Young people play a leading role in the run-up to the UN Summit on the Future

UN Photo/Manuel Elias Participants wait outside the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters during the first Future Summit Day of Action

Young people from all over the world packed the UN General Assembly Hall to kick off two "days of action" ahead of the summit, which began on Sunday.

Felipe, the first UN ever Assistant Secretary-General for Youth, sees the Summit of the Future as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape the multilateral system and put youth at its core.

Preparation

"Ten years ago, a day like today's would have been unthinkable: one day on the official agenda of the United Nations would be dedicated to young people," he said. On this day, this body recognizes that the youth agenda is a cross-cutting element of any agenda — be it gender, climate, peace and security, sustainable development or human rights. ”

Terry · Otieno, a social advocate from Kenya and a member of the UN Key Group on Children and Youth, said youth "played an important role" in the preparations for the summit.

Shaping the future

Leaders are expected to adopt a Compact for the Future, including sustainable development and related financing; peace and security; science, technology and innovation; youth and future generations; and the transformation of global governance.

The Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations will be annexed.

They are also working on proposals to reform the international financial architecture and the United Nations Security Council, which were established some eight decades ago, when many countries were still under colonial rule.

Alij, a youth activist from Yemen, said the decision made today will affect children born years from now.

"What we do now will shape their world, whether it is defined by conflict, poverty and fear, or hope, security and opportunity," she said. We must ask ourselves: Are we ready to take action so that every child can thrive? ”

Against "symbolism"

The conversation with Secretary-General António Guterres was preceded by an on-site poll in the conference room, which showed that young people perceive their involvement in the UN as "symbolic" at best.

The President of the Barbados Youth Development Council, Caleb · Blaisewhite, was not surprised by the outcome. He recalled that the Secretary-General had recently said that the current multilateral system "was built by our ancestors".

He feared that the Future Compact would be "just an agreement" and called for action, including the establishment of UN Youth branch offices around the world.

He also urged young people to "let our government continue its efforts" to ensure that the chapters of the Convention that concern youth and future generations are realized.

Listen to us

Youth activist and organizer Daphne · Frías said: "The most disappointing thing about symbolism is that our stories can be shared with others, but they don't actually inform future action. ”

"Our voices occupy the room, but no one listens," she said.

Frías said it was indeed time to listen to her generation. She also noted that young people face barriers not only in engaging with the United Nations, but also in educational, linguistic and other requirements when seeking employment in global institutions.