The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum is back! For obvious reasons, the Forum, celebrating its 10th anniversary, will be held online this year from 7 to 8 April 2021. Register now to secure your spot and make your voice heard.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the whole world to a halt. But youth have not stood still. Across the world, young people have been stepping up to respond to the crisis with resilience, resourcefulness, and leadership, from calling for urgent climate action and building peace, to tackling racial injustice and gender biases.

At a critical historical juncture where the world is struggling to reinvent itself in response to the challenges of COVID-19, we need young people like you to share your visions and actions to recover from the pandemic into a greener, more just world.

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is the main avenue through which young people can contribute to policy discussions at the United Nations, sharing their ideas, solutions, and innovations.

The 2021 Forum’s discussions will be guided by the overall theme of the 2021 High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF): “Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: Building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the Decade of Action and delivery for sustainable development”.

The Forum will explore young peoples’ views and solutions on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will be reviewed at the 2021 HLPF, namely SDG 1 - No poverty, 2 - Zero hunger, 3 - Good health and well-being, 8 - Decent work and economic growth, 10 - Reduced inequalities, 12 - Sustainable consumption and production, 13 -Climate action, 16- Peaceful, just and inclusive societies and 17 - Partnership.

Registration for the Forum is open until 17 March 2021.

You can register to participate in the Forum in one of the following categories:

  • Individual Young Person (a single individual age 30 and below, and wants to attend the Forum in a personal capacity and not on behalf of an organization)
  • Individual Person (a single individual age 31+, and wants to attend the Forum in a personal capacity and not on behalf of an organization)
  • Youth-led Organization (organization is run by youth, age 30 and below)
  • Youth-focused Organization (organization is run by adults, age 30+, and works for youth)

Visit the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2021 webpage for more information, including the concept note and draft programme.