The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) convened its annual Youth Forum – a platform where young people can bring forth their views and ideas on innovative solutions to issues of relevance to young people in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Participants engaged in discussions around the SDGs under review at the 2024 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July.

The three-day event took place under the theme of the 2024 ECOSOC and HLPF, ‘Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions.’ Young people offered their perspectives on how to tackle roadblocks to the implementation of SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals). They also shared their views, ideas, and vision ahead of the Summit of the Future (SoF) in September, which is expected to shape multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow.

Underscoring that interlinked challenges the world is facing today have jeopardized public trust and the future of multilateralism, UN Secretary-General António Guterres saluted young people around the world for “standing up, speaking out, and working for real change.” He said he is “fully committed to bringing young people into political decision-making [by] not just listening to [their] views but acting on them.”

Guterres called attention to the recently established Youth Office to “advance advocacy, coordination, participation, and accountability for and with young people,” indicating the UN Youth Strategy will be renewed “to take this work to the next level.” He announced a youth-led action day that will be held “as the Summit [of the Future] begins,” to make sure “[youth’s] voices are heard from the start.”

In his address, President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Dennis Francis expressed his commitment to working with young people to promote sustainable development as well as to learning from them. He described the outcome of the Summit of the Future – the Pact for the Future – as “a pact between the generations,” emphasizing that together with a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations, it will “represent a formidable investment in young people – and define our shared future for decades to come.”

Sarah Baharaki, Global Youth Ambassador with the children’s education charity Theirworld, stressed that over two million girls are barred from attending school in Afghanistan – her homeland she fled when the Taliban returned to power. “It is the time to act and make the right decisions because we are running late,” she urged.

The Forum featured regional breakout sessions to delve into the regional challenges and opportunities. Topics addressed in thematic sessions included:

• Youth for Solutions and Innovation;
• Progressing from Poverty to Prosperity: Youth as Agents of Change;
• Engaging Youth in Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies;
• Urban Youth Leading Climate Action, Community Resilience Initiatives and Sustaining Peace; and
• AI for an Equitable Future: A Youth-led Dialogue on AI’s Potential to Bridge the Gender Digital Divide and Empower Young People.

Several sessions focused on preparations for the Summit of the Future and youth’s role and input in finding solutions for a better tomorrow.

The Forum, convened by the ECOSOC President from 16-18 April 2024, was co-organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the UN Youth Office, in collaboration with UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (IANYD). The Forum was co-convened by the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) and the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organizations (ICMYO), with technical input from youth organizations relevant to the theme of the forum.

Source: [DESA Press Release] [ECOSOC Forum Concept Note] [UN News Story] [UN Meetings Coverage: 16 April 2024] [UN Meetings Coverage: 17 April 2024] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on ECOSOC Youth Forum 2023]