Young leaders, innovators and advocates from around the world are gathering at UN Headquarters in New York until Thursday 2026 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum.
The event aims to advance innovative solutions to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Organized under the theme Innovate, unite and transform: youth shaping the path to 2030, The platform affirms youth as essential partners in building a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future.
bring ‘sunshine’
Recognizing that it is rare to see a room filled with so much positive energy, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock thanked the participants for bringing “sunshine” to the UN halls.
Emphasizing that youth must be involved not just now, but also in the future, he told the audience that they were there for more than just talking: “It’s a test of whether we’re really ready to do the work“
He shared three messages with delegates, ministers and youth leaders:
“First of all, to the delegates and permanent representatives in New York: Go ahead, no excuse. (…) Second, to the ministers and representatives of the capital: discussions here Gotta move on from this room. (…) and last, To young people: Keep pushing boundaries. Keep asking questions. keep leading“
Ms. Baerbock also urged participants to take advantage of the opportunity to connect with policymakers and remain authentic: “Don’t let anyone tell you that you have to wear a dark suit like a diplomat or speak like a diplomat to be taken seriously. Because We definitely need your voices because you are uniquely you“
agent of change
Opening the forum, Mr Lok Bahadur Thapa, President of ECOSOC, highlighted the challenges facing youth today, including geopolitical tensions, climate change, economic uncertainty, rising inequalities, technological disruption and the digital divide.
“Amidst these challenges, Youth stand not only as those most affected, but also as indispensable agents of change. Across communities and regions, youth are not only driving solutions but actively shaping a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for all,” Mr Thapa said.
Emphasizing the importance of youth leadership, he said hope, solidarity and innovation “are already alive in every region of the world.”
Calling for truly inclusive progress, Mr Thapa stressed the need to “ensure that all young people have equal access to opportunity, voice and influence, regardless of geography, gender, ability or socio-economic background”.
many were excluded
According to the World Bank, there are 1.2 billion youth aged 15 to 24, which is 16 percent of the population. By 2030 – target date for sustainable development goals (SDGs) that make 2030 agenda – The number of youth is estimated to increase by 7 percent to about 1.3 billion.
Mr. Jaewon Choi, Executive Director of the DMUN Foundation – a youth-led, non-governmental organization that empowers youth to become active stakeholders – and keynote speaker at the event called for greater inclusion, warning that many youth are excluded from systems designed to serve them.
He said, “Every 4.4 seconds a young person dies … from malnutrition, from preventable diseases, from violence, from natural disasters, and from the tragedy of being excluded from every system that was meant to protect them.”
Emphasizing the urgency of action, he said: “We are the ones who will inherit the consequences of every decision taken or avoided and already are. We deserve the fundamental right to be part of making these decisions.”
Discussions at the Forum focused on clean water (SDG 6), energy (SDG 7), infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities (SDG 11), and partnerships (SDG 17), to be further explored later. High level political forum in July 2026.
