ECOSOC Youth Forum at the United Nations: A good step forward but more participation needed

June 4, 2014

Earlier this week (2-3 June) the United Nations Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) held a Forum on Youth at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.  The aim of the Forum was to bring the voice of youth into the discussion on addressing the challenges for meeting the Millennium Development Goals and shaping the future development agenda.

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Vice President of the European Youth Forum, attended the Forum and gave a keynote speech. Other delegates included youth ministers, youth delegates, youth representatives from Member States, National Youth Councils and regional youth organisations and networks.

During the Forum there were five working sessions where youth representatives had an opportunity to listen to and engage in an interactive discussion among themselves and with Member States. Ahmad Alhendawi, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, presented the document “The Global Youth Call,” which he said intended to provide concrete language on youth issues.  “Any new development agenda should mainstream youth,” he said, expressing hope that the youth-focused targets would be relevant to intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development framework.

The document covers the top five thematic priorities of youth:  education, employment and entrepreneurship, health, good governance, and peace and stability.  It asks for inclusion in the post-2015 development agenda of such targets as:  ensuring universal access to quality primary and post-primary education; reducing the number of youth not in employment; ensuring young people’s meaningful and inclusive participation in decision-making processes, governance and peacebuilding; improving the physical, social and mental health of adolescents and youth; and eliminating all forms of violence and discrimination against adolescents and youth.

In his keynote speech Lloyd Russell-Moyle said: “This forum is a good step, but clearly still too tokenistic, too much talking from the front from men, but it will evolve, it must evolve into a permanent forum on youth which makes decisions jointly with governments and young people.”

Read more:

UN’S Economic and Social Council’s press release.

International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations’ press release.