In the weeks and months following the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, there have been an increasing number of conversations about how young people can contribute to ongoing multilateral processes, particularly in the wake of the newly appointed Assistant Secretary General for Youth Affairs. What is becoming increasingly clear in these conversations is the need for young actors who exhibit a specific set of skills, capacities, and attitudes to communicate and advocate “upwards” to older colleagues and “downwards” to those younger than themselves. These skills are needed for an ailing world to meet the increasingly complex range of issues facing humanity today. So how can we ensure that the immense capability of young people acting at the grassroots, national, and international levels is tapped into and optimized as we head toward the Summit of the Future in 2024?

The youth movement has advanced significantly in the past four decades, from the growing capabilities of the ECOSOC Youth Forum to rising numbers of global Youth Delegate programs, to the creation of the Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth in 2013, and subsequently, the UN Youth Office established in 2022. This institutionalization of youth engagement reflects an acknowledgment of the importance of guaranteeing youth participation in UN processes. However, the reality is that youth spaces continue to be siloed in many multilateral fora ill-equipped to foster consensus. 

The promise of the period of youth is often distinguished by detachment from anachronistic systems, approaches, and ideas—particularly because youth were not involved in creating the foundations for international organizations today. Young people also often exhibit a desire to contribute to the well-being of society as they begin to identify and define their course of impact and sphere of influence in life. This is particularly notable in the multifaceted way they approach global agendas. On the one hand, they display a desire to develop expertise and are thus constantly absorbing knowledge and have an incentive to develop and tap into information networks. On the other hand, their personal journeys of growth mean they remain open to new opinions, ideas, and agendas—more often than not, giving them a comparative advantage in seeing the bigger picture. In times when the nuts and bolts of negotiation and resolution induce fatigue, “young energy” is manifested, not just in spirited approaches, but in the ability to step back from momentary and transitory political realities to recognize and distinguish larger mutualistic goals. This is why intergenerational partnerships are critical to resolving the complex problems we face today and tomorrow. 

The question is: how does one incentivize and foster deep intergenerational respect and cooperation?

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