UNESCO

The power of youth
Young people are major agents of change.
They have the creativity and the capacity
to make change happen. UNESCO works
with and for young people to empower
them and to help them drive social
innovation, participate fully in their
societies, work to eradicate poverty and
inequality, and foster a culture of peace.
The Ninth UNESCO Youth Forum,
‘Young Global Citizens for a Sustainable
Planet’, met in Paris in October. Over
500 young women and men from all
over the world focused on issues related
to climate change and the post-2015
Sustainable Development Agenda.
The aim was to ensure that the voices
of future generations remain front
and centre of the new development
agenda. This was a crucial time to
establish youth as a top concern
on the international agenda, just
one month after the UN Summit on
the Post-2015 Development Agenda
and one month before the UN Climate
Change Conference (COP21). The young
participants shared their visions for
the future and recommended actions
on a global scale, concerning rights,
freedoms and responsibilities; diversity
and identity; learning, personal
development and sustainability;
knowledge, awareness and media;
local practices, biodiversity and
the prevention of natural disasters.
Young people
exchange ideas
during a working
group session
from the 2015
UNESCO Youth
Forum at UNESCO
Headquarters
in October.
© UNESCO/Cyril Bailleul
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