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From April 15–17, young leaders from around the world have gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum, the UN’s largest annual gathering of youth. The forum serves as a platform for young people to bring forward bold, data-driven, and actionable ideas in response to the world’s biggest challenges—from climate change and inequality to sustainable economic growth.
This year’s theme is: “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for leaving no one behind.” Discussions are centered around key SDGs under review in 2025:
- SDG 3 (Good health and well-being)
- SDG 5 (Gender equality)
- SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth)
- SDG 14 (Life below water)
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)
More than 55 ministers, 18 National Youth Council heads, and over 105 youth delegates are in attendance. The forum continues to be a vital space for elevating youth voices and integrating their perspectives into policymaking.
Speakers include H.E. Bob Rae, President of ECOSOC, who emphasized the need for youth to be heard and valued in decision-making, and Li Junhua, UN DESA Under-Secretary-General, who called on youth to help build a more sustainable and resilient world.
The outcomes of the forum will feed into several major global meetings later this year, including:
- The Third UN Ocean Conference (June 2025)
- The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (July 2025)
- The Second World Summit for Social Development (November 2025)
Throughout the three-day event, young participants are also exploring topics like the protection of ocean ecosystems, innovative financing models, cross-sector collaboration, and how to close the gap in access to green jobs and education.
For more information, visit the ECOSOC Youth Forum website.
