Deputy Secretary-General,
Your Excellency Ambassador Rui Vinhas, Permanent Representative of Portugal,
Your Excellency Ambassador Hedda Samson, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union,
Excellencies,
My fellow UN Principal Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs,
Natalia Tsuyama Cócolo, CSW youth steering committee member,
And – importantly – young leaders from around the world or joining virtually!
What better time to launch the Core Principles for Meaningful Youth Participation than here at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, as we focus on closing the justice gap for all women and girls? Because there can be no justice without meaningful, equitable participation.
These Core Principles are the blueprint for creating an environment where young people drive change in global decision-making, and where governments are held accountable for their commitments. This isn’t about letting young people watch from the sidelines. It’s about making sure that your voices are heard and valued – that you are not just counted, but counted in.
The journey to this point was a shared one. UNFPA and the UN Youth Office had the privilege to co-chair the Task Force, but the real power came from youth representatives, UN partners and Member States working together to ensure meaningful and accountable outcomes. The deep, honest consultations we held brought the voices of thousands of young people to the fore.
At UNFPA, meaningful youth participation is nothing new; it’s our lifeblood. Youth leadership, participation, and capacity development have long been central to our work, and we are proud to be recognized as a top performer in the implementation of the UN’s Youth2030 Strategy.
By prioritizing the leadership of adolescent girls and young women, in all their diversity, we help pave the way for their voices to emerge from the margins into the halls where decisions are made. To ensure our actions match our ambitions for genuine youth engagement, we are piloting the UN Youth Marker to track our investments.
The Core Principles we launch today will ensure that those so often pushed to the margins are centred in decision making. As the Deputy Secretary-General said, by building in safety, transparency, and inclusion as pillars of these Principles, we are breaking down the invisible walls that have long kept young people on the outside looking in. Working together across generations, we can reset the status quo and set the course for an equitable future where every voice counts, and no one is left behind.
I thank you.
