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Outcome Document of the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2021 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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VOICES OF YOUTH 2021: Outcome Document of the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2021 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Produced by Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) AUTHORED BY: Heather Nichols CONTRIBUTORS: Steve S.J. Lee Jack Walsh ILLUSTRATION ASSETS: Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth REPORT DESIGNER: Amily Li Voices of Youth 2021: Outcome Document of the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2021 is written exclusively by young people as an informal summary of the proceedings of the plenary, thematic, and regional sessions of the 2021 ECOSOC Youth Forum © Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) June 2021 We would like to thank UNICEF Division of Communication for granting us permission to use the design format of its report, “The State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in the Digital World”. This report and additional online content are available at https://www.unmgcy.org/ Voices of Youth 2021: Outcome Document of the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2021 Acknowledgments Together, we’ve made history! On April 7 and 8, 2021 nearly 20,000 I would like to extend a special thank young people joined from around the you to the ECOSOC Youth Forum world over the course of the two days planning committee for their tireless for the 10th anniversary of the ECOSOC effort and endless hours putting Youth Forum. This has been the Forum’s together this year’s Forum. While we all largest gathering. This milestone marks knew that adapting to a virtual format the largest youth-focused event in 75 would pose it’s challenges, the clerical years of United Nations history. We are rollercoaster that we have been on so grateful to everyone who attended exceeded expectations. and found inspiration for building an inclusive and effective path for the This report has been authored by achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the Heather Nichols on behalf of the Major context of the decade of action and Group for Children and Youth. This delivery for sustainable development. report has been designed by Amily We couldn’t have done it without each Li who has given valuable input and and every one of you! support. This report highlights the voices of This report could not have been written young people who helped to shape without the tremendous support from the 2021 ECOSOC Youth Forum. The Jack Walsh. discussions at the ECOSOC Youth Forum will directly shape the children and youth input into the United Nations This project has been supervised by High Level Political Forum being held in Steve S.J. Lee, Organizing Partner Major July, 2021. Thus, preserving the integrity Group for Children and Youth. of their words and ensuring that this report is an accurate account of the On behalf of the hundreds of hard dialogue was top priority. working individuals who have made this event possible, we are thrilled to This report is an informal summary present the 2021 Voices of Youth at of the proceedings of the plenary, the ECOSOC Youth Forum to the HLPF thematic, and regional sessions of the report. 2021 ECOSOC Youth Forum. It is a direct call to action from young people on current challenges they are facing Heather Nichols and their expectations vis-à-vis the Editor, Voices of Youth Report international community. All text has been verified by relevant stakeholders. Program Coordinator, Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) Table of Contents ABOUT THE REPORT 6 A Brief History of the ECOSOC Youth Forum 7 Key Figures from the Forum 8 POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 10 Recommended Action for Individual Youth, Youth-led 17 Organizations, the International Community, and other Stakeholders Points and Questions Raised on Social Media via Civil 18 Society Members 1. PLENARY SESSIONS AND MINISTERIAL DIALOGUE 1.1 10X10: Ten Years of #ECOSOCYF - Building Up for a Decade 24 of Action 1.2 #YOUTHLEAD: Young People in the Driver’s Seat to Building 28 Back Better 1.3 Achieving the SDGs With and For Youth 32 1.4 Leaving No Youth Behind 52 1.5 Reflecting Back and Looking Forward 64 2. THEMATIC BREAKOUT SESSIONS 2.1 Accelerating Action for the Planet 70 2.2 A People-Centric Response 78 2.3 Prospering and Thriving 86 2.4 Inclusive Peace: The Way Forward 92 2.5 Harnessing Partnerships, Resources and Science: Working 100 Together to Get Things Done 3. REGIONAL BREAKOUT SESSIONS 3.1 Africa 110 3.2 Europe, North America and Other States 118 3.3 Latin America 130 3.4 The Caribbean 142 3.5 Asia and the Pacific 148 3.6 Arab States 156 6 VOICES OF YOUTH AT THE ECOSOC YOUTH FORUM TO THE HLPF About the Report On April 7 to 8 2021, the tenth Despite being disproportionately anniversary of the Economic and Social impacted, young people around the Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum was world are coming together to respond held. The Forum provided a global to this crisis demonstrating resilience, platform for a candid dialogue among resourcefulness and leadership while Member States and young leaders tackling injustice and demanding from around the world on solutions to accountability, from calling for urgent challenges affecting youth wellbeing. climate action and building peace, It also served as a unique space for to tackling inequalities and gender young people to share their vision and biases. Their active involvement in actions as well as to provide youth implementing the SDGs Decade of perspectives on the implementation of Action is critical to achieving a peaceful, the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable just and sustainable future. Development Goals (SDGs). As they embark on this journey of The discussions at the ECOSOC recovery – and building a “better” world Youth Forum 2021 will directly shape - from an unprecedented pandemic, the youth input into the United young people were invited to frame Nations High-level Political Forum on their discussions and share their views, sustainable development being held in experiences and ideas on the recovery July 2021. from COVID-19 including a special focus on the SDGs under review at the The 2021 ECOSOC Youth Forum took HLPF in 2021. place at a critical historical juncture where the world is struggling to This report is an informal summary respond to the multidimensional of the proceedings of the plenary, challenges of COVID-19. The pandemic thematic, and regional sessions of the has upended the lives of young people 2021 ECOSOC Youth Forum. It is a from every region, obliging them to direct call to action from young people adapt to new challenges to health, on current challenges they are facing decent work and employment, food and their expectations vis-à-vis the and nutrition security as well as social international community. isolation and exclusion, among others. Young people have been forced to This report is structured as follows: adjust to a “new normal” where social It will start with main policy distances prevail, notably with respect recommendations for UN leadership to diverse forms of distance learning to and government representatives as ensure the continuation of education called for during proceedings of the and skills acquisition. ECOSOC Youth Forum 2021. Then, the report will proceed with a broad overview summarizing the dialogue of A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ECOSOC YOUTH FORUM 7 the two-day Forum. The summary of numerous challenges, it is clear that this proceedings in the report are organized year’s Forum was the most accessible, by session type. wide-reaching and inclusive ECOSOC Youth Forum held to date. A Brief History of the Although limited and unconventional, ECOSOC Youth Forum youth who could not have otherwise afforded the opportunity to attend the Forum were given the opportunity to The Youth Forum was first organized in engage. Bearing in mind that children 2012, initially as a half-day conference and youth are demanding a place on on “Creating a Sustainable Future: the world stage now more than ever, Empowering Youth with Better Job it is our responsibility to ensure that Opportunities”. The first Forum we are providing safe spaces for all enhanced awareness on high youth young people of all places to contribute unemployment rates, a theme that built to high-level dialogue on issues of on the momentum of the International importance to them. Year of Youth (2010-2011). Thus, as we move with steady The success of the Youth Forum and endeavour to achieve the 2030 Agenda, the subsequent demand by young we must learn from the 2021 ECOSOC people to actively engage led to a full Youth Forum to guarantee that youth day meeting in 2013 and subsequent voices will continue to be amplified en Forums have been transformed masse, and that future events will settle into two-day meetings. From 2014 for nothing less than as inclusive as onwards, the themes of the Youth they can possibly be. If we do not strive Forum have been developed taking to provide room for all young people to into consideration the internationally engage in the international system we agreed development goals, including are doing a disservice to the future of the Millennium Development Goals and our world. the 17 Sustainable Development Goals contained in the 2030 Agenda, for Since its inception, the ECOSOC Youth Sustainable Development. Forum has been a key platform where young people can contribute to policy The 2021 Forum adapted a virtual discussions at the United Nations format in light of COVID-19. This was through their collective ideas, solutions the first time in ten years of ECOSOC and innovations. The success of this Youth Forum history that young people 10th annual ECOSOC Youth Forum were not able to connect in person. has given room to the conveners to While the virtual platform posed reimagine the future of the event.
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