'Youth participation at the heart of sustainable development'

Delhi, India: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism. UNV is inspired by the conviction that volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and by the idea that everyone can contribute their time and energy towards peace and development. In 2014, UNV released a youth volunteerism strategy to help engage youth in volunteering.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is the nodal Ministry for UNV in India. In partnership with UNDP, both are increasingly working together for youth volunteerism and development. Taking forward this partnership for continued discourse on youth development, national UN Volunteers Mr. Auro Shashwat and Mr. Preetam Sengupta were invited to attend the Youth Leaders’ Forum prior to the Asia Region Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting. This was convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat and hosted by India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under the title ‘Youth Participation at the Heart of Sustainable Development’ from 27 to 30 July 2015.

The first two days witnessed youth leaders strengthen their resolve to amplify the collective youth voice in the eight Asian Commonwealth member states of Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Singapore and Sri Lanka. Two working groups – one of which was voluntarily moderated by national UN Volunteer Preetam – were formed to develop a set of recommendations from young leaders towards the upcoming Youth Ministers Meeting. 

These recommendations were eventually condensed into the Youth Declaration, a comprehensive list of issues such as sustainable youth employment opportunities and having a greater say in the development of the region’s future. Youth leaders called on the Ministers to partner with them to strengthen and cultivate inclusive, democratic, autonomous and youth-led National Youth Councils in all Asian Commonwealth countries, and at the regional level for engagement with youth bodies in other blocs such as the European Union, the Pacific and the Caribbean.

At the Ministers’ Meeting, youth ministers and senior officials committed to tackling high youth unemployment and lack of youth participation. They recognized that providing a greater role for young people in decision making is essential for the region’s development. Highlighting the untapped potential of young people, India’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon Sarbananda Sonowal said, “The challenge before all of us is to develop and empower young people to enable them to realize their full potential and to contribute to the development of their respective nations.”

Supporting the call by youth leaders, ministers committed to backing a youth-focused monitoring mechanism for the Sustainable Development Goals, including the disaggregation of data and analysis using the Commonwealth Youth Development Index. Design and implementation of national youth policies was another key topic during discussions. 

Ministers reinforced their commitment to youth work, viewing it as an essential component to underpin youth development and empower young people in their communities. They agreed to invest in youth work education and collaborate with the Commonwealth consortium to create a bachelor’s degree in youth development work. Ministers committed to taking a collective, regional approach to peace building and conflict resolution. They noted that young people and youth ministers can play an integral role in promoting friendship, understanding and unity throughout the region.