27 June 2013: Participants at the European Youth Forum’s UN Advocacy Meeting and Policy Debate called for the continued participation of youth in the development of the post-2015 development framework, and for prioritizing youth development. Forum participants also discussed what should follow the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and how youth from Europe and around the world can participate in the post-2015 development framework.

Ahmad Alhendawi, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Youth, argued that youth should be involved both in the development of the post-2015 agenda as well as in its outputs. He explained that he is working to maintain momentum for the role of youth in the post-2015 framework, including by proposing “specific targets and indicators for youth especially in the areas of education, governance, health and economic empowerment.” Peter Matjašič, President, the European Youth Forum, said post-2015 goals should not be about reducing poverty but about eliminating it by 2030, including through “a focus on youth unemployment, ensuring no young person is out of a job, training or education for more than four months.”

The forum, held under the theme “The MDGs after the MDGs: will young people be involved after 2015?”, convened from 27-28 June 2013, in Brussels, Belgium, and included over 40 participants from the European Parliament, EU institutions and NGOs. The European Parliament’s intergroup on youth helped to organize the forum. [UNRIC Press Release] [European Youth Forum Website]