From 25 to 27 April, thousands of youth leaders from around the world are poised to gather at the 2023 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum. In person and online, they are bringing their solutions, recommendations, and initiatives, sharing their ideas for ensuring a sustainable future is possible for all.
The three-day event centres on accelerating the recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“This year, the ECOSOC Youth Forum unfolds against a backdrop of complex global issues, including escalating geopolitical tensions, a relentless climate crisis, growing poverty, a push back against human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the gradual but uneven recovery from the pandemic.” said Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth.
“Now, as much as ever before, it is critical that we position young people’s voices, expertise and innovative ideas front and center in our efforts to get the world back on track to achieve the SDGs by 2030.”
Key platform for youth voices
The Youth Forum is the main platform for young people to contribute to policy discussions at the UN, where they can voice their opinions, concerns, and focus on their innovative solutions to deal with the challenges the world faces.
Throughout the Forum, youth-led and youth-focused organizations have the opportunity to engage with Member States, policymakers, and key actors to promote youth development, address the challenges they face, and share their contributions towards realizing youth-specific targets of the SDGs.
The first Forum in 2012, initially aimed at raising awareness of high youth unemployment rates and explore solutions for better job opportunities. The Forum’s success and high demand for the platform led to its transformation into an annual gathering. To find out more about, head to https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/04/1135892
