Meaningful Youth Engagement in Policymaking and Decision-making Processes, Policy brief

The world today has the knowledge and resources required to deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. But transformative changes will simply not be possible at the scale required without the buy-in and contributions of a wide range of actors. This is especially true of the 1.2 billion young people alive today.

Building on the United Nation’s “Our Common Agenda” and intergovernmental and extensive multi- stakeholder consultations, including with youth, three key recommendations are put forward in the present brief. It is recommended that Member States:

• Expand and strengthen youth participation in decision-making at all levels;
• Make meaningful youth engagement a requirement in all United Nations decision-making processes;
• Support the establishment of a standing United Nations Youth Townhall and an integrated programme from the United Nations system to facilitate greater diversity, representativeness, and preparedness in youth participation.