one of the main platforms for young people to share their ideas and inform decision-making at the global level - was held in New York from 14-16 April 2026. The Forum provided an avenue for young people to contribute to policy discussions by sharing their ideas, solutions, and innovations toward SDG implementation.
In his opening remarks, ECOSOC President Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa highlighted the plethora of challenges facing youth today and emphasised, "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."
The ILO led the organization of the SDG 17 plenary session on Partnerships and Financing for Youth, moderated by Mr. Allan Murangira, Co-founder and Team Leader of Youth for Tax Justice Network (YTJN), and Regional Focal Point for the Financing for Development (FfD) Constituency, UN Major Group for Children and Youth (UNMGCY). The session allowed Member States and youth leaders to share their experiences and strategies on leveraging multi-stakeholder partnerships to strengthen financing for development and scale social investments that support decent jobs for youth, particularly young women.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, ILO Special Representative to the UN stressed the necessity of investing in decent jobs for young people, as it not only has powerful multiplier effects in achieving other SDGs by reducing poverty and inequalities, for instance, but enables youth to earn a living, live with dignity, and contribute meaningfully to their economies.
The session included 28 interventions from Member State delegates and youth representatives. Participants explored how fostering cross-sector collaboration, innovative financing mechanisms, and reforming global funding platforms and processes with and for youth, can help advance the SDGs.
The ILO co-led and participated in several side events on the margins of the ECOSOC Youth Forum, helping to elevate youth voices and spotlight solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing young people today.
Together with UNICEF, UNHCR and the Global Refugee Youth Network, the ILO co-organized a side event that showcased youth-led initiatives driving change in their communities and highlighted the urgent need to expand socio-economic opportunities for forcibly displaced young people. Refugee youth leaders and partners called for stronger investment in skills development and decent work, warning that without decisive action, millions of young people risk being left behind.
At the "ECOSOC Youth Forum Lunch Dialogue: What Comes Next? Ministers and Young Leaders on Post-2030 Priorities" co-organised by the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN, the UN Foundation, ILO and the African Union Observer Mission, Ms. Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon asserted, " We need to put into place faster policy responses to the many disruptions that young people are experiencing in the world of work. One simple example is better governance of algorithmic hiring systems that are resulting in young people having to interview with bots instead of human beings. This is not human-centred technological advancement, and it is not benefitting young jobseekers."
The ILO also contributed to the SOS Children's Villages International side event, "Building Pathways to Independence: Inclusive Policies to Uplift Young Care Leavers". Speaking at the event, Ms. Eesha Moitra, Youth Employment Officer at the ILO, outlined the scale of the global youth employment challenge and highlighted practical measures to support vulnerable young people, including care leavers, in making successful transitions into the labour market and accessing decent work opportunities.
As discussions throughout the Forum made clear, achieving SDGs will require investment in young people and stronger partnerships across governments, the private sector, international organizations, civil society and youth-led organisations. Through its active engagement at the ECOSOC Youth Forum, the ILO reaffirmed its commitment to working not only for young people, but with them, ensuring that their voices, experiences and solutions help shape decisions that advance decent work, social justice and sustainable development for all.
