Working Together
UNESCO works alongside a multitude of partner organizations who share our priorities, and builds strategic partnerships both at global and national levels, in line with the Paris Declaration for Aid Effectiveness (2005) and UNESCO’s Operational Strategy on Youth 2014-2021. This maximizes the efficiency of the Organization’s work, and allows us and our partners to benefit from numerous different perspectives and areas of expertise.
Working as One: Collaboration within the UN system
For UNESCO, joining efforts with the youth programmes of sister agencies within the United Nations system is a priority in order to ensure that our action with and for young people has a real impact.
In addition to our increasing collaboration with UN entities at a national and regional level, UNESCO is highly involved in the work of the UN Inter-agency Network on Youth Development, which was launched at an inter-agency meeting of heads of UN programmes on youth, hosted at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, in February 2010.
As the first co-chair of the Network in 2010-2011, UNESCO, along with the permanent co-Chair, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), contributed to the establishment and launch of the Network, as well as the coordination of UN celebrations for the UN International Year of Youth on Dialogue and Mutual Understanding (2010-2011).
In the context of this Network, UNESCO is actively participating in and contributing to the implementation of the UN System-Wide Action Plan on Youth (Youth SWAP), in line with the Five-year Action Agenda of the UN Secretary-General. The Youth-SWAP provides strategic guidance to the UN system as a whole in its work with and for young people, building on existing programmes while providing an opportunity to strengthen inter-agency co-operation and joint programming. The Youth-SWAP focuses on the following thematic areas: employment, entrepreneurship, political inclusion, civic engagement and protection of rights, education, including comprehensive sexual education, and health.
UNESCO is also closely collaborating with the UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, to advocate and mobilize partnerships and support for efficient youth policies, youth engagement and youth-led action.
One of the major collaborative initiatives spearheaded by the Envoy is the First Global Forum on Youth Policies (Baku, Azerbaïdjan, 28-30 October 2014), which UNESCO co-convenes with the Envoy, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Council of Europe.
Watch the video - UN Voices at the 8th UNESCO Youth Forum
The UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth and co-chairs of the UN Inter-agency Network on Youth Development (2012-2013) share their views on youth development and on how UNESCO’s work feeds into UN processes.
Working towards common goals: partners and contributors
In addition to other UN System entities, UNESCO works with a variety of stakeholders, including youth-led and youth-focused organizations, whose collaboration is vital in supporting, enhancing and informing UNESCO’s own approach to youth:
National Governments and Intergovernmental Organizations
- All UNESCO Member States and, among others:
- European Union
- African Union Commission
- OIJ - Organización Iberoamericana de Juventud
- Japanese Funds-in-Trust
Civil Society, including the Private Sector (indicative list)
- Youth-related NGOs in official relations with UNESCO
- The Goi Peace Foundation
- Junior Chamber International
- International Youth Foundation
- YouthPolicy.org
- International Student Identity Card Association
- Oser l’Afrique
Creative contributors
UNESCO Networks
- UNESCO Chairs, including
- UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement, National University of Ireland, Galway
- UNESCO Chair in Pluralism, Human Rights and Democracy, University of Ulster, United Kingdom
- UNESCO Chair in Community, Leadership, and Youth Development, Penn State University, United States of America
- UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations
- Associated Schools Network (ASPnet)