Background
Launched in 2018, Youth 2030, the United Nations' system-wide Youth Strategy acts as an umbrella framework that guides the UN's efforts to strengthen its work with and for young people across the three pillars - peace and security, human rights and sustainable development - in all contexts.
It seeks to significantly step up the UN's capacity to engage young people and taken into account their views, insights and ideas towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the achievement of a more just, equal, and peaceful future for all. It seeks to ensure the UN's work on youth issues is pursued in a coordinated, coherence and holistic manner.
UN MGCY Role’s in the Strategy
UN MGCY is a member of the High Level Steering Committee of Youth 2030. In addition, it is currently co-leading 3 Task Teams (the maximum any member can lead). These include- 1) UN Country Team Score Cards, 2) UN Entity Score Cards, and 4) Stocktake Report. Additionally we are supporting the work of additional task teams including - 1) Multi Stakeholder Mapping, Guidance 2) Youth 2030 Toolkit
As part of this process, we have directly co coordinated the roll out of UNCT score cards in the priority fast track countries, and held several consultations with a series of youth groups to inform the work of the strategy.
In addition, towards the end of 2018, we had established and continue to coordinate the UN Youth Strategy Focus Group, that follows a universal and equitable model and open for any interested youth-led or youth-serving organizations to engage. We consult the Focus Group members on different stages and steps of the Youth2030 implementation and continue to take their inputs into account.
Youth Briefing on Youth 2030
The first youth briefing since the launch the strategy was held on the 13th of November 2020 and organised by UN MGCY and OSGEY. It provided an opportunity for updates for youth to learn about the Progress of the strategy. More specifically, its objectives included:
Inform young people and youth entities/organizations on the progress in the implementation and rollout of the youth strategy.
Provide a platform to listen to young people and their perception of the strategy in their respective contexts and communities, and exchange views around the prevalent narratives associated with it.
Discuss avenues and articulate possible ways forward for a youth inclusive implementation of Youth 2030
Highlight potential complementarities, synergies, and entry points for engagement with Youth 2030.
Stocktake and Moving Forward
As the first two year cycle of the High Level Steering Committee (HLSC) and Joint Working Group (JWG) is approaching conclusion, various youth partners involved in the work of the strategy have compiled a list of suggestions to further enhance youth engagement in the work of the strategy. These can be seen the document, “A Case for Continuous Improvement: Suggestions for Further Enhancing Youth Engagement in Youth 2030”
Want to Engage in the Work of the Strategy?
If you are a young person and want to engage in the work of the strategy, please join the Youth Strategy Focus Group. This is open to any formal or informal youth youth organisation or young person. This group is coordinated by the UN MGCY Secretariat.