Young people gathered online for the Generation17 Dialogue, titled ‘Amplifying the voices, stories and ingenuity of young leaders helping achieve the Global Goals’, 29–30 June 2022, which brought together youth networks with development partners.

With more than 400 people registered, the Dialogue provided a space for young leaders from across the world to connect and exchange on how they are taking action in their communities: from climate action in Turkey for the protection of coastal areas to using digital platforms for education on sustainable development in Saudi Arabia, and from promoting young women’s leadership in Mali to seeking justice and equal opportunities through supporting women refugees in Indonesia and marginalized communities in Brazil. Learn more about the Generation17 young leaders here

Re-watch the Dialogue

Youth-led recommendations

During the Generation17 Dialogue, young participants engaged in conversation on climate action and ambition; partnerships; technology and innovation; and peaceful, just and inclusive societies. These conversation were facilitated by young leaders and resulted in identification of priorities and areas of support. 

Presentation of recommendations from the dialogue.

Blog: Young people call for concerted action on climate, sustainable development and peace.

A shared vision

At this very moment and across the globe – young people and their organizations are taking action for sustainable development and leveraging technology and innovation: From youth civic engagement in crisis response in Lebanon to climate action in Turkey for the protection of coastal areas, and from promoting young women’s leadership in Mali to seeking justice and equal opportunities through supporting women refugees in Indonesia and marginalized communities in Brazil.

While working in different sectors on a broad range of development issues, young leaders and partners from across the world who attended the Generation17 Dialogue 2022 voiced a similar vision. A vision for a better future for all. It showed how young people come together with innovative ideas for sustainable development: to end poverty, protect the planet and build peace.

Throughout the youth consultation at the Generation17 Dialogue, young people called for a recognition of their role as critical actors of change for sustainable development. Young people are decision-makers, not only beneficiaries or implementers of development initiatives. Youth-led initiatives take many forms, illustrating the diversity of young people working for sustainable development in different contexts.

Climate action and ambition

Priorities

  • Prioritize education on climate change to increase climate action and ambition;
  • Raise awareness of carbon emission and global warming and the importance of clean and affordable energy;
  • Tackle climate change and its impact in rural communities, which includes poverty, hunger and deforestation.

The support that young people asked for:

  • Ensure opportunities for young people to think global, act local;
  • Provide incentives for green businesses for young innovators and entrepreneurs to contribute to sustainable development;
  • Establish platforms for young people to learn and share experiences on climate action;
  • Provide accessible data and information on the impact of climate change and environmental issues.

Peaceful, just and inclusive societies

Priorities:

  • Ensure youth-inclusive decision-making processes, policies and mechanisms relating to development and peace;
  • Establish accountability mechanisms to increase accountability of the policies and frameworks that promote youth civic engagement and political participation;
  • Promote information integrity by addressing misinformation and enable access to information.

The support that young people asked for:

  • Advance human security and promote youth empowerment through development programmes that combines peacebuilding and economic empowerment. Protection, basic needs and economic opportunities are foundational for young people to lead change, in particular in crisis- and conflict-affected societies.
  • Support infrastructures for peace and provide capacity develop for young people to engage herein;
  • Invest in youth-led ideas and initiatives;
  • Apply an intersectional lens for holistic approaches to advancing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Technology and innovation

Priorities:

  • Make ‘the decade of action’ on the Sustainable Development Goals become reality;
  • Increase access to technology to foster a more equitable and inclusive world;
  • Tackle the digital divide to facilitate quality education for all and digital inclusion;
  • Make green technology a priority.

The support that young people asked for:

  • Access to technology, information, research and data;
  • Recognition of young people and their organizations as essential partners for sustainable development;
  • Availability of mentorship for young innovators and entrepreneurs.

Partnerships

  • Youth should partner with feminists’ movements and women’s groups to promote gender equality and justice for all;
  • Youth can partner with community actors as a way of contributing to development and aid at the local level;
  • Partnerships are essential for connecting initiatives at the local level with global agendas;
  • Partnerships with the private sector can enable young people with access to technology;
  • Partnerships with youth organizations can accelerate impact in communities for sustainable development.

These recommendations are a summary of the youth consultative session of the Generation17 Dialogue, drafted on the basis of the notes taken by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Generation17 young leaders identified the areas of discussion and received the recommendations for review.

Gen17 logo

The Generation17 partnership by Samsung and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports a group of inspiring young leaders – ages 18 to 32 – dedicated to innovating for humanity and mobilizing global communities.

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