International Youth Day

 The proposals put forth in the present policy brief draw on:   a) The global listening exercise conducted as part of the commemoration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, in which 1.5 million young people from all countries participated in surveys and dialogues; b) The first MY World survey,37 in which al most 10 million young people from 194 countries voted;   c) The MY World 2030 survey,38 in which almost 600,000 young people voted;   d) The series of discussions with 600 youth through the Next Generation Fellows programme39 of the United Nations Foun dation and its outcome report entitled Our Future Agenda: A Vision and Plan for Next and Future Generations,40 which served as a formal contribution to shaping of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Our Common Agenda”; e) The recommendations made by youth to the Human Rights Council,41 the Economic and Social Council youth forum and the Security Counci...

 The United Nations system has a critical role to play in supporting young people to be adequately prepared to participate in decision-making processes at all levels . The United Nations system can also help youth organizations and mechanisms to ensure that young people participating in decision-making processes represent the views and diversity of young people across the world .  This calls for a broadening of existing youth participation arrangements as well as greater synergies across different youth organizations and platforms. It also calls for a much greater leveraging of digital technologies, strengthened communications and a significant boost in the support provided to participating youth and youth organizations.  The United Nations Secretary-General propose, therefore, that Member States :   a) Support the establishment of a standing United Nations Youth Townhall , convened by the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, to provi...

Member States have repeatedly underscored the importance of youth engagement in decision-making processes . It is essential that this commitment is translated into action at all levels and that it be accompanied by a sea change in the quality and effectiveness of participation. I propose, therefore, that Member States:  a) Make a strong commitment to meaning ful youth engagement in decision-making at the local, national, regional and global levels and endorse a global standard for meaningful youth engagement based on the core principles outlined in the present brief ;   b) Ensure the establishment of a national youth consultative body in every country that adheres to the core principles and has a mandate and the requisite resources to formally engage in national policy making and decision-making processes;   c) Establish a clear and effective monitoring framework to track progress against these commitment s, including through regular reporting to...

  If the multilateral system is to be fit to deliver a present and future that works for all, then meaningful youth engagement must become the norm rather than the exception. We must take existing youth arrangements to the next level, create new opportunities and arrangements where they do not yet exist and ensure that youth participation is effectively resourced .   The United Nations Secretary-general propose, therefore, that Member States:   a) Take a decision to ensure the systematic integration of meaningful youth participation into all United Nations intergovernmental mechanisms and processes at the global and regional levels;   b) Put in place clear arrangements for youth engagement across the work of the General Assembly as a complement to those under the remit of the major groups;   c) Grant formal status and a stronger man date to the Economic and Social Council youth forum so that it serves as the official entry poin...

  In Our Common Agenda , the United Nations Secretary-General urged the United Nations system and Member States to take steps to make youth engagement in United Nations deliberative and decision-making processes “ more meaningful, diverse and effective”. Institutional capacities to meaningfully engage with young people need to be built and strengthened to this end, both across United Nations entities and in Member States, making use of the tools and resources at our disposal. It is only in this way that our institutional cultures can be transformed in the long term. In recognition of the vital contributions that young people can make to securing a breakthrough to a better future for all , the United Nations Secretary-General urge Member States to take action in three critical areas. Initial consultations with Member States, the United Nations system, and youth-led and youth-focused organizations have produced broad clarity around the gaps and areas for proposed act...