Young leaders, innovators, and advocates from across the globe are convening at UN Headquarters in New York for the 2026 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum. The forum, running until Thursday, is dedicated to advancing innovative solutions to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Operating under the theme Innovate, Unite and Transform: Youth Shaping the Road to 2030, the event underscores the critical role of young people as partners in forging a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future.
Urgency and Inclusion Emphasized by Leaders
Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly, commended the participants for their energetic presence, stating, “it’s a test of whether we are truly ready to act.” She delivered three key messages to the attendees: urging delegates and Permanent Representatives in New York to act decisively with “no excuses”; calling on Ministers and representatives to ensure discussions extend beyond the forum; and encouraging young people to “keep pushing boundaries. Keep questioning. Keep leading.” Ms. Baerbock also advised young participants to remain authentic, emphasizing, “we need your voices precisely because you are uniquely you.”
Agents of Change Amid Global Challenges
Opening the forum, ECOSOC President Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa highlighted the complex challenges confronting youth, including geopolitical tensions, climate change, economic instability, escalating inequalities, and digital divides. “Amid these challenges, young people stand not only as those most affected, but also as indispensable agents of change,” Mr. Thapa stated. He affirmed that young people are actively developing solutions and shaping a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient future for everyone. Mr. Thapa stressed the importance of youth leadership, noting that hope, solidarity, and innovation are prevalent globally. He called for truly inclusive progress, ensuring that all young individuals, irrespective of their background, have equal opportunities, a voice, and influence.
The Stark Reality: A Young Person Dies Every 4.4 Seconds
The UN reports that there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24, representing 16 percent of the global population. By 2030, the target year for the SDGs, this number is projected to increase by seven percent to nearly 1.3 billion.
Echoing the call for greater inclusion, keynote speaker Mr. Jaewon Choi, leader of the DMUN Foundation, warned of the exclusion many young people face from essential systems. “Every 4.4 seconds, a young person dies… from malnutrition, from preventable disease, from violence, from natural disasters, and from the tragedy of being excluded from every system that was mandated to protect them,” he revealed. Mr. Choi underscored the urgency of action, stating, “We are the ones who will, and are already, inheriting the consequences of every decision that is formed or avoided. We deserve the fundamental right to be part of making these decisions.”
Focus Areas for Action
Discussions at the Forum are concentrating on key areas including clean water (SDG 6), energy (SDG 7), infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities (SDG 11), and partnerships (SDG 17). The topic of partnerships will be further explored at the 2026 High-level Political Forum in July.
