Youth2030 Forward: Advancing the UN’s Work With and For Youth

NEW YORK, UN Headquarters, 25 July 2025 — As a participant in the 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), I had the opportunity to attend and reflect on the “Youth2030 Forward” event. What follows is not just a summary — it’s a personal account of a session that bridged institutional reporting with the lived realities of young people leading change.

“Today’s gathering is an excellent opportunity for all of us to reflect on our progress and to celebrate the powerful collaborations between governments, the UN, and young people,” stated H.E. Mr. Kairat Umarov, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations.

Stories that speak: From lived experience to global vision

The session’s heartbeat came from the storytelling circle: young people and representatives of UN entities sharing personal stories of activism, advocacy and resilience in an intergenerational dialogue. Each speaker responded to one another, building empathy and weaving their stories into a shared narrative of action and progress.

Speakers emphasized the importance of shared accountability, joint learning and sustained investment in youth leadership — across sectors, generations and regions.

Stessy Lorraine Kaze, President of AfriYAN Burundi, drew attention to the critical issue of teenage pregnancy, noting that thousands of girls become mothers before completing school.
“Behind these numbers are broken dreams — girls forced to leave school and lives changed forever,” she said. With support from UNFPA, the organization that Stessy leads has stepped up to raise awareness, educate and provide support on sexual and reproductive health and rights through youth-led conversations in schools, churches and communities at large.

Gantha Zara, a member of the UN Youth Advisory Group in Iraq, highlighted how, thanks to the advocacy of young people — and with support from the UN and the government — workshops were organized across Iraq to gather the perspectives of children and youth for the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These national climate action plans outline each country’s commitment to global efforts to combat climate change. As a facilitator in the process, Gantha shared: “Never give up on a dream just because it is too big to come true soon. Everything that is big takes time. Nothing is impossible when we work hand in hand for a goal.”

Marcos Neto, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director built on Gantha’s story to underscore the importance of youth participation in processes like NDC 2.0, because of the positive outcomes for our collective future. Reflecting on UNDP research, he noted that “the more inclusive of all society, in particular of youth, an NDC is, the more ambitious an NDC will be”.

Empowering youth for a better future

In sharing a story from her home country of Saint Lucia, Sade Gustave, Secretary of the UNCT Youth Advisory Group for the Eastern Caribbean, reflected that, “When youth are trusted and empowered, they lead the healing of their communities and themselves.”

H.E. Mr. Erik Laursen, Deputy Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations, underscored the value of intergenerational collaboration: “We believe that youth should be at the table — not only in youth events such as this, but in broader policy processes. Intergenerational collaboration is key to building inclusive, future-focused solutions.”

Andrew Saberton, Deputy Executive Director for Management at UNFPA, added that, “We are already seeing youth are making a difference as leaders and as agents of change, bringing forward innovative solutions and demonstrating an effectiveness to galvanise political will.”

As the dialogue looked ahead to the future, speakers called for sustaining meaningful youth participation efforts. Mukhammeddier Zakhidzanov, a member of the UNCT Youth Advisory Group in Kyrgyzstan and executive director of his own organization working in the areas of climate change, water governance, and biodiversity, called for “advancing more meaningful youth inclusion in governance, ensuring our generation is not only heard, but truly involved in shaping sustainable and equitable futures.”

In conclusion: A personal reflection

As someone who witnessed this session firsthand, I left with a renewed sense of what meaningful youth participation looks like: that young people are experts in their own realities. If we continue to listen, elevate and invest in youth — not as symbols but as partners — then the promise of Youth2030 might just become our shared reality.

I was especially inspired by the closing of Felipe Paullier, the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, calling for us to “carry the energy in this room, the passion of these stories and keep this momentum” to move forward together.

(UN Youth Office)