Young Africans have been urged to play a more active role in reforming the United Nations system to strengthen global cooperation and secure their own futures.
This call to action came from Felipe Paullier, the Assistant Secretary-General of Youth Affairs, during a keynote address at the African Youth Consultative Forum on the UN Summit of the Future 2024, held in Addis Ababa.
Paullier stressed the importance of youth inclusion in shaping a better future. He argued that the current UN system, designed in a bygone era, is inadequate to address the challenges faced by today’s youth.
“We are not going to be able to address the challenges of our grandchildren if we continue to work with a system that was designed by our grandparents,” he said.
He emphasized the upcoming Summit of the Future as a pivotal moment for change. “We need your voices more than ever,” he declared, urging young people to hold their governments accountable and ensure their concerns are reflected in the Summit’s outcomes.
Paullier called for “meaningful engagement” by youth, which he defined as actively addressing issues that directly impact them. He highlighted unemployment, mental health challenges, and the climate crisis as key areas where youth voices must be heard.
He further encouraged young people to support an open letter issued by his office, which calls on global leaders to prioritize youth participation in transforming the multilateral system.
“The problem is not in young people, the problem is in the institutions we have,” Paullier asserted. “We need to transform these 19th-century institutions to respond to the challenges of the 21st century.”
The forum also provided a platform for young people to voice their concerns. Issues of high unemployment, limited economic opportunities, worsening security situations in some regions, and the stifling of free speech and media freedoms were all raised.
In response, Paullier emphasized the importance of safe spaces for youth civic engagement, which he believes can be fostered by a strong multilateral system that upholds human rights.
ECA Director of Strategic Planning, Oversight and Results Division, Said Adejumobi, echoed the need for collective action on a global scale. He highlighted the interconnectedness of the world, emphasizing how events in other regions can have a significant impact on Africa.
“It is not only in Africa that the civil space is shrinking,” Adejumobi said, pointing to a rise in authoritarianism worldwide. He challenged young Africans to reclaim democratic spaces and advocate for their rights.
On the issue of migration, Adejumobi called for a shift in perspective. He argued that migration should be seen as a positive force for socio-economic development, particularly within Africa. He highlighted the need for “a new narrative” around migration that recognizes the importance of free movement within the continent.
