Youth lead the way ahead of UN Summit of the Future

Scores of youth from across the world packed into the UN General Assembly Hall for the start of two “action days” ahead of the Summit, which begins on Sunday. 

Felipe Paullier, the first-ever UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, described the Summit of the Future as a once-in-a-generation chance to reshape the multilateral system and put young people at its heart.

Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, speaks during the opening of Summit of the Future Action Days.

Preparing the landscape

“Ten years ago, a day like today would have been unimaginable: a day on the official programme of the United Nations dedicated to youth,” he said.

“A day when this house recognizes that any agenda – whether it’s gender, climate, peace and security, sustainable development or human rights – has the youth agenda as a cross-cutting element of it.”

Young people have been “instrumental in shaping the landscape” in preparation for the Summit, said Terry Otieno, a social advocate from Kenya and member of the Major Group for Children and Youth at the UN.

Shaping the future

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

A Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generationswill be in annex.

They are also examining proposals to reform the international financial architecture and the UN Security Council, which were established some eight decades ago, at a time when many countries were still under colonial rule.

Young activist Areej from Yemen remarked that children born years from now will be affected by decisions made today.

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

Secretary-General António Guterres (centre) has a dialogue with Caleb Brathwaite (left) and Daphne Frias during the opening of Summit of the Future Action Days.

Against youth ‘tokenism’

Young people believe that their participation in UN affairs is best described as “tokenism”, according to a live poll taken in the room prior to a dialogue with Secretary-General António Guterres.  

Caleb Brathwaite, president of the Barbados Youth Development Council, was not surprised by the results, recalling that the Secretary-General recently said the current multilateral system “was built by our grandparents”.

He feared that the Pact for the Future will be “a mere agreement”, and appealed for action, including establishing branches of the UN Youth Office across the globe.

He also urged young people to “keep our governments’ feet to the fire” to ensure that the chapter of the Pact that covers youth and future generations is realized.

Listen to us

“The most sort of insidious thing about tokenism is that our stories get to be shared with others, but they don’t actually inform action going forward,” said Daphne Frias, a youth activist and organizer.

“Our voices occupy rooms, but then they fall on silent ears.”

Daphne said it is truly time to listen to her generation. She also pointed out that not only do young people face obstacles in engaging with the UN, they also encounter barriers in seeking employment with the global body in terms of education, language and other requirements.

Committed to reform

The Secretary-General noted that currently “there is a growing interest and the creation of some mechanisms to listen to young people”, but added “there is a lot yet to be done.”

Having young people participate in decision-making processes requires implementing several reforms, which he said is “not easy” in an intergovernmental organization like the UN.

Mr. Guterres said guaranteeing that young people, civil society and others can participate in decision-making processes is a central aspect of the Summit of the Future and the proposed reforms.

“This is the task that our Office now has to engage very strongly,” he said, expressing total commitment to the days of negotiation and consensus-building ahead. 

The Summit of the Future will be held from 22-23 September, just prior to the start of the annual debate in the UN General Assembly Hall.