Youth advocates from Bulgaria, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, Uganda and Zimbabwe represented ACT!2015—a youth-led social action initiative supported by UNAIDS, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the PACT—at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum’s 2017 meeting.
Held on 30 and 31 January in New York, United States of America, the Youth Forum focused on the role of youth in poverty eradication and promoting prosperity in a changing world. The annual forum provides a platform for young people to engage in meaningful conversations with United Nations Member States and to propose solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
ACT!2015’s youth-led, data-driven accountability was showcased in several breakout sessions that fostered in-depth discussions on the progress achieved so far on specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 3 (healthy lives and promoting well-being) and SDG 5 (gender equality).
The forum served as a platform for three youth advocates from ACT!2015 to strengthen their collaboration with representatives of Kenya and Zimbabwe, which will undergo voluntary reviews of their progress on the Sustainable Development Goals at the upcoming High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, to be held in July.
In the months leading up to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, ACT!2015 national youth alliances will gather their own evidence around policy issues identified as key barriers to accessing HIV and sexual and reproductive health services. This evidence will be translated into national advocacy road maps aimed at starting a national process for the review and reform of restrictive laws and policies.
“We all have a role to play and a responsibility to uphold our commitments with the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Political Declaration on Ending AIDS. The United Nations Economic and Social Council Youth Forum has been a testament to young people’s commitment and unbreakable aspiration to achieve the targets and goals.”
Ruben Pages UNAIDS Youth Programmes Coordinator
“I participated in discussions surrounding women and girls and the broader topic of gender equality and how transgender women, men and gender nonconforming persons fit into the conversation. This experience has taught me the importance of networking and building strong relationships as well as sharing best practices, which is key in successfully implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Renae Green Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (J-YAN) Advocate
“ACT!2015 is proudly youth-led and our guiding principle is that young people have the right to participate in decision-making and to access health education and services that meet their needs. This forum has been a great opportunity for us to show that we are not going to stop pushing for youth engagement and for young people’s voices to be heard and listened to by governments.”
Hayley Gleeson ACT!2015 Project Coordinator
