FAO at the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2024
16/04/2024 - 18/04/2024
©FAO/Luis Tato
Background
Globally, there are 1.2 billion of young people aged 15 to 24 and 88 percent of them live in developing countries. The potential returns of investing in young people are boundless in terms of food security, poverty reduction, employment generation, as well as peace and political stability (IFAD, 2019; WFP, 2022).
Young people are key agents of change, with enormous innovation potential for their societies. They are already at the frontline to build more sustainable agrifood systems and are best placed to rejuvenate the sector. Yet, they continue to face age-based disadvantages and in some cases, marginalization.
The Youth Forum and FAO’s role
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum provides a yearly global platform for dialogue among Member States and young leaders from around the world on solutions to challenges affecting youth wellbeing.
The 2024 ECOSOC Youth forum will revolve around the overall theme of the UN High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF) on “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions.” The discussions will focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review at the 2024 HLPF, namely: SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals).
In this context, FAO is organizing the session on SDG 2, titled: Feeding the future: Youth and sustainable food systems for all. The discussion will involve different young leaders who will share their experiences, best practices, and recommendations on the implementation of SDG 2, in order to identify concrete actions to build stronger, inclusive, and more resilient agrifood systems.
The session will be jointly led by two major youth organizations, the Major Group of Children and Youth (MGCY) and the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) network, with the support of the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Youth NGOs (YOUNGO), Youth Representatives to the SENA Group of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, and the World Food Forum Youth Policy Board.
Specific objectives:
Showcase youth-led best practices and scalable solutions related to SDG 2;
Discuss young peoples’ role in the implementation of SDG 2 and their inclusion in national youth consultative bodies;
Identify practical steps to take young people and future generations meaningful engagement systematically into account in global decision-making processes.
Agenda of FAO’s participation in the SDG 2 Session, in the context of the plenary meeting on 17 April
Spotlight Session - Youth and Global Food Security
4:30 PM – 4:45 PM | Trusteeship Chamber – UN Headquarters in New York
Feeding the Future: Youth and Sustainable Food Systems for All - Plenary meeting
4:45 PM – 6:00 PM | Trusteeship Chamber – UN Headquarters in New York
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