Remarks by the President of the UN General Assembly,
H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang,
ECOSOC Youth Forum
Tuesday, 15 April 2025, 10 a.m.
[As Delivered]
Dear Young People,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank the President of the Economic and Social Council, His Excellency Mr. Bob Rae, for inviting me to join you today.
The theme of the Youth Forum this year: “Youth at the Forefront: Leveraging Science and Social Inclusion for Sustainable Development”, is aptly befitting.
You, the world’s 1.2 billion young people, are indeed at the forefront of positive change.
- Driving climate action,
- Advocating for social inclusion, equality, and justice, and
- Developing solutions to the many challenges of our day.
And in reality, it’s impossible to give a whole list of the challenges.
We, in turn, have a responsibility to listen to your voices.
You are our future. You are already leaders in your own right.
To give you a seat at the table and consult you in decisions affecting your future is a wonderful responsibility for us.
We have much to learn from you, as co-creators and, in no small part, as implementers of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
You, indeed, play a crucial role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that no one is left behind.
As you know, rapid technological advances, especially in the digital sphere, are opening new avenues for you to engage.
And your engagement is important to us.
Yet, while we celebrate these new avenues and the benefits of science and technological progress – especially in Artificial Intelligence – we must recognize that these gains are not being shared equally all over the world.
The digital divide is becoming more pronounced along existing socio-economic parameters.
Access to technology and digital tools remains particularly limited in developing countries.
Young people in less affluent environments lack the same opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute as their wealthier peers.
The gap widens exponentially as the less fortunate are unable to connect to the internet, build digital skills, or access education, including in critical subjects such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
This disparity is particularly pronounced among women and girls.
It is the task of us all to address these gaps and improve this reality.
We must facilitate equal access to digital tools for all people, all over the world.
We must invest in the education, infrastructure, and job opportunities that will allow everyone everywhere to thrive in the global digital economy.
This is good for societies and economies that benefit from increased capacities and productivity.
Let me be clear: empowering our young people is an investment that delivers sustained benefits across society and the future they shape.
The Pact for the Future, adopted in September 2024, outlines actions to revitalise multilateralism and accelerate progress toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
I strongly urge Member States and all relevant stakeholders to fully implement the Pact.
In this connection, last month I held the first informal interactive dialogue for Member States focused on the means of implementation – giving particular attention to one of the Pact’s annexes: the Declaration on Future Generations.
The Declaration on Future Generations underscores the value of intergenerational dialogue, and the need to shape policies and programmes with a long-term horizon.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth. This important milestone will be marked by a High Level Meeting next September.
I have appointed the Permanent Representatives of Ireland and Malawi as co-facilitators to lead consultations for the arrangements of this High-Level Meeting.
Going forward, I will continue to emphasize the invaluable contribution of youth in driving innovation and change.
I will also continue to call for the empowerment of young people globally.
To this end, in the coming weeks, I will convene a Multistakeholder Dialogue to assess the implementation of commitments made towards Africa’s development.
This event will focus on digitalization and innovation as avenues to empower the youth in Africa.
In addition, I will continue to advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, everywhere – with a special focus on their economic empowerment through close consultation with my Advisory Board on Gender Equality.
Our world is going through an era that beckons us all to adapt to the realities of our times.
Youth have a leading role to play in our efforts to change and adapt to these realities.
Your exchanges in this Forum will inform the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July and beyond.
I wish you a productive two days and look forward to hearing about the important outcomes of your deliberations.
Thank you.
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Media Contacts
Sharon Birch, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, Tel: +1 212 963 0564, M: +1 646 342 5873, Email: birchs@un.org
Dr. Mariam Shaikh, Adviser/ Social and Digital Media/Media Relations, M: +1 917 361 4990, Email: mariam.shaikh@un.org
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