This past week, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Youth interns and volunteers had the incredible opportunity to join the 2025 Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum held on April 15-17 at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York City. This annual gathering brought together young leaders, activists, and changemakers from across the globe to discuss and propose interventions within the UN’s sustainable development agenda. This year’s theme, "Youth at the Forefront: Leveraging Science and Social Inclusion for Sustainable Development,” captured the energy and urgency that defined every panel, workshop, every side event, and hallway conversation.
With less than five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the ECOSOC Youth Forum has emerged as a cornerstone for youth engagement in shaping and accelerating the 2030 Agenda. This year’s forum zeros in on key SDGs under review:
This year’s forum made clear that innovation and inclusion are the pillars of sustainable development. Our delegates had the opportunity to witness a dynamic and intersectional dialogue, covering from the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture to amplify food security, to discussions on ensuring gender justice and ecological stability under water. During the Forum, our team contributed to several key conversations - from regional intervention discussions to shaping a green urban development with youth at the helm.
In addition, on April 16, the Local Pathways Fellowship (LPF), also hosted a side event titled Youth at the Intersection of Sustainable Cities & Well-Being, in collaboration with the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization (CSU), the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY), and YOUNGO. This side event focused on the tools and strategies for the youth for sustainable urban growth management, at a time when global urbanization expands at an unprecedented rate. Among the speakers, the LPF welcomed fellows Sushmita Shekar (2022 cohort), Maitri Pujara (2024 cohort), and Shreenithi Lakshmi Narasimhan (2025 cohort), who advocated for cities to be designed with the well-being of young people in mind, and by advancing health, opportunities, and quality of life.
Perhaps the most important takeaway from the ECOSOC Youth Forum is that young people are not waiting for permission to lead change - they are already leading it in their communities. But they need systems that support, not stifle, their energy, through youth-friendly financing, inclusion, and access to spaces of power and decision-making, and mentorship. The 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum is not just a high-scale event; it is a movement to amplify youth’s voices and perspectives. At SDSN Youth, we are driven by the very same purpose through our various initiatives, including our Vatican Youth Symposium, contributing directly to shaping policy recommendations and pushing for youth representation in decision-making at the highest levels. As the Forum came to an end, we as youth, do not mean to stop making an impact. Join SDSN Youth and engage with us through our global networks and social media: Instagram, LinkedIn, X. Let’s amplify our shared vision for a just, inclusive, and sustainable world.