The Secretary-General's policy brief emphasizes the need for meaningful youth engagement in decision-making processes.
It's a rallying cry for all young people – who make up almost half the world’s population – to step up, speak out, and shape our shared future.
Why your voice matters today and for the world of tomorrow.
Why Youth Engagement Matters
Transformative changes required to meet the 2030 Agenda cannot happen without your active participation and input.
Despite your innovative contributions in various fields like business, technology, and science, young people remain largely underrepresented in public policy-making and decision-making.
This needs to change – fast.
Working with Young People is Effective
This isn't just about ticking a box.
It's about making decision-making more effective and enhancing trust in public institutions.
Your unique perspectives and innovative ideas can drive change and create a future that works for everyone.
Investing in our future
With nearly half the global population under 30, and an expected surge to 10 billion by 2100, we can't ignore the power of young people.
Despite high involvement in social causes, they're underrepresented in policy-making roles.
Yet, their innovative ideas are crucial in an era of significant threats.
Failing to invest in their education and skills could hamper economic growth and development. It's time to empower our young people – they're not just our future, they're our present.
Challenges and Gaps
While avenues for youth participation exist, their effectiveness varies.
Many initiatives focus more on fostering civic engagement than incorporating young people's input into policy-making.
The brief also acknowledges the need to represent young people from diverse backgrounds in global and national decision-making.
Key Recommendations
The brief proposes several key actions.
First off, we want to expand and strengthen young people's participation in decision-making at all levels.
This includes giving leadership opportunities to countries with lots of young people.
We also want to make meaningful youth engagement mandatory in all United Nations decision-making processes.
And we're thinking big – like setting up an intergenerational High-Level Meeting for Young People and creating a network of Youth Envoys to represent young people across the multilateral system.
Avoid Tokenism
The report outlines 11 principles for meaningful young people engagement, aiming to avoid tokenism and ensure that policy-making reflects your lived realities, expertise, and solutions.
Young people are not just beneficiaries of policies, but equal partners in crafting them.
Youth in Action
The brief highlights national and international efforts promoting young people's involvement, from Iraq's 2030 National Youth Vision to the Youth Climate Council in Ghana.
These examples showcase the power of your voice in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future.
This policy brief calls on Member States to meaningfully engage young people. It is key for young people everywhere to get involved and make a difference. Your ideas, passion, and vision can shape tomorrow's world. So let's raise our voices, roll up our sleeves, and get to work – because the future starts now!
If you enjoyed our decoded version of the Our Common Agenda Policy Brief and want to delve into more detail on the recommendations for youth engagement, you can immerse yourself in the full policy brief here.
To find out more about Our Common Agenda, click here.
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