Young people can play a major role in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2023 Youth Forum will be held as part of the World Investment Forum under the theme Investing in Sustainable Development. Youth will gather to participate in Youth o’Clocks and interactive sessions and workshops with a focus on the role they can play in maximizing the contribution of investment and enterprise to sustainable development. The Forum will also offer an opportunity for youth to present several youth-led initiatives.
The first UNCTAD Youth Forum took place in 2016 during the fourteenth Ministerial Conference (UNCTAD 14) in Nairobi, where 250 young game changers from over 70 countries participated in the Forum and prepared a Youth Declaration that became an integral part of the UNCTAD 14 outcome documents. Since then, UNCTAD has continuously reached out to youth worldwide and created a Youth Network which provides them with a platform where they can interact, voice their concerns, share their ideas, and collaborate and contribute to major United Nations events and discussions.
The 4th UNCTAD Youth Forum will provide young people from all over the world a platform to discuss topics such as transforming industries, technological developments, and reimagining education. It will also help them develop soft skills so they can work together effectively in a digital future and contribute to the realization of the SDGs in their local communities and beyond.
Session themes:
- Green industries are crucial in creating sustainable and environmentally friendly economic growth.
- Technology and innovation help solve some of the most pressing challenges facing society.
- Education is the foundation for future success.