18 July 2013: Members of the High-level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda (HLP) discussed the importance of youth perspectives in shaping and realizing the new agenda during an online gathering organized by the Center for American Progress.
During the ‘Google+ Hangout’ session on 18 July 2013, HLP members John Podesta, Chair, Center for American Progress, Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and youth representatives from Latin America, Africa and Asia made comments and answered questions from participants.
Reducing youth unemployment had emerged as the top priority during youth consultations with the HLP, according to Podesta. He said the HLP report addresses this concern through education, including technical and vocational skills. On the connection between environmental sustainability and unemployment, he noted that youth recognize that better stewardship of natural resources does not hinder economic growth but sustains it over time.
Karman described three innovations of the HLP’s report compared to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), namely its recognition of: civil and political rights combined with accountable, transparent public institutions; activists’ role in promoting peace and generating inclusive, sustainable growth; and the need to enhance the ability of women and youth to participate in societal transformation. She urged governments to promote youth leadership and opportunities, suggesting that one-third of public service jobs should be open to youth.
The Latin America representative highlighted the priorities of youth in the region, including addressing: organized crime; migration; non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including car accidents; and sexual and reproductive health. She proposed the holding of a high-level youth panel on the post-2015 development agenda. The Africa representative stressed the urgency of development issues, noting that 2030 is a “very long wait” to find employment or access a hygienic environment. The Asia representative recommended continued youth consultation to influence the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Open Working Group (OWG) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and holding governments and the private sector accountable in implementing and monitoring goals.
Panelists responded to questions on, inter alia: clustering health goals; addressing poverty versus inequality; including youth in peace-building; and continuing youth consultations. On how the HLP intends to influence the OWG, Podesta: said Panel members met with the OWG Co-Chairs to explain their process; described his ‘partnership’ with the US representative to the OWG; and recommended continued youth participation as goals and targets are set. Karman urged youth to push their governments on the process. On financing, Podesta stressed that the HLP report calls for a global partnership, including accountability and responsibility of international organizations, civil society, private philanthropists and academia, and said the OWG may refine this suggestion. [Hangout Session Video] [Event Description]