ECOSOC Forum Recognizes Youth as Equal Partners in Decision Making

The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) convened its annual Youth Forum – a platform where young people can engage in a dialogue with UN Member States and others to bring forth their views and concerns, and, guided by the SDGs, galvanize actions to “transform the world into a fairer, greener and more sustainable place.” Young people shared recommendations and innovative ideas in preparation for the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July and the SDG Summit in September.

The Youth Forum convened on the theme, ‘Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at levels.’ Participants assessed progress on the five SDGs undergoing in-depth review at this year’s HLPF – SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals).

In her opening remarks, Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, stressed the need for all young people to be empowered to reach their full potential and have access to the resources they need so they can contribute to decision making at all levels “alongside” governments and other stakeholders, “as equal partners and not mere beneficiaries.”

In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted that “the new UN Youth Office … will be fully operational this year.” He drew attention to Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 3 titled, ‘Meaningful Youth Engagement in Policy and Decision-making Processes,’ calling for:

Governments to expand and strengthen youth participation at all levels of decision making, including by establishing a youth consultation mechanism in every country and a global standard on meaningful youth participation;
Member States to ensure that youth engagement is at the heart of UN decision-making processes; and
A standing UN youth town hall process to be established “to ensure diverse, effective and representative youth participation.”

Over the course of three days, young people shared perspectives on youth’s contributions to the 2030 Agenda, ways to accelerate progress on the SDGs, and the role of intergenerational and peer-to peer dialogue and partnerships in strengthening youth’s trust in multilateralism.

In closing, ECOSOC President Lachezara Stoeva underscored that “progress and change cannot happen without youth.” She expressed her commitment to promoting participation of youth at the July session of the HLPF and called for enhancing youth engagement at the SDG Summit.

The ECOSOC Youth Forum took place from 25-27 April 2023 in a hybrid format. Convened by the President of ECOSOC, the Forum was co-organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth (OSGEY), 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). Its outcomes will be captured in an informal summary by the President of ECOSOC and a Presidential Statement. [ECOSOC Youth Forum Press Release] [DESA Press Release] [UN News Curtain Raiser] [UN News Story] [Meetings Coverage: Youth Forum Day 1] [Meetings Coverage: Youth Forum Day 2] [Meetings Coverage: Youth Forum Day 3]