Young people and global action at the 2024 Summit of the Future
On September 22, at the United Nations Summit of the Future, world leaders adopted the Pact for the Future and the Declaration on Future Generations. A key highlight of the Summit was the ‘Youth Action Day’, where the focus was on young people’s role in global decision-making. This provided an incredible opportunity for our delegation to advocate for the creation of a UN Convention on Youth Rights and introduce the Youth Progress Index to delegations and activists from all around the world.
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A turning point for global action
The Summit of the Future is a high-level United Nations (UN) event that brings together world leaders to address major global challenges. At the 2024 Summit, leaders approved key documents. One of those is the Pact for the Future, aimed at driving action on global issues, including sustainable development, peace & security, and the inclusion and wellbeing of young people and future generations. Before the Summit, we had been involved in advocating for certain provisions to be included in the Pact to address our concerns about overconsumption and the rights of young people.
So, what is the Pact for the Future and why does it matter?
One of the most significant aspects of the Pact, which we had advocated for, is the agreement to develop a new framework for measuring a country’s progress that goes beyond gross domestic product (GDP). GDP, while commonly used to assess a country’s advancement and national success, overlooks key components of human wellbeing and social progress.
Imagine an oil tanker off the coast, causing a severe oil spill. This is a disaster for the marine ecosystem and the affected communities. Yet, despite the harm and as strange as it sounds, this oil spill can increase GDP due to the economic activity that follows (cleanup efforts, healthcare services, legal battles). In this case, while economic activity rises and GDP increases, both people’s wellbeing and the environment suffer.
The Pact also reaffirms the global commitment to limit temperature rises to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It promotes the transition away from fossil fuels and aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, it commits to building an international framework to support countries most impacted by climate change, especially in the Global South.
What about young people?
One of the most progressive aspects of the Pact is its focus on meaningful youth participation. It recognises that the decisions made today will directly impact younger generations and those yet to be born. This approach sets a framework for institutionalising youth engagement in policy-making at both national and global levels.
The Declaration on Future Generations highlights this intergenerational responsibility to ensure future generations inherit a just, peaceful, and sustainable world. The Pact calls on governments to consider the long-term consequences of their actions, promoting a shift in policy-making where decisions are made not just for immediate benefits but also for safeguarding the wellbeing of humanity in the future.
Critical needs and next steps
1️⃣ Establishing Regional Dialogues & Funding
The Pact commits to support the establishment of meaningful youth “engagement” in national policy- and decision-making processes. Despite its promises, there's still a lack of clear accountability mechanisms to guarantee that youth rights are protected and youth participation is not just symbolic but effectively implemented. Sustainable funding is crucial, as reliance on inconsistent financial support is inadequate. To genuinely support the needs of young people globally, it’s essential to support and strengthen youth-led, democratic, participative organisations at all levels. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure funding for programmes like Erasmus+ not only remains intact but it’s even multiplied! It's time for governments, philanthropic foundations, and international and regional organisations to take action and support youth organisations and meaningful youth participation.
While it remains to be seen how governments will follow up concretely, youth organisations and activists all around the world now have more institutional leverage than ever before. They are in a stronger position to hold governments accountable and demand a meaningful place at the decision-making table.
2️⃣ Ensuring representation in data, to not exclude voices from decision-making processes
In this era of unprecedented data production, we often fail to measure simple yet crucial societal metrics that would benefit civil society—and some UN agencies as well. To effectively identify and overcome barriers, we need context-specific, age-disaggregated, sex and gender-disaggregated, and inclusive of all minority experiences data. We must ensure our data collection and use is human-centric, ethical, and privacy-conscious.
🔍 Focusing data on young people
There are many reasons to prioritise data on young people, especially since today’s most pressing social divide is generational. The 2023 version of the Youth Progress Index highlighted that no progress has been made in Europe on the wellbeing of young people. While overall wellbeing in Europe may slowly improve, young people are being left behind. This is precisely why we need age-disaggregated data—to pinpoint challenges, evaluate successful policies, and monitor their impact. Transparent data empowers young people and civil society to hold governments accountable and advocate for necessary changes.
🇪🇺 Looking into the European Perspective
In Europe, much will depend on how the new European Commission under Ursula von der Leyen addresses the needs of young people and future generations. A groundbreaking step in this direction is the creation of the first-ever Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness. This portfolio is assigned to Commissioner Designate Glenn Micallef, who if approved will be one of the youngest Commissioners in the history of the European Commission.
The scope granted to the Intergenerational Fairness portfolio will determine how effectively the EU can address the long-term impacts on young Europeans and future generations. It is essential that the needs of young people are not just integrated into all aspects of EU policy-making, but also in the newly announced European Strategy for Intergenerational Fairness.
Overall, the new EU policies and budget must embrace a holistic approach, focusing on socio-economic inclusion. This approach should aim not just to sustain a stagnant European social model, but to ensure that all individuals can thrive to their fullest potential.
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