From remote work to green energy to ending conflicts, young people must be at the forefront of planning for a truly transformed, post-COVID-19 future, speakers told the Economic and Social Council’s annual Youth Forum today, while warning against resorting to tokenism or including youth voices to merely “tick a box”.
In progress at UNHQ
Economic and Social Council
The General Assembly adopted 59 resolutions and one decision recommended by its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, covering a range of issues, from the rights of refugees and others forced to flee their homes, to the provision of universal and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
As the world endeavours to recover from the COVID‑19 pandemic, without increased investment in development, political and peace missions will simply fail, delegates heard at a joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and Peacebuilding Commission today.
After unanimously adopting two draft resolutions pertaining to the Economic and Social Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today, the General Assembly also concluded its debate on equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council.
For Youth Day at the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, the Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group and young climate activists discussed how to include young people in formal decision-making processes. Indigenous youth leaders also shared on the importance of traditional knowledge as a vital component of climate action.
Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message to a virtual side event of the Economic and Social Council’s High-Level Political Forum on “Equity in the era of COVID-19 and the Sustainable Development Goals: Improving Accountability for the Health and Rights of Vulnerable Women, Children and Adolescents”, on 13 July:
The high-level political forum on sustainable development adopted a far‑reaching Ministerial Declaration reflecting Member States’ commitments to gather together in a global push to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and build back better through inclusive, green recovery plans.
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the closing of the 2021 Economic and Social Council’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development today:
The high-level political forum today examined the findings and recommendations from the Regional Forums on Sustainable Development, highlighting ways in which these organs are mobilizing regional action and leveraging regional frameworks on the road to 2030 and beyond.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the opening of the Ministerial Segment of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, today: