UN Photo/Manuel Elías Secretary-General António Guterres (centre right) and Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed (centre left) meet with Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals. At left is Jayathma Wickramanayake, Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth (file photo).

Youth participation in global decision-making processes must be the norm and not the exception, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday. 

“I will continue to stand with you as we shape a more prosperous, equal and resilient future for all,” he said in a video message to launch his latest Progress Report on Youth.  

The world is facing multiple and far-reaching crises, including conflicts, climate change, poverty, inequality and discrimination, he said, and “nobody has a greater stake — and more bold solutions to offer — than young people.” 

Youth2030 Strategy 

Five years ago, the UN launched a strategy to guide joint action with and for young people through the end of the decade. 

The third progress report on the Youth2030 strategy was launched during an event on the margins of the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development underway at UN Headquarters. 

Mr. Guterres said the report reveals encouraging results, with 55 UN entities and 131 UN Country Teams actively supporting youth programming with governments and civil society around the world 

“We are establishing a new United Nations Youth Office in the UN Secretariat to advance advocacy, coordination, and accountability for and with young people,” he added.  “And we are committed to doing even more.” 

Meaningful youth engagement 

In April, the Secretary-General published a policy brief that called for a global standard for meaningful youth engagement in decision-making, and establishing national youth consultative bodies as well as a UN Youth Townhall. 

The brief also stressed the importance of new avenues of youth participation at the intergovernmental level, and across intergovernmental mechanisms, including UN deliberative and decision-making processes. 

“We need to make youth participation the norm, rather than the exception, across decisions, policies and investments,” he said. 

Hope for the future 

He pointed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit in September, and the related Summit of the Future next year, as key opportunities to step up these efforts.

Mr. Guterres said he continues to be inspired by young people’s ideas and energy, saying “you give me hope that we can put the world back on track towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”