The event will be an intergenerational stocktaking discussion on youth engagement in the work of the United Nations and how this has evolved over the past few years, especially in the framework of the Secretary-General’s report “Our Common Agenda”. The exchange will bring together youth as well as senior United Nations and Member States representatives and will provide a platform for young people to put forward their views as well as their recommendations for the future with regard to furthering meaningful, diverse and effective youth engagement in United Nations deliberative and decision-making processes.

Objectives:

• Offer youth delegates a platform to look at, and express their views on, the state of play of youth engagement at the United Nations in the various fora of the Organization;
• Make an assessment of youth engagement across the spectrum of various thematic and policy areas covered in United Nations fora and identify success stories and lessons learned;
• Express views on various recommendations formulated in “Our Common Agenda” and how they have contributed or will further contribute to enhancing youth engagement in the United Nations;
• Put forward ideas and recommendations for improvement and concrete next steps towards further enhancing youth participation in consultative processes and the work of the United Nations;
• Bring together all UN Youth Delegates from across various geographical regions and encourage them to engage in consultations amongst themselves in preparation of as well as in follow-up to the event;
• Pave the way for more in-depth consultations with the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth in relation to the development of recommendations for more meaningful, diverse and effective youth engagement in United Nations deliberative and decision-making processes, as requested by the Secretary-General in the framework of “Our Common Agenda”.

Guiding questions:

1. What does youth engagement currently look like in various UN fora? What are some successful examples of youth participation?
2. In what policy areas are young people most actively engaging at the United Nations? What does this look like in practice? What barriers prevent young people from meaningfully engaging in certain policy areas?
3. What concrete steps could be taken to further advance meaningful youth engagement at the United Nations?

Outcome: A summary of recommendations emerging from the discussion will be prepared following the event, with the aim to inform upcoming consultations on meaningful youth participation at the UN, including in view of the work of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth in follow-up to the “Our Common Agenda” report. The recommendations would also constitute a basis for further discussions amongst the UN Youth Delegates, as well as between Youth Delegates and the UN Secretariat and Member States.

Format:

The dialogue will be an interactive intergenerational discussion moderated by the EU Youth Delegates to the United Nations. The event will be open to all UN Youth Delegates for active participation. It will be co-hosted and opened by the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations and the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. The list of guests and speakers will also include United Nations and Member States representatives who will engage directly with the UN Youth Delegates in a panel discussion, which will be followed by a “Questions & Answers” session.

The event will be open to all UN Youth Delegates in-person or virtually, while Member States and UN representatives are welcome to join virtually.

Tentative programme:

1. Opening and welcoming remarks [11.30 am – 11.45 am]

• Welcoming remarks by H.E. Mr. Olof Skoog, Head of the EU Delegation, and Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth
• Introductory remarks by Ms. Nadia Gullestrup Christensen and Ms. Lucija Karnelutti, EU Youth Delegates to the United Nations   

2. Panel discussion [11.45 am – 12.30 pm]

• Moderated by Ms. Nadia Gullestrup Christensen & Ms. Lucija Karnelutti, EU Youth Delegates to the UN

• Speakers: UN Youth Delegates representing different geographical areas and high-level UN and Member States representatives [to be announced]

3. Remarks and Q&A from the floor [12.30 pm – 12.55 pm]

• Moderated by Ms. Nadia Gullestrup Christensen & Ms. Lucija Karnelutti, EU Youth Delegates to the UN

• Open to all UN Youth Delegates
• Questions can be addressed to the panel from the audience on the basis of a list of speakers (on a first come, first served basis, as time allows), by participants both from among the UN Youth Delegates as well as UN and Member States representatives present.

4. Closing remarks [12.55 pm – 1.00 pm]