Youth Demand Urgent 2030 Sustainable Action

Young leaders gather at UN to advance innovative solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals

Apr. 16, 2026 at 2:22am

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A dynamic, abstract painting showing a group of young people in motion, their figures repeated and overlapping in waves of vibrant colors like red, orange, and yellow, conveying the energy and urgency of the youth-led movement for sustainable development.Young advocates and innovators unite to push for urgent action on the Sustainable Development Goals.NYC Today

Young leaders, innovators and advocates from around the world are gathering at UN Headquarters in New York for the 2026 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum. The event aims to advance innovative solutions to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, with a focus on areas like clean water, energy, infrastructure, sustainable cities, and global partnerships.

Why it matters

As the world confronts complex crises like climate change and technological disruption, the leadership and voices of young people are essential for building a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future. The ECOSOC Youth Forum provides a platform for young advocates to engage directly with policymakers and drive progress on the critical SDGs.

The details

The forum, held under the theme 'Innovate, Unite and Transform: Youth Shaping the Road to 2030', reaffirms young people as essential partners in achieving the SDGs. Speakers emphasized the need to ensure all young people, regardless of background, have equitable access to opportunity, voice and influence. The discussions are focusing on key SDG areas like clean water, energy, infrastructure, sustainable cities, and global partnerships.

  • The ECOSOC Youth Forum is taking place from April 16-21, 2026 at UN Headquarters in New York.
  • The 2026 High-level Political Forum in July will further explore the SDG 17 partnership goal discussed at the Youth Forum.

The players

Annalena Baerbock

General Assembly President who thanked participants for bringing "sunshine" to the UN and urged delegates, ministers and young leaders to take action.

Lok Bahadur Thapa

ECOSOC President who highlighted the challenges facing young people today and stressed the importance of youth leadership in advancing solutions and shaping a more inclusive, sustainable future.

Jaewon Choi

Executive director of the DMUN Foundation, a youth-led NGO, and keynote speaker who warned that many young people remain excluded from the very systems meant to serve them and called for urgent action.

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What they’re saying

“First, to delegates and Permanent Representatives in New York: follow through, no excuses. Second, to Ministers and representatives from capital: the discussions here must move beyond this chamber. And last, to young people: keep pushing boundaries. Keep questioning. Keep leading.”

— Annalena Baerbock, General Assembly President

“Amid these challenges, young people stand not only as those most affected, but also as indispensable agents of change. Across communities and sectors, young people are not only advancing solutions but actively shaping a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future for all.”

— Lok Bahadur Thapa, ECOSOC President

“Every 4.4 seconds, a young person dies…from malnutrition, from preventable disease, from violence, from natural disasters, and from the tragedy of being excluded from every system that was mandated to protect them. We are the ones who will, and are already, inheriting the consequences of every decision that is formed or avoided. We deserve the fundamental right to be part of making these decisions.”

— Jaewon Choi, Executive Director, DMUN Foundation

What’s next

The discussions at the ECOSOC Youth Forum will inform the agenda and priorities at the 2026 High-level Political Forum in July, where global leaders will further explore SDG 17 on partnerships for the Goals.

The takeaway

The ECOSOC Youth Forum demonstrates the critical role young people are playing in driving innovative solutions and shaping a more sustainable, inclusive future. By elevating youth voices and ensuring equitable access to opportunity, the international community can harness the energy and ideas of the next generation to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.