ECOSOC Youth Forum

By
 In News

Maximizing youth engagement in the transition from MDGs to SDGs

The United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will convene a Youth forum on 2-3 February 2015 at the UN Headquarters in New York to discuss the theme “Youth Engagement in the Transition from MDGs to SDGs: What will it take?” (Read the follow-up blog to this post here).

The main aim of this 2-day event is to find ways and means to maximize the engagement of young people in the transition from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This transition is at the heart of the ECOSOC agenda during the 2014-2015 cycle. Indeed, a high-level segment of the ECOSOC will address the theme of the Annual Ministerial Review on “Managing the transition from MDGs to SDGs: what will it take?” In that regard, the Youth Forum is as an opportunity to bring youth’s perspective on the discussion.

The Forum will focus on five thematic sessions: 1. Youth engagement in the transition from MDGs to SDGs; 2. WPAY (World Programme of Action for Youth) +20 and the Post-2015 Development Agenda; 3. Gender equality for young women and girls: Twenty years after Beijing (half session); 4. Youth on the Rise: Youth Participation in Africa (half session); 5. Global, Regional and other processes and Next Steps .

According to the organizers, the outcome will be an ECOSOC President’s summary highlighting the discussions and the participants’ recommendations/next steps on how youth should be included in the post-2015 development agenda.

The summary will be presented at the ECOSOC’s high-level segment in July 2015. The outcome will also be presented to the 53rd Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD, scheduled from 4 to 13 February 2015 in New York).

In addition, a call to action for gender equality in youth development to emanate from the Forum will be presented to the Chair of the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW, scheduled from 9 to 20 March 2015 in New York).

The outcome also might provide input to other related activities including the Secretary-General’s report to the seventieth session of the General Assembly and the World Youth Report.

About 400 participants are expected to attend the ECOSOC Youth Forum among which, youth representatives from Member States, including from National Youth Councils, representatives from the Major Group for Children and Youth, young parliamentarians, representatives of regional youth organizations as well as youth-led and youth focused organizations and networks, including those in consultative status with ECOSOC, as well as Government representatives, including Ministers responsible for youth.


Submitted by human rights law graduate and long-time PCI friend Amadou Moctar Diallo, who is attending the ECOSOC Youth Forum in New York City and covering the event for PCI.


Interested in blogging for us? Email editor@peacechild.org for more information today.

Recommended Posts