ECOSOC Youth Forum 2018

ECOSOC Youth Forum 2018: The role of youth in building sustainable and resilient urban and rural communities

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, to be held on 30-31 January 2018, will provide a platform for youth to engage in a dialogue with Member States, the ILO and UN agency partners

WHAT?

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, to be held on 30-31 January 2018, will provide a platform for youth to engage in a dialogue with Member States and to discuss the policy frameworks and promote innovative, institutionalised approaches and initiatives for advancing the youth development agenda at national, regional and global levels with a view to promoting solutions to the global challenge of strengthening resilience and sustainable development.

The ILO's Youth Employment Programme and it's IFAD-ILO Taqeem partnership will co-moderate, together with UNDP Arab States, a breakout session. The Regional Breakout Session for Arab States will explore importance of policies and other youth related concerns in creating an enabling environment or mechanisms for youth participation on SDGs.

In the context of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, the ILO, ITU, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UN Women, UNV, and the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) will organize an IDEATHON breakout session on 30 January 2018. The session will provide a platform to come together and develop innovative ideas on how to appropriately use science, technology and innovation to promote: a) Youth engagement; b) Youth development; and c) Resilience under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

WHO?

The Forum will bring youth leaders from around the world to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. It will give them the opportunity to engage with government representatives, youth delegates, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders in civil society and the private sector. The ILO will support participation of young leaders from the Taqeem Community of Practice, a network of 17 youth serving organizations in the Middle East and North Africa region dedicated to improving their expertise in results measurement in youth employment.

HOW?

This two-day event will feature plenary sessions, interactive thematic and regionally-based discussions and region perspectives, and provide an opportunity for a rich exchange of views and ideas on innovative solutions to issues of relevance to young people and the implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, structured around the sustainable development goal under review in the the Economic and Social Council and the High-level Political Forum in 2017.

The session on the Arab States will take place 31 January at 9am.

Information

Draft Programme
Concept note, Arab States Region