youth forum

Accountability in Education: Meeting Our Commitments

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Education

In commemoration of the 2018 Winter Youth Assembly, organizations in the United Nations held a forum regarding accountability in education.

Dr. Joshi presented key findings on the Global Education Monitoring report, stressing the importance of education and holding governments accountable, as well as highlighting the important role of youth and students. Targeting the international gap in education, Dr. Joshi revealed that over 100 million children cannot read, and millions are taught in languages they do not understand. Dr. Joshi claimed that accountability is a means to improve education and achieve SGD 4, listing governments, schools, teachers, parents, students, international organizations, and private sectors as responsible in different ways. Dr. Joshi explained that governments can develop a robust accountability system by facilitating meaningful engagement, creating credible education plans and budgets, avoiding narrow performance measures, being transparent, and monitoring education systems. In regards to youth, Dr, Joshi explained that protests can be effective tools in progressing education development, alluding to recent demonstrations that have produced evident results.

Ms. Khalif shared her brief history of advocating for young people and women, alluding to her respective organizations and achievements. Ms. Khalif encouraged youth to use their voices, underlining the importance of amplifying issues and finding robust ways to address them.

Mr. Gannon claimed that youth do not have to wait to tap into their potential, stressing the importance of student organizations and social media being a powerful vehicle for change. Mr. Gannon shared a brief history on his organization and its present efforts to empower youth. Mr. Gannon claimed that momentum for universal education are in the hands of youth, and encouraged young people not be discouraged nor complacent. Mr. Gannon also noted the lack of exposure students have to education system processes, stressing the importance of being knowledgeable.

Meeting: Forum on —“Accountability in Education: Meeting Our Commitments”

Date/Location: Thursday, February 15, 2018; 10:00; United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY

Speakers:

Dr. Priya Joshi, Research Officer for Global Education Monitoring Report, Moderator

Ms. Munira Khalif, US Youth Observer for the UN, Co-FOunder of Lighting the Way, Global Activist for Women’s Rights

Mr. Chris Gannon, Vice-President of US Student Association

Written By: WIT Representative Timothy Stephens

 

Giant Leaps for Women-Kind

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The 60th Commission on the Status of Women held its first ever youth forum today. Importance was placed on training a new generation of youth to become leaders. This generation will include young women, but also men who will be allies in initiatives such as “HeforShe.”

Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka noted that an alliance has been struck between women and youth with the potential to change the world. Currently, women are found globally at the bottom of economic ladders and it is thus crucial for Goal 5 of the 2030 Agenda to be met. It is young women who must take charge of the agenda for change to be actualized. The agenda does not call for baby steps, it calls for giant leaps.

Next, Mr. Alhendawi stressed the importance of youth inclusion in UN discussions. It is time we make noise and make it be known that we can no longer just do business as usual. We must take big steps towards protecting gender equality. SDG #5 is at the heart of all we do.

Mr. Karkara noted that we are about to transform the world. Year 2015 was a giant leap for women, year 2016 will be a great leap for young women-kind. It is time for young women to take their destinies within their own hands. With the advent of the “LEAP’s” framework of Leadership, Economic Empowerment, Action, Participation, Partnerships, and Inter-generational participation, both young men and women can be empowered as allies to achieve gender equality.

Ms. Banerjee further evoked the promising future of the 2030 SDG’s. Unlike the MDG’s which sought improvement, the SDG’s will transform the world and leave no one behind. Equipped with 17 goals and 169 targets, young people must mobilize together to achieve Planet 5050 by the year 2030.

Meeting: “Youth Forum at the 60th Commission on Status of Women.”

Date/Location: 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Friday, March 11, 2016; Salvation Army

Speakers: Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director; Ms. Nyaradzayi Gumbodzvanda, Secretary General World YMCA; Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Youth; Ms. Anita Tiessen, CEO of WAGGGS; Mr. Ravi Karkara, Senior Advisor Strategic Partnership and Advocacy UN Women; Ms. Lopa Banerjee, Representative of the UN Women

Written By: WIT Representative Emilie Broek

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: 盘磬

ECOSOC’s 2015 Review and Beyond

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The Economic and Social Council convened on this day for a briefing on the international economy of 2015 and what to expect and strive for in 2016. Mr. Montiel opened the briefing with the introduction of World Economic Situations and Prospects (WESP) report, which was further discussed in detail in a presentation by Mr. Rashid. The presentation addressed the global and regional financial outcomes of 2015, and projected expected change in 2016 and beyond. Globally, there was a slowdown in growth, with expectations for economic growth in 2016 of about 2.9%. This presentation showed further concerns about the global economy due to economic volatilities and uncertainties that impeded global growth. Global oil prices were shown to have dropped by more than 70% since July 2014, and global commodity prices fell by more than 20% since then as well. The presentation featured regional GDP growths from 2015 and expected growths in 2016, and identified possible dangers to economic growths in each region. Mr. Rashid concluded with recommendations that urged policymakers to reduce economic uncertainties and create macro-prudential policies. He also warned that weak employment growth and high unemployment rates will post a significant challenge to poverty reduction and the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

His Excellency Oh Joon then presented the ECOSOC agenda for 2016, and each program was presented by Vice Presidents of ECOSOC. The most immediate programs to come are Youth Forum (February) and Partnership Forum (March).

Further comments were made by delegations from the European Union, United States, Mexico, Japan, Palau, Colombia.

Meeting: Economic and Social Council – 2016 Session Briefing

Date/Location: 20 Jan 2016; 10:00 – 13:00; Economic and Social Council Chamber

Speakers: His Excellency Oh Joon, President of ECOSOC; Lenni Montiel, Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development, DESA; Hamid Rashid, DESA, Development Policy and Analysis Division; Sven Jürgenson, Vice President, ECOSOC; Alejandro Palma, Vice President, ECOSOC; Frederick Shava, Vice President, ECOSOC; Jürg Lauber, Vice President, ECOSOC

Written by: WIT Representative Dongeun Kim

Edited by: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: OCHA/Vincent Fung

Forum on Youth 2014

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In accordance with UN General Assembly resolution 68/1, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) should further promote the integration of youth into its deliberations, building on the past positive experiences of informal youth forums.

From the 2-3, June 2014 the United Nations was home to youth delegates, representatives from the Children and Youth Major Groups, youth representatives from Member States, including those from National Youth Councils, representatives of regional youth organisations as well as youth-led and youth focused organisations and networks, including those in consultative status with ECOSOC.

The aim of the Youth Forum was to bring the voice of young people into discussion on addressing the challenges for meeting the Millennium Development Goals and shaping the post-2015 development agenda. During the opening ceremony, Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon remarked, “There is a world of need out there, but also a world of opportunity. So I urge you to keep doing your part. Keep showing your leadership as global citizens” while urging attendees to “keep making a difference”. The Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi spotlighted five thematic areas; education, employment and entrepreneurship, health, peace and security, and governance  as the greatest concern that threaten youth development in nation states. These areas were condensed after engaging more than 1.2 million young people through the My World 2015 survey and a crowdsourcing platform convened by UN agencies and partners. World Information Transfer’s DPI Representative, Apurv Gupta, was ranked 5 in the overall community, sharing recommendations on all thematic issues.

It was observed at the forums conclusion that employment was the key area young people wanted world leaders to focus on during the construction of the post-2015 development agenda. Currently, 75 million youth are unemployed, and more than 600 million jobs need to be generated globally in the life span of the new development agenda to absorb current unemployment levels and provide jobs to new labour market entrants.

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Meeting Title: ECOSOC Youth Forum 2014
Speakers: H.E. Ban Ki Moon, Secretary-General, United Nations, H.E. Martin Sajdik (Austria), President of the Economic and Social Council, H.E. Csaba Kőrösi, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations and Co-Chair, Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goal, Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy for Youth, Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Youth Representatives.
Location: United Nations HQ, Conference Room 1 (CB)
Date: 3 June 2014
Written by WIT representatives:  Apurv Gupta and Aslesha Dhillon

The Right of the Child – The UN takes a stand

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This meeting focused on framing points of views of the right of children and adolescents. UN Representative Sajdik spoke about the atrocities being committed against children especially young girls in Nepal. In Nepal girls can be married as early as 72 months old to 12 years old. Such young marriage violates a young girl’s innocence and early pregnancy results in extreme physical pain, as their bodies have not had time to mature to a safe child bearing state.

The organization SOS Children’s Villages works with children who are orphaned, abandoned or neglected. They give these children the opportunity to build lasting relationships within a family. Their family approach is based on four principles: Each child needs a mother, and grows up most naturally with brothers and sisters, in his or her own house, within a supportive village environment.

Nadine Kalpar, the Youth delegate to Austria, spoke of her personal experiences and the abuse that she witnessed other Austrian children go through. According to the information and statistics she gave, all violence against children, including parents, is prohibited. However 30% of parents in Austria aren’t aware or are not threatened by this law, therefore the violence continues. Ms. Kalpar also discussed ageism in the job market. Adolescents and teenagers are viewed as “lazy” and “unreliable” when it comes time to land a job. This is an attitude that needs to be reversed for young people to receive their right to safe, secure work.

Ravi Bajrak, the Youth Delegate to Nepal, insisted that we cannot change the future if we don’t respond to the current violence and injustices against the youth population. Judith Diers, closing the meeting, stated that we can achieve anything with hard work, dedication, and most of all, trust within humanity to do the right

ImageMeeting Title: The Gov. of Austria, The Gov. of Nepal and the SOS Children’s Villages
Speakers: Judith Diers, UNICEF Representative; Mr. Sajdik, Representative of Nepal; Nadine Kalpar, Youth Delegate to Austria; Ravi Bajrak, Youth Delegate to Nepal
Location: United Nations HQ, Conference Room 7, North Lawn Building
Date: 3 June 2014
Written by WIT representative: Leslie Anokye
Edited by WIT representative: Sophia Griffiths-Mark