SDSN Youth Launches the First Edition of the Youth Solutions Report
The first edition of the Youth Solutions Report , which identifies 50 youth-led projects that aim to solve the world’s toughest issues , will be released on January 31 in New York during the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum at the United Nations Headquarters.
The report’s solutions, which operate in 57 countries, deal with crucial sustainable development issues, including clean energy, education, digitalization, e-participation, access to healthcare, ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture, and waste.
The Youth Solutions Report provides these initiatives with a platform to address the difficulties that young innovators face in securing funding, building capacity, communicating their experience and scaling their efforts.
“SDSN Youth and its Youth Solutions Report are excellent examples of initiatives crucial for helping young people realize the full potential of their abilities, innovations and solutions,” said Mr. Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever . “Today we have the largest generation of youth in history – a powerful force for change. 84 percent of millennials are convinced they have a duty to make the world a better place, and many already are, through socially aware businesses and youth-led campaigns in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
On January 31, the launch event of the Youth Solutions Report will be hosted by the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations and will be livestreamed online at http://www.youthsolutions.report at 1:00 pm EST. The list of speakers includes:
Professor Jeffrey Sachs , University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, and Director of the UN SDSN;
Ms. Karen Ellemann , Minister for Equal Opportunities and Nordic Cooperation of the Kingdom of Denmark, Special Representative for the Danish Candidature for the UN Human Rights Council 2019-21;
Ravi Karkara , Senior Advisor on Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy to the Assistant Secretary General to the UN, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women;
Oliver Libby , Chair and Co-Founder of The Resolution Project;
Lauren Barredo , Head of Partnerships and Manager at UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN);
Yemi Melka , United Nations Focal Point at UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Youth Initiative (SDSN Youth); and
Ami Valdemoro , Member of the Board of Trustees of Liter of Light.
Siamak Sam Loni, Global Coordinator of SDSN Youth , said that young people must be seen as key stakeholders in the sustainable development debate and that there is a pressing need to acknowledge their essential role in achieving the SDGs.
“Young people are already contributing to the implementation of the SDGs,” said Mr. Loni, “but they face common challenges that prevent them from realizing the full potential of their ideas and solutions, including the lack of visibility, limited access to finance, and the lack of training and technical support. The Youth Solutions Report will help investors, donors and supporters better understand the multi-faceted role of young people in sustainable development and give them additional opportunities to showcase and scale their work.”
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was launched at UN Headquarters in September 2015 and adopted by 193 member countries of the UN. The SDGs, which are relevant to all countries, aim to achieve social inclusion, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.
SDSN Youth is the youth initiative of SDSN, focused on empowering youth globally to create sustainable development solutions. SDSN Youth educates young people about the challenges of sustainable development and creates opportunities for them to use their creativity and knowledge to pioneer innovative solutions for the SDGs. SDSN Youth creates platforms for young people to connect, collaborate and integrate their ideas and perspectives within the public policy field.
Media inquiries : For media inquiries please contact solutions@sdsnyouth.org. The social media kit for the launch of the Youth Solutions Report can be downloaded here.
