Powering participation: Youth2030 and the Pact of the Future (HLPF 2026 Side Event)

Thank you so much. I like this warm vibes. Thank you. So good afternoon, everyone, and good Good morning and good evening to those joining us on the livestream. Welcome to Empowering Participation: Youth 2030 and the Pact in Action. It is a pleasure to see such a diverse group gathered here today— young leaders, member states, colleagues from across the United Nations system, and partners who share a common commitment to meaningful youth participation. My name is Suzuka Nakamura. I am one of the Young Leaders for SDGs, and peace activists from Japan. I would also like to take a moment to recognize my fellow co-moderators, Sajid Bura, representing Young UN, and Sameh Kameh, here on behalf of the Major Group for Children and Youth, who will be leading different segments today. Maybe?

Yeah.

Okay, so this event has been organized by the United Nations Youth Office under the leadership of Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, Felipe Poller, in collaboration with the Permanent Missions of Burundi, China, Czech Republic, Peru, Switzerland, Uzbekistan, and the European Union, together with youth networks, the International Cooperation Meeting of Youth Organizations, MCTY, and YoungUN. Thank you, co-sponsors, for being here with us.

Thank you.

Today's conversation is about more than participation. It is about partnership, leadership, and action. Around the world, young people are driving solutions to some of our most pressing challenges, from climate action and peacebuilding to digital innovation and sustainable development. The question before us is how we can ensure that their voices, expertise, and leadership are not only heard but meaningfully reflected in the decisions that shape our collective future. That is why we are here to launch the latest report of Youth 2030, the UN's youth strategy, highlighting progress, gaps, and critical priorities from the first year of reporting under Phase 2. We will also hear from youth, member states, the UN, and partners on practical examples of youth leadership in SDG acceleration and implementation of the Pact for the Future, showing us the power of dialogue and partnership across generations. So, are you ready today? It's like this— I am so happy that everyone gathered here today in the theme of participation. And, but the most important thing is that everyone should feel safe in this conference room. Yeah, thank you. So now let us hear more about Youth 2030 and what it means to the UN in this video.

Working with and for young people is not just a goal. It's the heart of our work here at the United Nations. Since 2018, through the UN Youth Strategy, Youth 2030, the UN systems has been working to put young people front and center.

From creating opportunities for meaningful youth engagement to building capacities, mobilizing resources, and reinforcing accountability, Youth 2030 is shaping how the UN delivers for It is especially important because young people today are ready for change, and they are not only ready to live in it, they are ready to lead it, and we have to use that potential.

And I think just the way that the UN is able to put people first is incredibly powerful, and I think it speaks to everything that the UN is doing on the ground every day, especially in that convening role.

Implemented by all UN country teams across every region and more than 60 UN agencies, funds, and programs, Youth 2030 serves as a shared roadmap to drive progress on the Sustainable Development Goals with young people at its core.

I think the country office and also the UN is doing the right thing in including young people in decision-making.

There's a lot of us. We're like 2.6 billion in the world, and if you're not working with us and for us, then you're not engaging more than almost a quarter of the world, and that would be missing out on the biggest portion. So it's very important that you work with and for us.

Having our voices included not just locally but also globally will guarantee that decision-making processes actually are designed for youth and can actually support us.

Once given the opportunity and given the platform, I think we can really deliver and contribute and add value to the narrative and discourse of solutions in the world.

No creo que sea solo un trabajo de la ONU, sino de todas las instituciones, de todas las organizaciones, para que nos conecten, para que tengamos financiamiento, visibilidad, exposición, y que podamos contribuir.

Youth 2030 brings young people into every policy and program across all pillars of the UN's work: sustainable development, peace and security, human rights. Because there's no We the People without young people. Youth 2030, working with and for youth.

Working with and for youth is exactly what we'll hear about next. As we move into our first segment, I have the honor to invite Felipe Poller, Head of the UN Youth Office, and Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, to launch the Youth 2030 Phase 2 Progress Report. Over to you, Felipe.

Thank you, Susuka, and also Sajid and Sameh, for joining us in this event to moderate it and to support us through it, and to bring your important voice, as it has always been the the case with this strategy. I'm very pleased we are here in this very large UN room, and being here makes me reflect a lot on the journey, because just 2 years ago we were in a much smaller room, and that room was full of youth, so full that many were sitting on the floor. Their energy, their ideas, and their determination was filling every corner of that small conference room. But at that point, many decision-makers were not yet in the room with them. But today we are gathering again. Many of those same youth are also here, but at this time We are joined by many Member States. We are joined by United Nations leaders. And we are joined, as always in this journey, with the largest youth platforms, youth-serving organizations, and young UN professionals that have been a key piece of this strategy since the beginning. And to me, this is more than just a change of venue. It's really a symbol of progress. It's a progress in terms of our shared goal to make multilateralism stronger, to make the UN more effective, and definitely to make the UN more relevant. And the truth is that if we are here, it's because of youth. So I want to thank those young people that have driven this journey since the beginning, because they've been challenging us, they've been inspiring us, and they have pushed us to think differently and to do better. And I want to invite you to continue to push us more and more, because we need more of that change to happen. Because for us young people, and for this strategy are not just beneficiaries of change. Young people are the drivers of change. Are we where we should be? That's my question. And I think the answer is simple, and it's a no. We are not yet where we should be. We still have a long way to go. Too many young people continue to face barriers to participation, to opportunities, and definitely to influence decision-making. But at the same time, we also need to recognize what we have been able to achieve, because hope also is what drives us forward into the changes we need ahead. In 2018, when the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched Youth 2030, he challenged the UN system to transform the way we work with and for youth. The first phase of the implementation of this strategy was concluded in December 2024, and we are currently, as you know, on the second phase, with more ambition, with deeper partnerships, but a common same determination to accelerate progress for the UN to be better to work with and for youth. So today we're launching the 2026 Progress Report, which analyzes actually the first year of this second-phase implementation and will offer all of you with a snapshot of where we stand and where we must continue to go. So I invite you all to read deeply the progress report, to explore the dashboard that makes us accountable in how we are doing this, and also to dive deeper into the data and the trends and also this time to the stories behind this progress. Looking at the findings from 50 UN entities and all of 132 UN country teams that reported in 2025, I can say with strong confidence that we have a stronger United Nations than the one we had in 2018 when the strategy was launched. A United Nations that is more committed, to serving young people, and that is increasingly recognizing young people as real partners, as leaders, and as agents of change. And also, we have a United Nations that is still learning every day that our mission can only succeed when young people are at the table helping to shape it. In the report, we can see UN entities improving their green scores from 56% in 2024 to 62% in 2025, and also UN country teams actually making a stronger gain from 43% in 2024 to 65% in 2025. And among these countries, actually Africa and Europe and Central Asia have emerged as the strongest UN Country Team-performing regions, which I think is important to recognize. But perhaps, I think, one of the most encouraging numbers in this year's report is that 48 of 132 UN Country Teams achieved the 80% goal of Green Scores. And this means an 8-fold increase, 8-fold increase from 2024 report. I also want to take the time at this presentation to recognize the leadership, but more importantly, the teams of the 3 entities who have secured 100% green scores this year, which are UNDP, UNFPA, and the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights. So congratulations to them for these great results. And these numbers are actually telling a story. They are telling us that when commitment is matched with action, change can happen. They tell us that what sometimes can be just aspirational is actually increasingly becoming a standard practice across the UN system. But at the same time, this report reminds us that progress doesn't mean completion, because challenges still remain, and one of the most critical ones is actually financing for the youth agenda, because less than half of UN country teams actually supported the integration of youth priorities into national SDG financing strategies. And this means also that young people are not being engaged in these decisions that affect their lives and their futures. So, at a moment when investments in sustainable development are more important than ever, we must ensure that young people have both a voice in setting priorities and especially a stake in shaping the solutions. We can do better, we must do better, and I know we will do better. This year's report also shows hope in terms of meaningful youth participation becoming increasingly institutionalized across the whole of the UN's work. And compared to the baselines established when we launched this journey, we have seen increases of more than 20 percentage points in both UN global entities' work and the UN country teams that have put in place policies and processes to support meaningful youth participation from an institutional perspective. And this matters Because youth participation cannot depend on champions. It needs to be institutional. It must be embedded in the way we work. It must be consistent, inclusive, and sustained. So every of these Green Scores, every of these policy changes, every new mechanism for participation, and every partnership which you can read deeply in this report, represents a deliberate effort of someone, of us, of all of us, to make this vision a reality. And none of this progress actually happened by accident. It happened because people across the UN system, it happened because youth networks, governments, civil society chose to work together. And it happened because also many dedicated colleagues, often behind the scenes, worked every day to bring the system together around this shared vision. And we know that bringing us together sometimes is not very easy. So I'm very grateful to the teams and the leadership of the UN entities and UN country teams who are part of this large Youth 2030 family. A family which is every day actually growing. And I want to take this moment to thank all the members of the Youth 2030 High-Level Steering Committee, to the Joint Working Group members, and to the task team members that have led and shaped the journey. And allow me also to take a personal thank you to my team at the UN Youth Office and recognize some of them, like Suda, like Bianca, like Godfrey, like Thomas, Rhys, Vanessa, Esther, and so many others whose names might not be spoken today because it's actually their work, their contributions that reflect the numbers in this report. Because it's actually their commitment, their creativity. Believe me, they are very creative, and their belief in this work that had helped to turn ambition into action. Dear colleagues, this report is is not the end of a chapter; it's one more step. It's a reminder of what is possible when we work together. It is also proof that change can happen, and it's an invitation for us to go further. So let us. Celebrate the progress, but let us stay ambitious and let us stay accountable, especially to young people. And let us continue to build a United Nations that works with young people, for young people, and alongside young people, because the best of this journey is still ahead of us. Muchas gracias. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Felipe. You have shared an inspiring message and some insightful points. I am looking forward to learning even more when I have the opportunity to read the full report. For now, I will pass over to Savvy for our next segment.

Thank you, Suzuka, and hello everyone. My name is Savjeet Brar. I'm here on behalf of YoungUN. I also currently work for UNICEF as an epidemiologist. So, we will now move on to the second segment of the event, Youth-Led Initiatives Driving SDG Acceleration, where we will spotlight youth-led and youth-inclusive approaches to accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals and advancing the commitments of the Pact for the Future. As our speakers make their way to the podium, I have one question for everyone. Based on your experience, what is the most critical barrier limiting youth-led SDG action today? To answer, please scan the QR code that's displayed on the screen. You may also find some QR codes at the end of your row. We ask that you scan the first QR code and pass the paper down the row for others. Take a moment to share your thoughts, and we'll make sure to use your responses to inform the discussion that follows. We'll just give you a few more minutes to submit your responses. We do see some important themes that are currently coming through and are being hearted and liked by people. So funding, And access to financing is a huge one. Access to higher education. Being included from the start. Diversity and representation is extremely important. Another theme is less opportunities for everyone. There are limited spots and funding. Representation of marginalized youth. Those are some of the key themes that we've been seeing, as well as uneven access to quality education to inform and empower and empower young people to take action on the SDGs. So, there's still obviously much work that needs to be done to address these barriers. So, let's go ahead and talk about it in this segment. For this segment, we have representatives from our co-sponsors, His Excellency Ulugbek Lapasov, Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the UN, His Excellency César Talavera, Minister Chargé d'Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Peru to the UN. Dana Laughlin from the Pan-American Regional Office for IPSF as a part of ICMYO. And we are also joined by Tanatswa Chikara, Young Leader for the SDGs from Zimbabwe. Isadora Urubey Silva, a Youth Representative from UN Women, and Sarah Lister, Co-Director of Governance, Rule of Law, and Peacebuilding Hub at the United Nations Development Programme. Thank you all for joining us. I now invite our speakers to reflect on the following question. Drawing on the barriers identified by participants, and your own experience, can you share one concrete example of youth-led action that has successfully addressed one of these challenges and accelerated progress towards the SDGs? Excellency Lapasov, may I start with you?

Thank you, dear Madam Director, dear young leaders, distinguished colleagues. It's a pleasure to join you today for the launch of Thank you, Mr. President. I am pleased to be here to present the 2026 Youth2030 Fast-Track Progress Report. I would like to thank the United Nations Youth Office for convening this timely discussion and for its continued leadership in promoting meaningful youth participation across the UN system. I also congratulate everyone involved in preparing this important report, which demonstrates how Youth2030 continues to strengthen partnerships between governments, the United Nations, and young people in advancing the SDGs and implementing the Pact for the Future. For Uzbekistan, investing in youth is not simply a policy priority. It's a strategic choice that determines our country's future. Youth, young people make up nearly 2/3 of the population. Recognizing this tremendous potential, Uzbekistan has placed its youth at the heart of its national development agenda. Under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, comprehensive reforms have been undertaken to create opportunities for every young person to realize their potential through quality education, decent employment, entrepreneurship, innovation, digital technologies, and active participation in public life. Our approach is guided by a simple but important principle: young people should not be viewed merely as beneficiaries of public policies, but as equal partners in shaping them. Allow me to share one practical example on this specific topic. In Uzbekistan, the Youth Notebook, Yoshler Daftrarı, has become an effective mechanism for identifying vulnerable young people and responding to their needs through targeted support for education, employment, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion. Importantly, this initiative is complemented by active youth participation through youth parliaments and youth councils, which provide young people with a platform to engage directly with decision-makers, propose solutions, to local challenges and monitor their implementation. These youth-led mechanisms have helped create jobs, expand educational opportunities, support startups, and strengthen civic engagement, thereby contributing directly to the achievement of several SDGs, including 4, 8, 10, and 16. Our experience demonstrates that when young people are empowered not only to express their views but also to shape public policies, development outcomes become more inclusive, effective, and sustainable. Dear colleagues, at a time when the world is facing growing geopolitical tensions, armed conflicts, intolerance, and polarisation, investing in young people also means investing in peace. In this spirit, the President of Uzbekistan, His Excellency Shavkat Mirziyoyev, proposed at the 18th session of the UN General Assembly the establishment of the World Youth Movement for Peace. This initiative is grounded in our shared conviction that a peaceful and friendly world depends above all on nurturing in the hearts and minds of young people the universal values of peace, humanism, friendship, mutual trust, and mutual respect. The proposed World Youth Movement for Peace seeks to unite young people from all regions of the world on a common platform for dialogue, solidarity, mutual understanding, and practical cooperation. It aims to empower youth-led initiatives that promote peace, intercultural understanding, sustainable development, while strengthening the role of young people in preventing diplomacy and conflict prevention. We sincerely hope that the initiatives will receive the broad support of Member States, the United Nations system, international organizations, civil society, and youth networks. Excellencies, Uzbekistan remains committed to working closely with the United Nations, Member States, and all partners to advance youth empowerment, strengthen multilateral cooperation, and accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Together, let's empower today's young people to become tomorrow's architects of peace, sustainable development, and shared prosperity. I thank you, dear Madam President.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Excellency Lappasov. Tanatswa, may I go to you, please?

Thank you so much. Your Excellencies, young leaders, my name is Tanatswa Amanda Chikaura, and I'm one of the young leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals. I'm from Zimbabwe, and back home I lead a mental health enterprise called Ndinewe, which focuses on providing safe spaces for young people to receive mental health education. Like many other young people in this room, access to financing remains one of the biggest challenges we have in scaling up our work. Whilst we are told that young people are the leaders for today and the leaders for tomorrow, dear member states, I would like to say if we are the leaders, trust us with the resources to actually lead and make the impact that we know we can make. But to young leaders, I would like to say that whilst we advocate for more resources and direct investment into our work, we need to be innovative in how we can continue to reach a wide range of people through our work. Allow me to give one example of the work that we do in Zimbabwe. I work with a group of amazing young people. And we collaborate with a climate organization called Kuwadzana Press. Together with Kuwadzana Press, we provide green spaces for young people to not only learn about the importance of planting trees and nurturing these trees and climate action, we also provide these safe spaces for young people to receive the mental health education and the support that they need. Together with Kuwadzana Press, we are fully living Sustainable Development Goal 17 to its fullest form, which is partnerships for the goals, moving from individual action to cross-sector collaboration. Together, we mobilize different resources, we get to invite different partners, and we make our events work with the limited resources that we have, leaning on each other's expertise. Therefore, I would like to urge all young people that when we work together, change can happen. It doesn't mean that we don't need the money. Oh, we do, and we need to continue letting the member states know that they need to invest in us. However, when we join forces, when we collaborate, and when we work together, we can create the change that we want to see. As I conclude, I will repeat that the resources are needed, but by working together, we can achieve so much more and make the impact that we want to see. Thank you.

Thank you, Tanatswa. What some beautiful examples of youth-led action. Excellency Talavera, I pass to you.

Colleagues, Peru welcomes this opportunity to address the critical barriers limiting youth-led action. We appreciate this space to reflect on how member states, the United Nations, and youth stakeholders can better support initiatives designed to overcome these challenges. Let me express my deep gratitude to the young people present today for the dreams, leadership, and determination. You inspire all of us. Please allow me to highlight two aspects. First, the concerted efforts of Peruvian public.

Policies.

Peru's nearly 8 million young people, representing almost 25 of our population, constitute our greatest strength. However, when undersupported, they become our most vulnerable sector. Peru's 2019 National Youth Policy empowers youth by promoting well-being, active participation, and equal opportunities while addressing violence and exclusion. Nevertheless, we must work harder and further strengthen international cooperation. Second, I would like to spotlight Sinfonía por el Perú. Led by the Peruvian tenor and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Juan Diego Flores, this nonprofit initiative has driven incredible social transformation through music for 15 years. It has reshaped the lives of thousands of youth in vulnerable environments, protecting them as transnational organized crime threatens their future. This work delivers a tangible evidence-based impact across SDGs 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 13, 16, and 17. We proudly share this success story to inspire replication in other societies. Furthermore, We are honored that Mr. Minister Flores has joined the UN Youth Office Global Campaign on Youth Mental Health, including this Friday's event, One Word, One Game, One Goal. Finally, these actions reflect Peru's steadfast commitment to translating these reflections into concrete measurable actions to build more democratic, tolerant, and peaceful societies.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Excellency Talavera, for your insightful remarks. Next is Isadora, if you please.

How it would be possible for me to do the difference? I imagine that that's a question that a lot of you have made before in your minds, right? Because the truth is that we know that barriers exist. That's no longer the question. The question is, what are we doing to change those barriers? For example, when I was 13, after experiencing bullying and school exclusion, just because of my disability, I realized something. Being a girl living with a disability, sometimes it means that a lot of doors are closed even before I had the chance to knock on them. At 15, I decided to join the UN Women's Adolescent Mobilization Committee, and that changed my perspective. I met other girls who who share my dreams and challenge, and I discovered something that my partner of the young leaders mentioned: the power of community. That experience helped me to find my voice and taught me that leadership grows when young women have the chance to grow together, to lead together the spaces. That experience inspires me to create my own foundation led by young people. Through our Inclusive Agents program, what we do is equip young leaders with the knowledge of their rights, but also skills of leadership and advocacy tools for transforming their communities. Because we were boring to wait for inclusion, so we decided to make it. Today, at 21, I continue this work through the UN Women's Leaders Network, because I decided if we find a space in which we can develop our leadership and stand in our voices in spaces like this without fear, then thousands of girls around the world could do the same. But you know which is the difference? The difference between them and us is that they are not being considered. So if the pact of the future means no one should be left behind, then we must move beyond these invitations, these spaces. We need to start investing in young people in all their diversity, in our leadership, and thinking one thing: considering girls, it's not only considering their reality, it's not only giving her the opportunities, it's thinking how a new leadership can change a complete community. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Isidora, for sharing your reflections and echoing the power of community and creating spaces to share our voices as young people. So next, we'll move on to Sarah. It would be great to hear your thoughts.

Thank you very much. I am Sarah from UNDP, and In all the confusion of the names, I was hoping I was going to be reborn as a young leader whom I admire so much for their commitment and for their work and for the example that you set us all. So thank you very much. Let me begin really properly by thanking also the United Nations Youth Office and ASG Felipe for your leadership in advancing the Youth 2030 Strategy Phase to, UNDP is extremely proud once again to have achieved 100% in the scorecard, and I thank the team at UNDP and all our partners for the collaboration on that. As we launch the 2026 Youth 2030 Progress Report, I believe one of the most significant barriers limiting youth-led SDG action remains the gap between participation and influence. Too often, young people are invited to contribute ideas but lack access to meaningful decision-making spaces, financing, and sustained support to turn those ideas into impact. At UNDP, we believe young people are not beneficiaries of development; they are partners, innovators, and leaders in driving the Sustainable Development Goals. One example is Youth4Climate, our partnership with the Government of Italy. Through Youth4Climate, young innovators receive direct funding, technical assistance, and mentorship to transform local solutions into scalable action. Today, the initiative supports youth-led projects across more than 59 countries, addressing challenges ranging from renewable energy and climate adaptation to sustainable agriculture and green jobs. What makes this approach effective is not only funding youth initiatives, it is the trust placed in young people to identify solutions, lead implementation, and help shape the policies that affect their futures, while connecting them from local governance to global spaces, such as the 3 Rio COPs happening this year. This is a lesson I believe reflected throughout the Youth 2030 journey. When young people have a seat at the table and the resources to act, they accelerate progress across the SDGs. And UNDP remains committed to working alongside young people as equal partners in building more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable societies. Thank you.

Thank you much. Thank you so much, Sarah. Indeed, we do need access to decision-making spaces, funding, and trust. And last but not least, we go to Deanna.

On to you.

Thank you, Excellencies and young leaders. One of the barriers that resonated most with me is that young people are often invited to participate in global discussions, but not always well-equipped or supported to translate those conversations and actions back home. When I attended the HLPF last year, I was so inspired by the incredible ideas and commitments of young leaders from around the world, but I also left asking myself one major question: How do we ensure that these opportunities don't end when we leave New York? Too often, young people return home motivated but without the networks, training, or resources to turn inspiration into sustained impact. So, I'm excited to say that I implemented this idea. That realization really drove my leadership. I am the current Pan American Regional Chairperson for the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation, and I took that year to build long-term capacity for the whole region, starting from our member organizations, our universities, and national pharmacy student associations across Pan America to develop these young leaders. Throughout regional training programs, policy engagement, and public health initiatives, we equip these pharmacy students with the skills and knowledge and confidence to lead projects in their own communities, from antimicrobial resistance to vaccination advocacy to health equity and even universal health coverage. We also strengthen these partnerships with organizations like the WHO, the UN, and others to ensure that young people are connected not only to one another, but to global health institutions. And that experience over the last year has really reinforced the importance of ICMEO. Organizations like IPSF can build capacity within our profession, but without ICMEO, we become part of a larger ecosystem of youth organizations learning from one another, advocating together, and amplifying our collective impact. That collaboration transforms isolated initiatives into stronger global youth movement. For me, that's what's meaningful about youth participation. It's about simply inviting us into the room. It's investing in our leadership so we can return home and empower hundreds of more people. When we build capacity of our young leaders and connect them through partnerships, we create lasting progress towards Sustainable Development Goals. Thank you.

Thank you, Deanna. Thank you to all of our speakers. Let's give them another round of applause, please, as they exit the podium. We have heard powerful examples of young people transforming challenges into opportunities. and turning participation into measurable impact. For our next segment, and to help us reflect on these themes through another form, it's my pleasure to introduce Hafiy Abdullahi, a young leader for the SDGs from Nigeria, who will share an original poem reflecting on youth-driven change.

Hafiy, the floor is yours.

Thank you.

The floor is yours.

Leaders of tomorrow, they say. Leaders of tomorrow, they say. But did tomorrow not get the memo that we are a generation too lit to live in his shadows, too dope to stand on withering hopes, too fit to sit on rigid thrones? Did tomorrow not get the memo that our contribution today is just a demo of how we uproot our stunted dreams from tomorrow's potential soils of toils to recount and nurture on a new kind of soil called the future? Why wait for tomorrow when we're already eligible today? Your Excellencies, my fellow youth leaders, distinguished guests, thank you so much for having me. The title of my piece proper is People Like Me, and without further ado— I do not think I am lucky. I do not think some breeze of fortune lost her way and wandered onto my palms, 'cause people like me don't get too many chances. People like me are born with too many inadequacies. People like me are constant acquaintances to inconveniences, see.

I do not think I am lucky.

Youths like me are like walking currencies, sustainable entities, young, vibrant, talented, goal-oriented, passionate, compassionate. But what if we're good people? What if we're all of that and more? Then what to do with a basket full of limitations? What to do with aspirations and poor health and poor education? Tell me, how do you chase dreams on empty stomachs? Of what use is talent? Of what value is potentials? What gain is an intelligence with no exposure? What to do with no ways to school? What to do with ideas and no tools? What to do with a handful of means and a pinch of means for these dreams to come true? See, youths like me are like diamonds in the rough of unfavorable circumstances. We're like fertile lands with no seeds, dreamy houses with no doors. Survivors to the core, see. I am not of riches, not of silverwares or golden spoons. I bloomed from doom. I was born in dirt, earth, mud, and clay. So if today I am heard, if today I get to be anything other than a liability to society, speak any language other than poverty, if today I get to have a say on behalf of people like me, I'd say that people like me Don't get lucky, because for people like me, luck is like a random sunshine, an eclipse of a blue moon, a compensation for a determined doom. And on this race for life, for growth, and for the future, people like me need more than talent, more than motivation, more than big hearts and big dreams. We need means for these dreams to come true. But youth participation is not a favor. or a privilege. It is not something to be given. So today I implore you to take it. Become the change you're advocating for. Become the goals you're striving for, fighting for. Become dreams materializing into realities, goals growing into possibilities, and actions yielding productivity. Become the pillars for this nation's building, the root for this country's becoming. Become the peace to keep the peace. Gather whatever ideas to help us cope, whatever skills to revive hope. Become hope. Become the reason why your motherland will try again. Become the reason why your brother man will try again. Strive again. Become whatever you need to become to feel inspired again. Become the voice of consciousness. Become ambassadors, inventors, innovators. Become champions, gold medalists, novelists. Become independent. Rule your world. Become kings. Become queens. become the next big thing, become home, become the solution. Thank you.

Wow, thank you so much, Havi, for that moving reflection. Your words remind us that participation is not only about policies and institutions, but also about hope, creativity, identity, and collective action. For the moderation of our next segment, I pass to Semé.

Thank you, Thank you very much, Savi. Now we turn to a dialogue on how governments, the UN system, and young people can strengthen meaningful participation at the national level. My name is Samih Kamil. I'm one of the 2 organizing partners of the Major Group for Children and Youth. The UN General Assembly mandated the self-organized space for children and youth to contribute and engage in over 50 intergovernmental processes at the UN, with membership of over 20,000 youth organizations. As our speakers joined us, I would like to invite the participants once again to engage through the digital platform and reflect on the interventions you hear during this segment. On the screen now, you will see the QR code to access the platform. For those in the room, please scan the second QR code on the sheet being passed around, or you will find it at the beginning of the table. While the discussions are taking place, we will have the platform visible on the screen. So, our discussion question today is, what is the one policy or mechanism in your country region, or work that has given young people real space and influence beyond consultation in shaping decisions, accelerating SDG implementation, and driving transformative change. To share their thoughts, we have on the podium with us representatives from our co-sponsors: His Excellency Igor Šerbený, Minister of Environment of the Czech Republic; His Excellency Sun Li, Ambassador in Charge of the Affairs of the Permanent Mission of China to the UN; Lars Westro, the Youth Delegate of the European Union; and we are also joined by Najat Malla, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children; Young Leaders for the SDGs, Teodora Meleska from North Macedonia and Maryam Solika from Egypt; Sohail Bayra, UNFPA Deputy Director in the Programme Divisions. Thank you all for joining us very much. Excellency Cervani, we would like to start with you, so please go ahead.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, thank you for organizing this important event on youth participation. If we are serious about sustainable development, we must also be serious about involving young people. They are not only the beneficiaries of sustainable development, they are also partners and co-creators. In the Czech Republic, we have seen how viable the contribution can be. During the preparation of the 2025 Voluntary Nation Review, We invite students from different regions and backgrounds to discuss sustainable development, decarbonization, and the impact of social media. Their ideas help shape our work and confirm one simple fact: young people are informed, engaged, and ready to contribute. At the same time, many still feel that their voices are not heard enough. That is why participation must go hand in hand with a real dialogue, not only between young people and decision-makers, but also between generations. Last year, we brought younger and older citizens together to discuss shared challenges. We found that while their perspectives may differ, they share many of the same concerns and can learn from each other. Dear colleagues, young people must have a meaningful role in shaping the future beyond 2030. We should create safe and accessible opportunities for participation, invest in civil education, and make sure that engagement leads to real results. Let us turn participation into partnership and partnership into action. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency. Teodora, please.

Yes. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you so much for having me. When we speak about meaningful youth participation, I think we first have to acknowledge the reality that many young people live in. I come from North Macedonia, and in my country, 71% of young people aged 18 to 24 have considered leaving, while only 34% have received civic education in schools. And these numbers are not just statistics. They represent thousands of young people who feel that their future lies somewhere else because they don't believe they can shape it at home. One good example and mechanism I would like to highlight is the Future Makers Volunteers Program, which is led by by the UN Resident Coordinator's Office in North Macedonia, in partnership with the Sustained Aid at University Coalition, and with the support of different UN agencies. It brings together 40 students from universities across North Macedonia, and it gives them something that many young people are looking for: the opportunity to start shaping the future and the present they want right at home. The students identify the challenges that matter most to them, like gender equality and climate action. Education is a big one too. And with the support of the UN country team, they design and lead their own solutions. They get mentorship, skills, and resources to advance the work on SDGs. And this is what meaningful youth participation looks like. It's not consultation, but it's co-creation and leadership. My biggest takeaway, it's very simple actually. If we really want our programs to succeed, we have to start by understanding the young people that they are designed for. When we listen to their realities, our realities, respond to their needs and our needs, and create spaces where they can genuinely lead, participation becomes ownership, and ownership creates lasting change. Because I believe that every young person has the potential to shape their community, and sometimes all they need is the opportunity to do so. Thank you so much.

Thank you, thank you very much, Teodoro. We would like to acknowledge the presence of the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, His Excellency Amina Mohammed. Thank you very much for joining us. And now, Excellency Lee, turning the floor over to you.

Thank you very much, dear moderator. It's an honour for me to see so many young and energetic faces and leaders of today, I would say, or tomorrow. And it's good to have DSG with us today. Such an honour, such a pleasure. And also, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank DSG herself and also the UN Youth Office and ASG-Philippines for their tireless efforts in putting the youth agenda into the forefront of the UN agenda. Ladies and gentlemen, youth represents the future our countries and the hope of the world, the international community must place youth development high on the global agenda, strengthening coordination, increasing investment, and creating a favorable environment for young people to learn, work, innovate, and realize their potential. Here I would like to share several points. First, let us call for prioritizing youth development. It will shape the future of countries and drive long-term progress of societies. It cannot be treated in isolation or with short-termism. Instead, it should be placed high on the development agenda and advanced through long-term planning, sustained investment and coordinate policies. Second, let us vigorously promote international cooperation on youth development. In a world of deepening interdependence, no country is able to address alone the challenges facing young generations. Young people need more platforms, resources, and opportunities to translate their innovative ideas into realities. Third, let us continue to support youth participation in global governance. Young people are more than just beneficiaries of development. They are the vital force for addressing global challenges. Issues such as climate change, poverty, inequality, unemployment, and digital divides cannot be solved without the wisdom, creativity, and actions of young people. Colleagues and friends, as one of the countries with the largest youth population in the world, China sees youth development as essential to national development and modernization. Guided by a people-centered approach, China has continued to improve the policy framework and strengthen institutional support for youth development. The Chinese government has issued and is now implementing the immediate, medium, and long-term youth development plan. As China moves forward with its 15th Five-Year Plan, China will be more— there will be more policies rolled out to support the development of young people. China stands ready to work with all parties to deepen exchanges and cooperation with youth, support the role of the United Nations in promoting youth development, and encourage young people from all countries to contribute their wisdom and strength to implementing the 2030 Agenda. I thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Excellency. Now I turn to my dear friend and colleague, Lars Westra. The floor is yours.

Thank you, my dear friend and moderator. First of all, I want to thank everyone for being here today, and of course we congratulate the UN Youth Office with their Youth 2030 Phase 2 Progress Report. It's an honor to sit here today to represent the European Union as EU Youth Delegate to the UN. Let me start by highlighting how the EU works together directly with youth, and how principles turn into practice. First, as we all know, all topics are youth topics. So all European Commissioners, from those in charge of climate to competitiveness and from trade to culture, meet annually with a group of young people in a Youth Policy Dialogue. Second, youth participation should include both decision-making and implementation on the ground. For example, the European Commission has a Youth Sounding Board, working together with them on external action. In addition, 50 EU delegations all across the world have their own local Youth Sounding Boards to make sure youth perspectives from the ground are reflected in EU policy. Then, this week, on Thursday, we are launching the AU-EU Youth Cluster, an open network of young people from Africa and Europe, not only for young people to be directly involved in discussions at the UN, but also to be able to directly exchange, learn, and collaborate with each other. And of course, no process is perfect. For a decision-maker, youth participation and criticism may be scary. But everyone is learning, so we transform a Q&A into an open conversation, we give young people time and prepare to align priorities, so we can work together as equal partners. And finally, the Youth Delegate Programme, where my co-delegate and I have the honour and responsibility to represent European youth in rooms like these. During our mandate, we had the honor of meeting youth from all corners of the world, in formal rooms like we are today, and in informal spaces like pizza parties, youth receptions, or digitally. And when young people were afraid to speak up, we created safe spaces to still hear their real stories. And I realized the work of the UN and all member states is incredible and often underrated. But all plans made here are meaningless without young people championing them in their startups, activism, and NGOs. And I still meet people every day who want to keep youth out of rooms like these. So let me end my intervention with the following: don't be afraid of us. Don't see us as a danger for the status quo, but as an opportunity to transform your ambitions on paper to real-life achievements. Meet us. informally in rooms like these, and in informal spaces like pizza parties, youth receptions, or digitally. And when young people are afraid to speak up, create safe spaces to still hear their real stories. Because the work the UN is doing is way too important to stay in this room, and the Post-2030 Agenda can only succeed if young people champion it on the ground. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Lars. Najat, over to you.

Thank you so much. I will be very brief because today we are here to hear from young people. So I just want to share with you 2 key lessons learned. One about how UN, because this is a question, is really encouraging, you know, the participation of young people. And regarding my work, and you are going to ask yourself this question, violence against children, how they are involving, you know, children, just I want to remind that children and adolescents are part also of young people. And these, from 15 to 18, they are also children, and they have specificities regarding child safeguarding, and it's not easy to reach. So what is important for us, since I arrived, I just want to tell you, it's making sure that all the work I am doing, my reports, my recommendations, all the issues, the choice of the reports, the choice of the team, is duly informed by children. And it's not an easy task, I just want to let you know, because you need to reach across regions, all children from various regions, from various backgrounds, including the vulnerable children, while ensuring child safeguarding. I just want to give you— since I arrived on July 1st, 2019, I have engaged directly with more than 54,000 children, and more than 286,000 children shared their views online. It's not an easy task, and it's very important to make sure that we are reaching the large. During all my country visits— this is very important for me is to make sure that I am consulting children and involving them while ensuring their child safeguarding. Not only those who are duly elected, but making sure that the most vulnerable are on board. This is very important. It's not an easy task because it means also working closely with the whole UN country team, working closely with civil society, local organizations, faith-based organizations, ensuring safe pathways.

Thank you.

Way when the children can express themselves. And the most important thing, consultation starts by information. If children have not the information in their own language that they understand, it's not going to work. Consultation is after information listening, it's hearing, it's having a dialogue. And in addition to that, it's really allowing them expressing their views but being also solution-oriented. But the most important thing that we forget is restituting what we did with all this information and all these proposals that we receive. I think this is very important. Regarding, you know, my country visits, I did, since I arrived, 65 country visits, and I am seeing more and more countries, you know, ensuring child participation at local level— council, parliament, you know, clubs, and so on, and involving more and more vulnerable children and more and more children from remote areas. But I think what is still missing is to make it systematized, is to making sure that they are involved in decision-making process. It doesn't mean that what we are going— what they are going to tell, we will do it, but we need to respond why we are doing it or why we are not doing it. We assess Also, I think it's really important, the child-led initiative, and they are amazing, and we heard a lot today, more than 600, and I think what is important is showing also to decision-makers that they are taking initiatives, they are not waiting for adults, and these initiatives are really efficient, cost-effective, and they are feasible, so I think it's really important to build on that, and both importantly, is to build this networking between these children who are creating across regions. I think this is really, for me, it's really important. So I am not going to continue more than that, just to tell you many thanks for being here, many thanks for being whom you are, and just remind us, because to be very frank, we need to be accountable to you, because this, for me, is really important. It's not only hearing, it's not only listening, it's not only engaging, it's also being accountable on the decisions we took. Many thanks.

Thank you very much, Najat. Over to the DSG.

Thank you, thank you very much, and to Philippe— where are you?— thank you so much, and to all of you that have contributed to making this day happen and many more gatherings. I think I've been into quite a few youth gatherings in the UN, more than we normally had, so it is working. That meaningful that you put into engagement, Philippe, is becoming a reality here, and I was just listening to the podium and what you had to say, and I think, you know, you're way ahead of us. If anything, we might be left behind, so this is good news. Are there youth in the room?

Yes.

I hope the UN virus hasn't got you and you're really quiet. Women in the room? Okay, okay, now we know. We have a couple of member states in the room. See, see? We've spoken about the Pact for the Future. It really was quite remarkable, and it was informed by youth consultations. It is the foundation of trying to get the job done on the 2030 Agenda, which was another authentic agenda where you participated, and we wouldn't have had the ambition of all those 17 goals if youth and civil society were not a part of that. So own it. We have to deliver it, and delivering it is not just governments; it is about communities. It is about civil society filling those spaces that the targets of the goals set. Set, so we need to see you also really pushing us and fire under our feet. The Pact put that foundation of the SDGs to say that this was going to be what they wanted to deliver. We wanted to say youth and future generations, the event of new technology brought in AI— it wasn't here when we gaveled in 2015— and so that's an accelerator, and it's an accelerator to do good, Or not so good, and this is what we need you to help us do, because we will sow the seeds of incredible resolutions and frameworks, but it's outside of this room that it happens or it doesn't. And yes, government has a responsibility to deliver on much, but so too other components of our society, the private sector. Governments, North and South, different roles and responsibilities in world that is developing? Our academia— is it focused towards what is going to accelerate what we do in the field? And within that, within those constituencies, there are young people, and we really need to see how we can better act in not just meaningful engagement, as we said, on consultation, but implementation. That's where we're falling short. We're not short of the ideas or the solutions, or even to know where to get the resources from, but somehow we haven't been able to get across the line on implementation. We do lots of wonderful projects, and each and every one of them is important in themselves because it does make a difference to a human being, but it's not the scale at which we are going to get to the SDGs and beyond. And so really the call is also to you, to holding us as the UN to account in convening, creating those safe spaces, spaces if there are not, that we see the EU young people at the AU meetings and the AU young people in the EU meetings. That's equal partnership, and really putting their case and shaping the narratives and what it is that you want to see, not just in a vision but on the ground in our countries. And so I really do, you know, appreciate our member states that are around this table. They have got meaningful populations and engagement in the UN that they put their foot forward. Start with them, use them as your allies to lift the other 190-odd member states that really ought to come along with us in this journey. There are older generations, particularly in the UN, because I will say that our average age of entry into Secretariat is like 45, so Najat, that's not a child, right, nor a youth. And for that alone, it means that, you know, the Youth Office needs more support to spread that virus. It's a small office and it's supposed to leverage your engagement, so really to see you coming with your delegations, perhaps our member states at the podium today can give us commitments to young people in your delegations when they come all the time to all our meetings would be really, really, really good. So, I would say that that report that we've just launched today, don't leave it on a shelf. Don't leave it on— and I don't know how you save these things in your phone, but it's not my generation— but don't leave it there either. Use it, because there's a lot of information in there that says what we do really well, so we need to amplify that and scale that up, but there is an awful lot that we're not doing. We're falling short in places, particularly in the UN and in our country footprints, please call us out, because the UN is yours. Don't expect to be invited through the door, move through the door. We've told you not to be impatient, we've said you need to be disruptive. You ask of us authenticity, and we ask of you the same, so let's be authentic together. Let's actually have that intergenerational conversations, but the co-creation, the— I think the authenticity to say, I don't know, When someone asks us how we do something, we don't know because we've not been there yet, and that we're ready to do that together to find the solutions together. So if anything, I look forward to a world where what you inherit is becoming a lot more truthful, a lot more genuine in the handshakes that you have, that when we say we have a genuine partnership, a meaningful engagement, it has meaningful results in people's lives. And so, for this conversation that you're having in the High-Level Political Forum week, incredible. Now take us to the Summit. The Summit in 2027 will take stock of where we are. We'll still have 3 years to go, and as the President of the General Assembly said, her analogy was football. A lot can happen in the last minutes of a game. And so don't give up now, because the people outside this room, I don't know how you tell any one of them that you're no longer interested in giving them hope or helping them get to that last mile. Really important we get to 2030, but let's also start thinking of beyond, because the way and manner in which new technology is moving, it is so fast. I'm not sure that we're catching up with it, but at least we can get abreast of it. So do the two in the parallel, finish the job, and we'll have more, because for sure by 2030 there'll be a lot more opportunities, But there will still be the challenges, there will still be the crises, there will still be a world that needs to stand in solidarity. There'll still be a world that needs to know that it matters to get the two-state solution in Gaza and to bring an end to that misery. There will still be a world that needs to bring an end to the wars and the conflicts that still rage out there and give many children, many young people no hope. So thank you for coming into the UN, but please make sure when you leave it, you connect with the UN outside the UN. It is in your countries, it is in your regions, and doors are open. If they're not, tell me. Thank you.

Thank you, thank you very much for the amazing remarks, DSG. Now I pass the floor to Mariam.

Go ahead.

Good evening, everyone. My name is Maryam Solika. I'm from Egypt, and back home I founded a company called The Good News. But before I start, I wanted to do a little survey. I know that Felipe and the team, they did incredible work with the report, but I have several questions that I want to ask the people in the room. First of all, how easy was it for each and every one of you to make it to a room like that from wherever you come from? Show of hands if it was easy. Show of hands if it was hard. Okay. Expected. Second question is, I know it was hard, but when you get in rooms like this one, when you speak up, do you think that what you're saying is actually being translated into decisions? Show of hands. Fewer hands. Okay. Final question is, with the very few hands that were raised, do you think that even after decisions are being made, that these decisions are sustainable? None. I come from a country where it's not easy to have 2 Egyptians on a podium like that, and it's a pleasure to have been working with Dr. Sameh. He is supporting the Youth Advisory Board in Egypt, which I'm also a part of. I'm part of the UN Young Leaders for SDGs, so I can confidently say I was part of rooms that many young people have dreamt to be in. And the second I stepped foot in them, I noticed that the problem is not a matter of just being in the room. It's a matter of putting faces to these people in the room and actually ask, are these things that we are being or the things that we are saying translating into actual decisions. Today, I wanted to bring to you 3 stories from young people whose faces are not quite with us in the room due to several reasons. However, it's important for us to put faces to the numbers that we see in reports like the incredible one presented today, and quoting the DSG, I think it's important that we never leave them on the shelf. I want to remind you of Sarah. She is a 17-year-old girl from Egypt. Sarah has founded a foundation that's called Yalla Success. She supported and benefited thousands of young girls in Egypt from rural areas in Egypt to continue their education, empowering them in STEM. However, when Sarah was with us in the Youth Advisory Board, she had a lot of studying to do, and because she's bringing in so much impact to the world, she's not keeping up properly with what she should be doing in her studies. So that's one challenge. Second challenge I want to bring into this room is from Bisan Ouda from Gaza. Bisan is a journalist my age. She and I began content creation at the young age of 20. I was fortunate enough to live 300 kilometers away from where the war occurred. I continued creating content. And I'm here today with you, and Bisan could not. Not only that she could not be here today, she's no longer able to share stories of hope or of culture about Gaza. The second— the third story that I want to share with you is actually from one of our young leaders for SDGs, who was fortunate enough to make it to 17 young people from 33,000 applications. And I bet you're asking, is he with us in the room? He's not. Due to accessibility reasons, rules, and legislations, he was not able to be with us, even though it's very relevant for him, not only from a youth lens, but he's doing incredible work back home with his initiative Basketball for Refugees. But again, due to how the system is shaped, he's not able to be with us today. So these 3 young people, yes, they've been part of several occasions where they had the chance to speak. But how important is speaking when no one's listening? How important is saying the words when the room does not have the will to act upon it? Yesterday, we were in a meeting with the SG, and he said something that I could not erase from my memory, is that power is not given, it's taken. And I always believe that this is the good news. That young people like ourselves, and not even just us, every person in this room was a young heart at some point. And for me, it took me 10 years to be able to step in a room like that, and I don't want it to take 10 or 20 more years for young people from different parts of the world to come and share what they think and share their challenges and have an answer to why they're not being invited. So there is still hope, and again, quoting Felipe, there is a lot of action that needs to be done, So let us hold both with grace, not forgetting any of them, and let's move forward with both notions at hand: the hope for tomorrow, but also the honesty about today.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Maryam, for the powerful messages. I know that DSG has other commitments. Thank you very much for joining us. Thank you. Finally, I would like to turn it to Soyeol.

Thank you, moderator, and thank you, Sami. My name is Soyeol. I'm from UNFP, United Nations Population Fund. I wanted to actually go back to what Tanatswa said actually in the earlier segment. Really, the true partnership with young people means entrusting them— you young people— with pen, with platform, and with resources to shape decisions that affect your lives, your communities. So allow me to share with you a few examples that will speak to the barriers that you— I also saw in the poll that was done earlier. You talked about systems and policies. You highlighted lack of trust, access to funding and financing, and representation overall. These are a few of the main barriers, and hopefully, the examples that— 3 examples that I would like to share with you from UNFPA will speak to the context and the work that you or your colleagues, your peers do in countries. They go beyond projects. They go into the systems, into institutionalizing platforms at national and subnational level to make youth part of decision and policymaking. We support countries to institutionalize those governance platforms to develop costed national action plans on youth, peace, and security. By working closely with government counterparts, we broker the seat at the table so that young people are able to be strategic co-leaders who can embed their priorities directly into the funded national budgets. We see that proof of this model in 13 countries, including Colombia, Jordan, The Gambia, and South Sudan, where we've partnered directly with youth coalitions to co-design national frameworks on youth, peace and security. The second example comes from Cambodia, our support of the Volunteer for My Community initiative that empowered over 3,200 youth volunteers to lead over 530 local projects across all 25 provinces in the country, actively shifting local budgets to tackle critical issues like child marriage and adolescent pregnancy. And finally, in Ukraine, our digital Youth Wellbeing Index platform allows youth councils in 40 municipalities to track real-time needs during the ongoing crisis, ensuring that recovery and reconstruction funding matches what young people actually need on the ground. This field-level impact and tangible impact is why UNFPA is incredibly proud and humbled to be recognized as a top-performing UN entity for Youth 2030 implementation for the 2nd consecutive year alongside our sister agencies UNDP and OHCHR. And today, let us commit to continue moving beyond this consultation tokenism and building true, equal, and fully funded partnership with you young people. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Cyol, ending this segment on a very high note. So thank you very much. Thank you to all our speakers. May we please have another round of applause? A key message that is emerging from this discussion is that meaningful youth participation requires structure that enables young people not just to be heard, but to influence other outcomes. This connects to what many of our speakers have said, that the world needs to know that we are here, as the DSG mentioned, and we are ready to partner up with governments, with local authorities, with everyone. We are facing a lot of trust We're facing a lot of tokenism and lack of funding. So let us look now at how we approach— how such approaches are being embedded and sustained through national systems and institutional mechanisms. In this final discussion segment, we focus on practical approaches that can sustain impact beyond 2030. As our speakers make their way to the panel, I have one question for them. What is one practical example from your country of embedding youth in the national systems of SDG acceleration that can sustain impact beyond the 2030 Agenda? Examples may include voluntary national reviews, institutional mechanisms, youth engagement structures, or other innovative approaches. Joining us now on the podium, we have Her Excellency Ana Isabel Xavier, Deputy Foreign Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal; representative from our co-sponsors, Daniel Dubas, Delegate of the Federal Council for for Agenda 2030 Switzerland, along with Aneška Berchtold, the Youth Delegate of Switzerland, Ms. Janine Nyari, Head of the Office of Coordinating and Planning and Monitoring and Evaluating of the Prime Minister's Office, the Republic of Burundi. We are also joined by Professor Libin Wang from the College of Humanities and Development Studies at the China Agriculture University.

Hello.

University, Mbali Tanjiwako, Youth Delegate of South Africa, and Isata Rostamahan, Youth Delegate of the Kingdom of Netherlands. I would like to ask our speakers to keep their interventions to 2 minutes or less. So to start, I would like to start by the Deputy Minister. Please go ahead.

Thank you.

Ana, please go ahead.

Thank you for inviting Portugal to share our national experience. One practical example from Portugal of embedding youth in national systems for SDG acceleration is the institutionalization of youth participation through the National Youth Council and National Youth Plan. This ensures that young people are systematically involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of public policies, including those related to the Sustainable Development Goals. This approach has been particularly visible in Portugal's voluntary national reviews, where youth organizations have been actively consulted and engaged throughout the reporting process, helping to bring the perspectives of younger generations into national SDGs implementation. Furthermore, youth representatives have also been included in Portugal's official delegation to the High-Level Political Forum. Beyond consultation, Portugal has focused on creating permanent mechanisms for participation rather than one-off initiatives. At the same time, and that is the reason why Portugal looks so carefully to development education as a means of strengthening democratic literacy, critical thinking, and understanding of global challenges, and our recent launch National Strategy for Development Education 2026 2030 aims precisely to bring citizens, particularly young people, closer to the major issues on the international agenda, fostering active, informed, and responsible global experience. Portugal's experience, to conclude, shows that when youth participation becomes an institutional practice rather than an occasional exercise, It strengthens public policies, increases accountability, and builds lasting ownership of the Sustainable Development Agenda. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Deputy Minister. Daniel and Aneška, over to you both, but please keep it to 1 minute each. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you for being here. I would like to share just a few examples of real participation. participation and youth involvement. First of all, let me start with a number. We've had a recent study showing that in Switzerland we have direct democracy, many people can vote on many topics, but statistically speaking, half of the people voting are older than 60 years. So just imagine, it's a no-brainer that we need more participation. When I was president of the European Sustainable Development Network a few years ago, we established a youth network having a conference every year for youth delegates all over Europe, and I think it's a very good success story. We know that these young people really bring in a lot of interesting things, and this is very valuable also, not just participating as a means by itself, but really on specific topics. And I think the solutions are often very much better than they would have been otherwise. Now, in the voluntary— we are presenting our voluntary national review this year, so we had some workshops, workshops with civil society, academia, and also with business and the subnational actors. And this time we really had some interesting workshops where we specifically invited some youth people as well, additionally to the other people that already were there. So it's really a kind of an important consultation we made, a kind of participation, but we would like to go even further. What's also very important, obviously, is that Aneska is part of our delegation, but she was also on the panel for the ones who've seen the VNR presentation yesterday. And I'm quite proud to, to say that Switzerland was one of the first countries back in 2018 already to have a youth delegate on the panel presenting the national report. So this is a good standard and it should be continued like that. She was there with our environment minister many years ago. We also have some specific funding programs This year we have a funding program for sustainable development projects in Switzerland exclusively for young people. It's the first time on SDGs 8 and 12, so this is also something really to help strengthen initiatives coming from young people, which is very valuable. And obviously we know this is like— we do some initiatives, we have participation, we have consultation, but we would like to go further, and that's And that's why we're very happy that youth itself took an initiative this year to establish something really interesting, which Aneška is going to talk about. Thank you very much.

So I was just told I have 20 seconds, so I make it really short.

To sustain impact beyond 2030, we need to act before 2030. What Daniel Dubois was just mentioning is that together with other young people in Switzerland, we are launching the first Youth Council for the 2030 Agenda this fall, and this will be a mechanism that was co-created together with the delegates of the Federal Council for Sustainable Development, and this partnership and this formal infrastructure structure is essential to ensure that the Swiss sustainable development policy is shaped by youth expertise and that the post-2030 agenda is being co-designed together with my generation. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Aneška. Unfortunately, I'm sincerely apologizing to all our speakers, but we have run out of time, so we could probably just hear the concluding remarks from From Janine. Janine, if we could hear your concluding remarks.

Thank you. I will be very quick. Between 2018 and 2024, the country progressively consolidated its strategy and institutional framework for youth employment. The adoption of a national strategy for implementation of the employment policy in 2018 marked a fundamental step in ensuring national efforts to promote employment. This progress was reinforced in 2019 with establishment of Youth Investment Bank designed to expand access into employment opportunities and support youth internship in April 2021, the Youth Economic Employment Program was created. Additionally, instruments such as labor migration policy and national action plan for youth employment further strengthened coordination and followed up on youth participation.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Ladies, ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our event. Thank you.

Thank you.

Colleagues.

I'm so happy about this.

Ayel Hammer. Hello, everyone. No, es que no funciona. Hello? Hello? Hello, everybody. No, es que no, doesn't work. No.

Hello?

Hello? Hello? Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us at this Local and Regional Governments Forum on the 2030 Agenda. This year is a very special year for local and regional governments around the world that have been following the localization agenda and that have been playing a very active role in making sure that Agenda 2030 can be realized, because it is actually the 10th year that we have been reporting on the efforts around localization throughout the world. It is also a year of acknowledgement, acknowledgement of the great step that it has meant for us to have a local and regional governments forum acknowledged within the high-level political forum. The forum is actually a consolidation over the years of the self-organized political space of our constituency together with the United Nations, and so we are very pleased to be here with you today at this very critical moment. I cannot imagine a better way to start this forum than by inviting His Excellency Mr. Lok Badahur Thapa, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, to address you all. President, we know you are extremely busy and we are delighted you were able to Thank you.

Thank you, Madam DSG, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, mayors, governors, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 Local and Regional Governments Forum Convent, under— is one of the key special events of the High-Level Political Forum. on Sustainable Development. Allow me to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to the organizing partners, UNDESA, Global Task Force for Local and Regional Governments, UN-Habitat, UNDP, and Local 2030 Coalitions, for their continued leadership and commitment. Through your sustained collaborations, This annual forum has established itself as an important space to showcase the special contributions of local and regional governments in advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to the distinguished ministers, governors, and mayors, senior government officials, representatives of the United Nations system, stakeholders, and esteemed experts joining us today. Your leadership and commitments are essential to accelerating progress and delivering meaningful impact for people and communities on the ground. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, over the past few days of the SLPR, we have reflected on the latest data on SDG implementations. Only 36% of the targets with available trend data are on track or show moderate progress. Nearly half are advancing too slowly, while 15% have regressed below the 2015 baseline. These figures remind us that the challenge before us is not only to accelerate implementations, but to accelerate implementations where it matters the most. The Sustainable Development Goals are negotiated globally, adopted nationally, and ultimately delivered locally. Local and regional actions is where global ambitions are translated into tangible results, fostering stronger communities, inspiring innovations, and strengthening accountabilities. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, the scale of the challenge is visible in our cities, from climate change impacts on infrastructure and services to economic inequality, inadequate housing, transportation, and growing slum populations. For example, around 1.16 billion people, approximately 1 in 4 urban residents, still live in slums or informal settlements, highlighting the urgent need to accelerate access to adequate housing and basic At the same time, cities continue to demonstrate innovations and deliver sustainable development solutions, and we see encouraging signs of progress. Across more than 400 cities in 127 countries, convenient access to public transport increased from 53.2% to 60.6%. 1.5%, demonstrating that when local governments have the tools, partnerships, and capacity to act, progress follows and it is possible. On Thursday, the HLPF will convene its session on Transformation from Ground Up: Acting at Local Level, showcasing successful local and regional approaches to accelerate sustainable inclusive science and evidence-based solutions for the SDGs. I'm confident that the insights from today's forum will enrich these discussions and help scale up effective local actions across all regions. Distinguished delegates, the growing integrations of local and regional governments into voluntary national reviews reflect on importance received. Sustainable development is increasingly recognized as a shared responsibility across all levels of governments. I am particularly encouraged by the growing number of voluntary local reviews submitted by cities and regions, with almost 400 reports registered on DESA's platform, as well as strong engagement of local and regional authorities throughout the HLPF process. This momentum is also reflected in the ongoing General Assembly review of ECOSOC and HLPF, which further recognizes the importance of strengthening local actions and encourages the greater attention to progress in local implementations, including through voluntary local reviews. Together, these developments strengthen multilevel governance and reinforce the value of local leadership in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Excellencies, colleagues, the next phase of SDG implementation must be defined by delivery, moving from commitments to measurable actions. Strengthening partnerships across all the levels of government, and ensuring solutions reach communities where they are needed the most. The success of the 2030 Agenda will ultimately be measured not by the ambitions we express, but by the realities people experience in their daily lives. This is why, local leadership is indispensable. I count on your continued leadership to further localize the SDGs and champion the visions of sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities and a thriving planet. I wish you a fruitful discussion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, President, for these insightful thoughts, as well for acknowledging the importance of multilevel governance, which I think the constituency gathered today will be very much in agreement with. Indeed, we have seen over these past years a great evolution in the level of acknowledgement of the role that local and regional governments can play in the achievement of the 2030 agenda, we have also seen a growing interest from local and regional governments to connect their day-to-day work with the global agenda, knowledgeable of the fact that it is impossible to deliver good services at home if you don't take into account those global challenges and the interconnection. Mindful of these and thinking that the global agenda needed localization, we started to call together a localization forum even before this very one existed. And in fact, I have here the mother of that thing, which is really important for us. It was a precedent that has led us to the acknowledgement and to the recognition of this very forum in a formal manner. But it also brought in motion what we call now this localization movement that has led us to hundreds of voluntary local reviews, to increasing participation of local and regional governments in the voluntary national reviews. Those are the good news that we bring here today, and I am very pleased that we count with the presence of His— of Her Excellency, Ms. Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, I think we should celebrate this, Amina. It's a celebration. Because in this very polarized moment with so many challenges, it's also good to acknowledge what we did right, right? The vision that we had. So please, the floor is yours.

Thank you so much, Emilia. Your Excellency, the President of ECOSOC, the Executive Secretary-General of UN-Habitat, Ana Claudia, my sister, Emilia, thank you for your leadership as Secretary-General of our United Cities and Local Governments, the President of our South African Local Government Association, distinguished mayors, governors, local and regional leaders, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Cities in the room?

Yes!

Okay, mayors in the room?

Yes!

It really is a pleasure to be with you, and success comes when you have women at the helm of affairs, so I hope you'll take note and we'll put more women mayors in place. But yeah, thank you. Thank you to the Global Task Force and UCLG, DESA, UN-Habitat, UNDP, our Local 2030 Coalition, which is really amazing, and they've built the forum into a space where I believe partnerships really do turn into action. I'm especially pleased to welcome the many local and regional leaders that are with us today. You've helped us to establish a simple fact, that at the centre of the 2030 Agenda, the SDGs will only be achieved if they are people-centred, they're locally delivered by municipalities and states working with communities and local actors. From education to health systems, housing, poverty and hunger, essential public services are local before they are ever national. But the conditions for this work are growing harder. Cities and territories are contending with rapid urbanization, climate change, infrastructure gaps, housing pressures, and mounting stress on water and energy, while demand for public services rises. There is no single level of government that can respond alone. National plans need local knowledge. Local delivery needs national support. Each depends on one another, and that is why local and regional governments have become indispensable partners in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and bringing national communities— national commitments closer to the realities on the ground. The Secretary-General's report takes this further. It sets out options to strengthen how the UN works with local and regional authorities, answering the Pact for the Future's call for deeper and stronger and meaningful partnerships. The task now is to go beyond that well-established recognition to how we have impact and acceleration on the SDGs in our cities. And there are several routes to do that. First, we need stronger multilevel governance. National planning must connect with local priorities and realities right from the beginning. We must begin to build from the foundations up, and not the roof down. Voluntary local reviews and voluntary subnational reviews are already helping us to do this. They do bring local data into national processes. They show where the progress is uneven and strengthen voluntary national reviews with evidence from the ground. That connection should become routine. Second, finance must follow. The annual SDG financing gap in developing countries stands at $4 trillion. The severe commitment gives us a stronger basis for action, but implementation will depend on whether financing reaches the local level, strengthens local capacity, and supports investment in resilient infrastructure, housing, and essential public services. Local authorities will not be able to deliver at scale without the means of implementation to plan, invest, and sustain the work. Third, the United Nations must also strengthen its own engagement. The Secretary-General's report on engagement with local and regional authorities offers practical recommendations for a more consistent relationship with local and regional governments, all in support of Member States and national implementation. Those recommendations should lead to clearer channels for engagement, stronger coordination, and better support for delivery at country level. And finally, people must remain at the centre of this work. Localization depends on inclusion, participation, care, and equality. It means making decisions with communities and reaching all those who are still being left behind, from our young people