CONCEPT NOTE

The 2023 Annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum was held over three days from April 25 to 27, 2023 The forum was guided by the theme of accelerating the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its purpose was to provide young people with the opportunity to present their assessments, visions, and recommendations to member states ahead of the SDG Summit in September 2023

The forum took place amidst global challenges such as geopolitical tensions, climate crisis, rising poverty, inequalities, and slow recovery from the pandemic It aimed to enable young people to voice their views, concerns, and take action towards transforming the world into a fairer, greener, and more sustainable place based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The ECOSOC Youth Forum has become an important platform for young people, government representatives, and stakeholders to contribute to policy discussions and accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. It connected with key UN processes and events in 2023, including the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July and the SDG Summit in September The objectives of the 2023 ECOSOC Youth Forum included mobilizing youth to accelerate recovery efforts from COVID-19, providing a platform for young people to engage in dialogue with UN member states, sharing knowledge and lessons learned in achieving youth rights and well-being, presenting ideas and solutions for advancing the SDGs, discussing inputs for the 2023 SDG Summit, and reporting on the progress of the UN Youth Strategy

The forum focused on several SDGs, including universal access to clean water and hygiene (SDG 6), access to affordable and sustainable energy (SDG 7), resilient infrastructure and industrialization (SDG 9), inclusive and sustainable cities (SDG 11), and revitalizing global partnerships for sustainable development (SDG 17).

Regional breakout sessions were organized to discuss post-COVID19 recovery and rebuilding efforts, and preparatory events were held to ensure broad participation of regional youth-led organizations The forum featured plenary sessions, ministerial sessions, thematic and regional breakout sessions, and networking receptions, allowing for both in-person and virtual participation. Participants included high-level government representatives, national youth institutions, youth delegates, regional and multilateral organizations, youth-focused entities, and grassroots youth organizations.

The outcomes of the forum were an informal summary of the proceedings, a document capturing key messages and findings, and a presidential statement to be used as inputs for the High-level Political Forum and the SDG Summit. Additionally, major youth networks prepared the "Voices of Youth" document, which served as a call to action from young people on their challenges and expectations for the international community