7th UN Economic and Social Council Youth Forum 2018

 MIT Global Poverty Initiative was invited by UN Major Group of Children and Youth to participate in the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum discussions. This year the assembly focused on SDG's 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), 15 (Life on Land), and 1 7(Partnerships for the Goals). GPI's goal at this forum was to learn how we can raise awareness of the SDGs and finding avenues for MIT's youth community to be involved. 

The Event and Our Experience:

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum annually brings together engaged youth from around the world to discuss and collaborate on addressing the most pressing barriers to sustainable development. With participants affiliated with UN member states and major groups, the conversation was filled with unique perspectives and ideas.

On Tuesday January 30th, an opening session was held in which Mrs. Marie Chatardova (President of ECOSOC) and Mr. Miroslav Lajcak (President of the General Assembly) spoke of pressing issues, such as the need for social and environmental entrepreneurs. Other speakers included Ms. Salina Abraham (President of the International Forestry Students Association) and Ms. Amina J. Mohammed (Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations).

Following the opening remarks, an interactive roundtable was held in which youth representatives voiced their ideas for specific SDGs (sustainable development goals). For instance, the Minister of Cameroon gave specific examples on how the youth was connecting with the local government through national festivals, a youth parliament, and through donation programs involving increasing access to computers. After a broader overview of the problems at hand, it was nice to see a concrete plan of action being laid out and implemented in numerous regions across the globe.

The day continued with side events, ranging from discussions that concerned certain geographical regions to topics that were overarching in nature. We attended the soul-searching for youth-led organizations event, which aimed to brainstorm methods for effective youth involvement in a majority youth-led company. It was a productive conversation in which various factors were established including who is considered part of the “youth”, how management positions would be allocated, and how to determine the outlook of the organization.
This was followed by a breakout session in the use of science and technology innovation to engage the youth. Various stages of the innovation process were placed on the table, and we split up into 3 groups to share our ideas in the Trusteeship Council Chamber with our designated representatives.

The day (and our experience at the conference) ended with a plenary session conclusion in which the amalgamation of ideas from the day were integrated into a definitive “game plan” of sorts. This discussion brought a good cohesive outlook on the day’s events, and left the attendees (ourselves included), inspired and ready to tackle upcoming global matters.