WHAT?

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum will take place from 25 to 27 April 2023 in a hybrid format.

The Forum provides a platform for young people to engage in a dialogue with Member States and other actors to voice their views, concerns and galvanize actions on how to transform the world into a fairer, greener and more sustainable place guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Youth Forum will address the theme of ECOSOC and the 2023 UN High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF) on “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at levels”. It will also review progress in the areas of clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), and partnerships for the goals (SDG17).

The Youth Forum will also gather young people to share their  recommendations and innovative ideas in preparation of the SDG Summit, to be held under the auspices of the General Assembly, in September 2023. It will also aim to complement other intergovernmental meetings, such as the upcoming UN Water Conference (March 2023), the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework (May 2023) and the second part of the LDC-5 Conference (March 2023).

WHO?

The 2023 ECOSOC Youth Forum is convened by the President of ECOSOC and co-organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and the Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, in collaboration with the United Nations Inter Agency Network on Youth Development (IANYD), and co-convened by the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) and the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organizations (ICMYO), with technical inputs from youth-led and youth-focused organizations relevant to the theme of the forum.

Youth leaders from around the world will have the opportunity to engage with government representatives, youth delegates, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders in civil society and the private sector.

HOW?

The three-day event will feature plenary sessions as well as interactive thematic and regionally based discussions. Young people are invited to share best practices, lessons learned, solutions as well as creative and innovative ideas with Member States, other youth participants and stakeholders on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and on the sustainable development goals under review in the Economic and Social Council and the High-level Political Forum in July 2023. They will also have the opportunity to contribute to the preparatory process of the SDG Summit on 27 April 2023.  

Side events will take place virtually and in-person from 25 to 27 April 2023.

Information

Side Events

Concept Notes

25 April 2023

Opening Session (Video)

Plenary Sessions (Video)

Parallel Thematic Breakout Sessions

26 April 2023

Parallel Regional Breakout Sessions

Plenary Sessions

27 April 2023 – Youth and the SDG Summit 2023

Plenary Sessions