Dozens of young people from around the world gathered in the hall of the UN General Assembly for the start of two “days of action” ahead of the summit, which begins on Sunday.
Felipe Paullier, the first-ever UN Under-Secretary-General for Youth, described the Top of the future as a unique opportunity to reshape the multilateral system and put youth at its heart.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth, speaks at the opening of the Summit of the Future Action Days.
Preparing the landscape
“Ten years ago, a day like today would have been unthinkable: a day in the official programme of the United Nations dedicated to youth,” he said.
“A day when this House recognises that every agenda – be it gender, climate, peace and security, sustainable development or human rights – has the youth agenda as a cross-cutting element.”
Young people have played an “instrumental role in shaping the landscape” in preparation for the summit, said Terry Otieno, a Kenyan civil society advocate and member of the UN Major Group for Children and Youth.
Shaping the future
Leaders are expected to: a pact for the future relating to sustainable development and related financing; peace and security; science, technology and innovation; youth and future generations; and transformation of global governance.
A Worldwide Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations can be found in the attachment.
They are also exploring proposals to reform the international financial architecture and the UN. Security Councilwhich were founded about eighty years ago, at a time when many countries were still under colonial rule.
Young activist Areej from Yemen noted that children born in a few years will be affected by decisions made today.
“What we do now will shape their world, whether that world is defined by conflict, poverty and fear, or by hope, security and opportunity.“, she said. “We have to ask ourselves: Are we willing to take action so that every child can thrive?”
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Secretary-General António Guterres (center) talks with Caleb Brathwaite (left) and Daphne Frias during the opening of the Summit of the Future Action Days.
Against ‘tokenism’ of young people
Young people believe their participation in UN affairs can best be described as ‘tokenism’, according to a live poll conducted in the room prior to a dialogue with Secretary-General António Guterres.
Caleb Brathwaite, chairman of the Barbados Youth Development Council, was not surprised by the results, recalling that the Secretary-General recently said that the current multilateral system “was built by our grandparents”.
He feared that the Pact for the Future would be “just an agreement” and called for action, including the establishment of UN Youth Bureau branches around the world.
He also urged young people to “keep our governments on their toes” to ensure that the chapter of the pact that concerns youth and future generations is realised.
Listen to us
“The most insidious thing about tokenism is that while our stories are shared with others, they don’t really lead to further action,” says Daphne Frias, a young activist and organizer.
“Our voices fill rooms, but then fall on silent ears.”
Daphne said it is really time to listen to her generation. She also pointed out that young people not only face obstacles in engaging with the UN, but also barriers in seeking employment at the global body in terms of education, language and other requirements.
Committed to reform
The Secretary-General noted that there is currently “a growing interest and mechanisms are being created to listen to young people,” but added that “much remains to be done.”
To get young people involved in decision-making processes, several reforms need to be implemented, which he said is “not easy” in an intergovernmental organization like the UN.
Mr Guterres said that ensuring the participation of youth, civil society and others in decision-making processes is a central aspect of the Summit of the Future and the proposed reforms.
“This is the task that our Bureau must now engage in very strongly,” he said, expressing his full commitment to the coming days of negotiations and consensus-building.
The Summit of the Future will take place on 22 and 23 September, just before the start of the annual debate in the UN General Assembly.
