Youth

UNESCO with, by and for youth

According to the World Youth Report (2020), there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 per cent of the global population.

Youth is a priority group for UNESCO. Recognizing their creativity, innovation and capacity to make change happen in the world, we firmly believe that young people are crucial actors, leaders, and partners. UNESCO is committed to accompany them in fighting inequality, contributing to sustainable development and building peace.

For over 20 years, we have been working with thousands of young people worldwide by establishing and supporting youth-led initiatives and networks, strengthening youth capacities, fostering their knowledge production, and creating dialogue spaces between youth, policymakers and other partners. We have also been actively and meaningfully engaging youth in our programmes in all of UNESCO’s field of competence, from design to implementation and follow-up.

Young people embody hope for better, innovative, and more effective solutions to the world’s challenges! UNESCO is working actively to ensure that their voices are heard because they matter.

For statistical purposes, the United Nations defines ‘youth’ as persons aged between 15 and 24. However, this definition is not universal. As the experience of being young can vary substantially across the world, between countries and regions, we consider ‘youth’ as a flexible category. As such, context is always an important guide in UNESCO’s definition of youth.

Supporting youth in changing the world

UNESCO Youth Forum

Youth As Researchers

Global Youth Community

Youth UNESCO Climate Action Network

International Youth Day

Master Class Series against Racism and Discriminations

Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads Photo Contest

UNESCO Youth Forum

The UNESCO Youth Forum process is an essential part of the UNESCO Youth Programme. Since 1999 and every two years, it has provided youth with an opportunity to dialogue among themselves and with UNESCO, to share their enthusiasm and creativity, and to present their challenges but also ideas for solution to Member States, on the occasion of the General Conference, which is UNESCO’s highest decision-making body.

The UNESCO Youth Forum is shaped by, with and for youth, from the preparatory stages to the event itself at UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris, France.

Through debate and discussion, youth draw up recommendations for action, reflecting the most pressing needs and concerns of youth today in the fields of UNESCO’s mandate.