Empowering Youth for Sustainable Human Development

The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Benin to the United Nations, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is hosting this important and timely discussion on youth empowerment and participation for sustainable human development.

As we recall global historic events that have been led by youth in recent times, we can no longer overlook the potential, energy, vision and innovation youth bring to the discourse on sustainable development, be it economic, environmental, social or political. In many cases, this means that youth need to have a seat at the table so that their voices can be heard and that they are able to play a role in influencing key development decisions and therefore the need for more inclusion, empowerment and political participation of youth.  

While youth are not a homogenous group, they often face common challenges in terms of growing unemployment, social exclusion, greater exposure and vulnerability to the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change and limited scope to influence economic and political decisions that affect their lives.

The UN Secretary-General has highlighted the urgency to address the needs of the “largest generation of young people the world has ever known” as part of his five-year agenda. What are some of the persistent challenges and positive experiences and lessons that can be learned from countries that have empowered and engaged youth in finding sustainable development solutions? Should we be pursuing a sectoral approach to addressing youth exclusion or invest more in a cross-cutting and capacity development approach so that youth are equipped with the technical skills and leadership qualities to respond effectively to the development challenges in their communities? As a key development agency present in over 170 countries and part of the UN system, how best can UNDP support national partners, including youth and youth-led organizations to fully contribute to and benefit from sustainable human development. These will be among some of the questions we would pose for thoughtful reflection and debate.

Learn more about UNDP's work on Youth here.