Youth and Future Generations
Pact for the Future – Chapter 4
Youth and Future Generations
Pact for the Future – Chapter 4
By Our Future Agenda – UN Foundation
A Call for Bold Action
Investing in Young People to Secure Our Future
The clock is ticking. The world’s largest-ever generation of young people is ready to shape the future, but they’re being held back by poverty, inadequate social services, and forces leading to exclusion. Now is the time for decisive action.
This chapter emphasizes that the future of sustainable development, global peace, and human rights depends on the ability to support young people, particularly in developing nations. They must have access to good quality education, affordable healthcare, and unrestricted opportunities to thrive in an increasingly challenging world.
If the world doesn’t act now, we risk losing out on the talent, innovation, and leadership that young people can offer. It’s not just about investing in their potential – it’s about securing a stable and sustainable future for everyone.
Immediate action is critical, particularly for those in the most vulnerable situations, to ensure no one is left behind in the pursuit of progress.
A Call for Bold Action
Investing in Young People to Secure Our Future
The clock is ticking. The world’s largest-ever generation of young people is ready to shape the future, but they’re being held back by poverty, inadequate social services, and forces leading to exclusion. Now is the time for decisive action.
This chapter emphasizes that the future of sustainable development, global peace, and human rights depends on the ability to support young people, particularly in developing nations. They must have access to good quality education, affordable healthcare, and unrestricted opportunities to thrive in an increasingly challenging world.
If the world doesn’t act now, we risk losing out on the talent, innovation, and leadership that young people can offer. It’s not just about investing in their potential – it’s about securing a stable and sustainable future for everyone.
Immediate action is critical, particularly for those in the most vulnerable situations, to ensure no one is left behind in the pursuit of progress.
Key Themes for
Global Transformation
Investing in Young People’s Social and Economic Wellbeing
This is a race against time. Education, healthcare, and social protections need rapid and scaled-up investment to ensure young people are equipped for the future. These investments are vital for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and fostering a global society that supports every young person’s potential.
Human Rights and Inclusion
Young people face challenges every day, whether it’s discrimination, violence, or exclusion. The chapter demands immediate action to protect their rights, eliminate racism, fight gender inequality, and remove barriers that hold back young people with disabilities.
Climate Action for Future Generations
The climate crisis is the defining issue of today. This chapter calls for urgent global action to address the environmental threats that disproportionately affect young people and their futures. It calls for intergenerational partnerships to tackle these challenges head-on.
Young People’s Participation in Decision-Making
For the future to be shaped by those who will inherit it, young people must have a voice in governance. This chapter pushes for formal mechanisms that bring young people into national and international decision-making processes, empowering them to directly influence the policies that affect their lives.
4 Tangible Actions
Action 34: Investing in Young People’s Potential
Governments and international bodies commit to rapidly increasing investments in essential services like education, healthcare, decent jobs, and social protection for young people. The Secretary-General will propose a Global Youth Investment Platform to help finance youth-related programs at the country level. Universal health coverage, particularly for young people, will be prioritized, alongside investments in education, including for girls and vulnerable groups.
Action 35: Protecting the Rights of Young People
Young people are the future, and countries are stepping up to make sure they have the support and protection they need to succeed. This means fighting against racism, especially for groups like Afrodescendent youth who face extra challenges, and knocking down barriers that hold them back. Countries are also working hard to stop things like forced labor, child trafficking, and harmful practices like female genital mutilation, which hurts many girls in some parts of the world. For those with disabilities, they’re breaking down obstacles and investing in tools that help them fully participate in school, work, and life. And with climate change threatening young people’s rights to a safe and healthy world, countries are tackling that too. Lastly, they’re encouraging stronger connections between young people and older generations, helping them learn from each other and work together to build a better future.
Action 36: Strengthening National Participation for Young People
National governments are urged to create formal systems to consult with young people on policy making and ensure their voices are heard in decision making processes. This includes encouraging intergenerational dialogues that promote collaboration across generations. Support for youth-led organizations will also be prioritized, with efforts to build their capacity and amplify their impact.
Action 37: Enhancing International Engagement for Young People
The United Nations and its Member States commit to significantly increasing the presence and impact of young people in international processes, with a focus on ensuring gender parity and geographic representation. Countries are encouraged to include young delegates in their national UN delegations. A call for contributions to the UN Youth Fund will help boost participation from young people in developing countries. The Secretary-General will continue to develop and implement core principles for ensuring meaningful, representative, and safe youth engagement across all UN platforms.
International Cooperation and the Path Forward
Young people are the driving force behind the future of global cooperation. Their energy, creativity, and bold ideas are exactly what the world needs to tackle urgent crises like climate change, inequality, and global instability. As the most connected and tech-savvy generation, they offer fresh perspectives that can shake up outdated systems and create a more inclusive, action-oriented global governance.
But this can’t happen without real commitment and investment. Governments, international organizations, and civil society must give young people real power in decision-making. Accountability is key – young people are ready to hold leaders’ feet to the fire and push for action on issues like youth development, human rights, gender equality and climate justice.
The Pact for the Future is a turning point. It’s a concrete plan to enable young people to reimagine global cooperation for 21st century needs. Their leadership will be at the heart of building a world that is fairer, more sustainable, and ready to meet the challenges ahead. It’s time for young people to lead, and the world must step up to support them.
Get the Full Scoop
If you enjoyed our decoded version of the Pact for the Future and want to delve into more detail on the recommendations, you can immerse yourself in the full version here:
To find out more about the Summit of the Future, click here.
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