Leaving No One Behind: The Role of Youth in Localizing the SDGs.

In relation to the principle of leaving no one behind and for the benefit of localizing sustainable efforts, we must ensure that everybody can contribute. This means that it is essential to uplift the voices of those who historically have been marginalized, whether those are Indigenous people, people with disabilities, young people, who for far too long have been used as a token of inclusivity rather than as meaningful actors for the SDGs.

At this moment in time, youth is one of the most relevant demographic groups in the world, with almost half of the world population being 30 years or older. What's more, today's youth are some of the most educated generations in history and some of the most committed to changing the world for the better. Their hunger to positively impact the world is just a testament to the potential they have, and there's no doubt that they should be meaningfully engaged with sustainable efforts in order to achieve a prosperous world.

But why is there still some resistance to fully involving youth in the SDGs despite all of the opportunities? Regardless of their potential, their engagement has always been attached to several challenges that create a resource gap between them and the older generations. Although there are numerous, some of the most common challenges include the lack of trust and skepticism for their credibility and ability, the limited access to stakeholders and networks that allow them to learn and engage, and the lack of traditional forms of funding due to the high competition for limited resources.

However, regardless of this situation, we still need to advocate for youth inclusion in key decision-making processes and localization action plans. After all, as studies like The Commonwealth's Global Youth Development Report of 2022 have already confirmed, the lack of youth inclusivity is correlated with weaker implementation of the SDGs. Building on this understanding, the SDSN actively recognizes the value of young people and localization, and as such, it supports programs that ensure this can be a reality for pursuing the SDGs.

Working worldwide to promote integrated approaches through education, research, policy analysis, and global cooperation, the SDSN coordinates 57 National and Regional Networks encompassing over 2,000 members of academia and research institutions. The objective of the Networks is simple: they focus on distinct projects and priorities by promoting high-quality education and research and by localizing and mobilizing support for the SDGs in their respective countries or regions. Ultimately, universities are in a privileged position to understand the local realities of a place and how by taking these into account, the SDGs can be tailored to work effectively in the local context.

In addition, SDSN also supports the work of the Youth Networks, which is coordinated by the respective networks, and SDSN Youth –SDSN's flagship initiative for young people- and allows SDSN to promote the same aforementioned objective but with a sole focus on youth. With 14 active National and Regional Networks across 46 countries, these Youth Networks are in a unique place to leverage the potential of youth to achieve the SDGs in their communities. Activities such as participation in the Mexican VLRs by SDSN Youth Mexico or the organization of a Climate Literacy Program to achieve Target 4.7 by SDSN Youth Greece are perfect examples of how the localization of the SDGs by and for young people works.