Your Excellency, Mr. President of ECOSOC, Ambassador Akram,
Distinguished Delegates and young colleagues,
I wish to commend Ambassador Akram for organizing and hosting such an impressive Youth Forum on its 10th Anniversary. Although we did not meet in person, the level of engagement in this Youth Forum is remarkably high. Meeting virtually has allowed an expansion of this space for dialogue with you. We now see the potential for further engagement to grow steadily, and become more diverse every year.
I also thank the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, our dear friend and collaborator who has worked intensely with DESA in co-organizing this annual dialogue with youth and other stakeholders.
My appreciation also goes to the Major Group for Children and Youth and the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organizations (ICMYO) for their valuable support.
Equally important is the need to recognize the active and continuous engagement of the dozens of UN entities – members of the Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development – in the organization of the various sessions. Your work to advance the effectiveness of the UN’s work in youth development is bearing fruit every day. As co-chair for the Network, DESA is poised to mainstream your voices into the UN work across all pillars and continents.
And my warmest thanks to all the youth who have participated in the Youth Forum over the past two days. The United Nations wants to hear from you. Without your participation, our efforts to build a sustainable and resilient future will be in vain.
Dear young friends,
The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged at a critical time in your own development. You have already heard during the discussions of the central importance of well-being and mental health to COVID-19 response and recovery. The upcoming 2022 World Youth Report addresses various shortcomings leading to gaps in mental health services and support to young people, particularly the most vulnerable. The policy recommendations to address these gaps will be shared with your Governments and other stakeholders for implementation.
As we look to the Decade of Action, we are well aware that change is happening right now. And you are leading that change. You are at the forefront of climate action for a healthier planet. You are innovating and creating green jobs. And, you are offering sustainable solutions on how cities, companies and your fellow citizens can improve quality of life in their community.
Many of you are concerned with the trends in your home countries and regions towards nationalism, intolerance, and isolationism. But you are also often leading the fight for equality and taking a stand for inclusion on important issues such as:
- racism,
- gender equality,
- diversity, and
- the rights of minorities, including indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and people on the move.
We stand with you, and we want to make sure that your voices are heard. The under-representation of youth in political processes must be addressed. We know that structural barriers and biases such as perceived inexperience, a lack of supportive social networks, or insufficient financial resources can be overcome. We can see from your leadership roles in climate action and addressing social injustice, that you are interested in participating in the political process.
Dear young colleagues,
We also understand that your voices need to be heard in a more meaningful manner here at the United Nations on issues crucial to peace and sustainable development. We need to consider ways to strengthen youth engagement in intergovernmental processes as part of a reinvigorated multilateralism. This will be critical to fostering legitimacy and restoring trust among youth. Together, we need to address the short- and long-term responses to COVID-19 and other complex national and global challenges.
We will not leave you behind. Your competence and expertise, your passion and vision for a sustainable future, will help us build a global movement of implementation. We will stand with you as the generation who will bring the SDGs home in 2030.
Count on myself and my Department, DESA, among your supporters and partners. And I invite you to continue to share your ideas with us through youth networks and platforms.
Together, we can move the youth and sustainable development agenda forward.
I thank you.