“Young people are… at the forefront of the fight against climate change, fighting for racial justice and gender equality… holding leaders accountable…[and] at the forefront of our efforts to ensure a more peaceful, peaceful and prosperous future for all.” Secretary General António Guterres said on the second day of a two-day forum on youth.
Themed Youth 2030: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, he sent a recorded video message to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOCThe annual Youth Forum’s) encourages young people to “keep pushing; to continue advocating; and keep bringing your ideas to the table.”
We have no time to lose – UN chief
“We have no time to lose”.
Many works to do
Through it Youth StrategyThe UN is committed to working, for and with young people.
Mr. Guterres thanked Jayathma Wickramanayake, his Youth Envoy, along with United Nations organizations and national groups as well as youth organizations and Member States for working to ensure that “action Our actions are guided by the attitudes and energy of young people.”
“But we can and we must do more,” he insisted, reminding that the UN Our Common Agenda The report proposes a series of recommendations to strengthen and deepen solidarity with youth and future generations, and to build more networked, inclusive and effective multilateralism.
Education Summit
The head of the United Nations announced the meeting of an upcoming summit on Education Transformation will be convened in September.
He encouraged practitioners to “participate fully and actively” in mobilizing political ambition, action, solutions and solidarity to transform education.
The summit will address efforts to restore pandemic-related learning losses, reshape education systems for the future, and revive national and global efforts to achieve achieve the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4) on inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Enhance youth participation
Another update the Secretary-General shared is that the creation of a new United Nations Office for Youth will “enhance engagement” with young people in the Organization’s activities.
“Meaningful, diverse and effective participation of young people – within the United Nations and beyond – is essential to advancing human rights, addressing the climate crisis and achieving Sustainable development goals‘ he concluded.
‘Saving’ the planet
The Youth Envoy thanked the thousands of young people around the world for “leading our conversations every step of the way” during the Youth Forum – despite facing numerous challenges and impacts. disproportionate movement between COVID-19 epidemic.
“There’s no need to pave it – we live in a world of crises and emergencies‘ said Mrs. Wickramanayake.
In addition, the world is still on track to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, she stressed, calling for efforts to “rescue” both the Goals and the planet.
“We have heard time and time again … the relentless demands of young people to change the oppressive systems and structures that weigh on us, increase inequality and trap us in a spiral of violence,” she said.
Emphasizing that many ideas, visions and solutions have come up in the past two days, the Youth Envoy urged participants not to simply “slap on the back and move forward” but instead tap into it. timing, action, and holding leaders accountable.
Youth Bridge
Sharifah Shakirah, Founder and Director of the Rohingya Women Development Network, says that Agenda 2030 was launched with the aim of eradicating poverty and setting the path to peace, prosperity and equality for all on a healthy planet.
However, “Today, we live in two different worlds,” she said, noting that in one sense privileged people are protected by their own country, and in another – where she was born, for example – children are forced to flee violence. and mistreatment.
Describing young people as a bridge between both worlds, she pointed out that, even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, one in five young people globally had limited access to education and one in five had limited access to education. 4 face conflict.
Now, amid the pandemic, “young people are maintaining open communication with their communities,” including by establishing grassroots organizations and providing support to others across the globe. Field.
UN Partners
Those comments were echoed by a range of UN officials, who praised the countless young people who have contributed to both the Forum and COVID-19 recovery efforts at all levels. .
Liu Zhenmin, Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), welcomes the positive contributions of young people, which demonstrate the UN’s goal of “leaving no one behind.” behind”.
Meaningful engagement with youth is at the core of DESA’s workincluding climate change action and development financing, he said, adding that his department is always looking for new ways to engage with young people, such as through the University program. United Nations Youth Representative.
© UNICEF / Naua
Youth volunteers in Jordan are supporting their community during the COVID-19 crisis.
Take the wheel
“You’re rightly asking for a driver’s seat in making recovery efforts and a seat at the table when it comes to decisions that could affect your own future,” he said. ECOSOC President Collen Vixen Kelapile.
After two challenging years of confinement, isolation, social distancing, unequal treatment and loss of livelihoods for millions, he noted that young people shared their vision of how back on track to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.
Noting that the pandemic is affecting young people most, Mr. Kelapile said it also revealed their leadership, resourcefulness and dedication that can turn major crises into opportunities for a public future. more equal, more inclusive and more equal.
In that context, he added that “there is no lack of goodwill, commitment and desire to act among you“And pledge the unity of the United Nations in the future.
