered from limited access to education, and 1 in 4 faced conflict. Now, in the context of the pandemic, “young people are maintaining open communication with their communities”, including by creating grass‑roots organizations and providing assistance to others on the ground. Noting that young people bring fresh perspectives and have insights into issues that are not accessible to adults, she said far from being a “nice-to-have” input in decision-making, youth participation is, in fact, crucial to resolving the serious challenges facing humanity.
LIU ZHENMIN, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said he is pleased to see how actively young people are contributing to the COVID-19 recovery. Those efforts exemplify the goal of “leaving no one behind”, he said, noting that the United Nations family has acknowledged how disproportionately young people have been affected by the pandemic. It has encouraged meaningful engagement with youth at the country level, and such engagement remains at the core of the work of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs in such areas as climate change action and financing for development. The Department supports numerous intergovernmental processes and is always looking for new ways to engage young people, for example, through its United Nations Youth Delegates programme. In addition, he said, the ideas, solutions and commitments articulated throughout the Youth Forum will feed into the Economic and Social Council’s high-level political forum on sustainable development — which will take place in July — as well as other meetings.
Ms. WICKRAMANAYAKE thanked the thousands of young people around the world who “were leading our conversations every step of the way” throughout the Youth Forum. “There is no need to sugar coat it — we live in a world abundant with crises and emergencies,” she said. Spotlighting just some of those, she said the world remains off-track in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and called for efforts to “rescue” both the Goals and the planet. “We have heard time and time again, including in the last two days, the constant demands of young people to change the oppressive systems and structures that weigh us down, that increase inequalities and trap us in a cycle of violence,” she said. Stressing that many ideas, visions and solutions were put forward over the last two days, she urged participants not to simply “pat ourselves on the back and move on”. This must be a moment of action and realization, as well as leaders being held accountable.
COLLEN VIXEN KELAPILE (Botswana), President of the Economic and Social Council, agreed that, throughout the session, young people shared their visions of how to get back on track to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals after a challenging two years of lockdowns, quarantines, social distancing, vaccine and treatment inequities, as well as loss of livelihoods for millions of young people. The pandemic revealed how the most vulnerable have suffered the most and demonstrated how humanity’s unbalanced approach to production, consumption and exploitation of the planet’s resources is unsustainable. But, it also revealed the leadership, resilience, resourcefulness and dedication of young people, he said, noting that they have shown how major crises can be turned into opportunities for a more inclusive and more equitable future.
“You have rightly demanded to be in the driver’s seat in devising the recovery efforts and a seat at the table when decisions are taken that would impact your own future,” he said. Young people have stressed the need to advance new and innovative thinking in mobilizing the resources and investments for a more sustainable world. “There is no shortage of goodwill, commitment and desire to act among you,” he said, adding: “Let us recover from the pandemic together, build the necessary resilience to future challenges and prosper side by side.”