NEW YORK, UN Headquarters, 12 August 2024
Happy International Youth Day!
I’m Felipe Paullier, and I’m excited to celebrate this day with you as the head of the United Nations Youth Office.
Today, we celebrate the diversity of 1.9 billion young people worldwide. We highlight your skills, creativity, and leadership, even in tough and complex times.
But this should be an everyday goal. We need a world where young people’s rights are always protected, and your contributions are seen as essential for a better future.
In recent decades, young people have pushed youth issues to the top of the global agenda. This is thanks to your hard work in changing political views and structures.
History is full of examples of young people driving positive change, from sustainable development to peace, human rights, and humanitarian efforts.
I wouldn’t be here as the youngest senior UN appointment without your advocacy. I hope I am not the last or the only one.
During crises, young people have shown time and again that you are resilient and resourceful in solving problems. You remind us that a better world is still possible.
Keep pushing for change in your communities, speaking out against injustice, and holding leaders accountable. But you’re not alone in this.
We need everyone to make youth engagement the norm, not the exception. Including more young people in decision-making is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Next month’s Summit of the Future at the UN will be a key platform for turning these commitments into reality. It’s our chance to rethink governance, use new technologies, and try new ways of accountability and participation.
It’s time to support young people’s drive to challenge the status quo and question old ways. Only then can we ensure every young person, no matter their background, has a meaningful role in changing our world.
Thank you, and once again, happy International Youth Day!