Central European - 6 month ago

CEU students Nikka Gerona and Lulin Han, both students in CEU’s Master’s in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management (MESPOM) program, participated in active deliberations and public policy making at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, which took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from April 15-17. The forum, under the theme “Youth at the Forefront: Leveraging Science and Social Inclusion for Sustainable Development”, was the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations.  The forum offered a platform to engage with United Nations Member States and be included in global dialogue on key issues. During the meetings, young people from around the world were invited to propose science- and evidence-based actions and solutions in efforts to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on those under review at the United Nations’ 2025 High Level Political Forum:   SDG 3: Good health and well-being SDG 5: Gender equality SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth SDG 14: Life below water SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals “The SDGs represent a shared vision for a better world, and when youth come together to engage with these goals, they promote collective action and long-term commitment to sustainability,” said Han. “Bringing together young people from diverse backgrounds enables mutual learning—by sharing strengths, recognizing challenges and exploring new ways forward.”   Han said she was moved by the dedication to building a better world that she witnessed among the attendees. She said that she valued the opportunity to connect with passionate youth leaders from across the globe, coming from nonprofit organizations, leading universities and even some high schools. Han added: “This was my very first opportunity to participate in a global youth exchange forum. I came with a learner’s mindset, and over just three days, I witnessed firsthand how young people from all over the world analyze, debate and collaborate on shared challenges.”   Gerona, who has previously attended the youth forum, delivered an intervention during the regional breakout session for Asia-Pacific: “Youth Perspectives on Regional Development – Challenges, Priorities, and Actions for the SDGs.” She represented YOUNGO, the official children and youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and promoted the importance of recognizing hands-on skills and informal education. The session gathered youth representatives and government officials to identify challenges and opportunities in the region and explore how youth perspectives could shape SDG implementation at the regional and global levels.  The forum provided a rare and meaningful platform for youth to contribute to the global review of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly ahead of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum,” said Gerona. “These high-level spaces are often inaccessible to young people, and the ECOSOC Youth Forum helps bridge that gap by allowing us to articulate our demands and priorities, not just as future leaders, but as current changemakers whose ideas deserve to inform policy today.” Gerona said that she also valued learning about effective practices during the forum as well as concrete examples of youth engagement in policymaking from local to global levels.  The 2025 forum was convened by the president of the ECOSOC and organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in close collaboration with the United Nations Youth Office (UNYO), the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (IANYD), the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY), the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organizations (ICMYO), with technical input from youth organizations relevant to the theme of the forum.   Plenary thematic dialogues and regional breakout sessions included discussions on advancing the United Nations 2030 Agenda, implementing the Pact for the Future, and contributing to different intergovernmental processes in 2025, including the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development and the Second World Summit for Social Development. 
ECOSOC Youth Forum at the United Nations Headquarters. Photo courtesy of Gerona. “It is essential for young people to gather around the SDGs because we are not only the inheritors of this planet, we are also active stakeholders in shaping its future,” said Gerona. “Youth are experts in their own right, informed by lived experiences across a rapidly changing world. By coming together, we can influence decisions that directly affect our communities, environment, and opportunities.”  Watch a selection of the proceedings at the United Nations webcast.  Learn about CEU’s programs in Environmental Sciences and Policy.  Unit: Department of Environmental Sciences and PolicyResearch Area: Environmental and Energy StudiesCategory: NewsImage: Content Priority: High

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