The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum took place on April 8th and 9th, 2019 at the UN Headquarters. Over 1,000 youth participated in this year’s forum, which makes the ECOSOC Youth Forum the largest gathering of young people at the United Nations. The forum serves as a unique space for young people to share their ideas at the global level, allowing representatives of youth-led and youth-focused organizations to participate in dialogue with Member States.
The 8th ECOSOC Youth Forum convened under the theme “Empowered, Included, and Equal.” Youth partake in the two-day event which featured plenary sessions, interactive discussions, and specialized side events. All of these events provide an exchange of views and ideas on solutions to issues of relevance to young people and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Our very own member from the WFUNA Youth Advisory Council, Adil Skalli, addressed youth at the Interactive Dialogue on “Youth, Peace and Security: Challenges and Prospects.” Adil is also the Program Manager at UNA-Canada.
The success of this year’s ECOSOC Youth Forum represents the importance of youth’s capacity to create positive change in our world. Not only did the Forum serve as a platform to share ideas, it provided many youth with a space to learn from their peers. Now, it is youth’s commitment to keep working outside the Forum in order to make Youth 2030 a reality.
More information regarding the 2019 ECOSOC Youth Forum: https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/2019youthforum