Economic and Social Council’s Youth Forum Concludes Session

(Note: Due to the financial liquidity crisis affecting the United Nations and the resulting constraints, this meeting was not covered.)

The Economic and Social Council concludes its Youth Forum today.  Under the theme “Youth at the Forefront: Leveraging Science and Social Inclusion for Sustainable Development”, the Forum, held at UN Headquarters from 15 to 17 April, engages young leaders from all over the world and Member States in dialogue on youth issues.

In the morning, the Forum will hold two plenary meetings.  The first on “Ensuring decent work and economic opportunities for youth”, aims to spotlight more transformative actions by young advocates and youth-led organizations, governments, private sector actors, civil society and other stakeholders to scale up efforts to create more and better jobs for youth.

The second, on “Partnerships and financing for youth — unlocking the potential of the green economy”, will explore how fostering cross-sector collaboration and innovative financing can bridge existing gaps in education, training and access to green jobs while influencing global funding platforms and processes with and for youth.

In the afternoon, the Forum will hold two more plenary meetings.  The first, on “Empowering and engaging young people:  the evolving role of science and technology”, will explore the role of science and technology in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting opportunities for youth in the digital age and challenges like the digital divide, cybersecurity and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.

The second, on “Social development:  youth solutions for an inclusive future”, aims to provide a platform for youth to share their views regarding social development, including key social challenges such as poverty, employment, education and social inclusion.