‘Decisive battle’: Guterres calls for youth power in fight to phase out fossil fuels

On Tuesday in Belém, ministers from Colombia, Germany, Kenya, the Marshall Islands, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom and several other countries, voiced strong support for Brazil’s proposal to elevate the issue in this year’s round of UN climate negotiations. The coalition called on negotiators to reinforce language around the fossil fuel transition in the draft […]

‘The extraordinary power of ordinary people’: World leaders spotlight youth as agents of progress

‘The extraordinary power of ordinary people’: World leaders spotlight youth as agents of progress

Annalena Baerbock, President of the General Assembly and one of the youngest persons to ever hold the office, stressed that youth are “the designers of their future” but should not have to build it alone. Drawing on conversations with young leaders from Ethiopia to Afghanistan, she highlighted the challenges today’s youth face – from conflict […]

Nepal PM resigns after deadly crackdown on youth protests; UN urges calm

Nepal PM resigns after deadly crackdown on youth protests; UN urges calm

The unrest, which began Monday as a self-styled “Gen Z protest” against rampant corruption, nepotism and curbs on social media, quickly escalated after security forces responded with force. Most of the dead and wounded were young demonstrators shot by police. Many remain hospitalised in a critical condition. By Tuesday, demonstrations had spread across the country, […]

Celebrating youth: ‘When young people take the lead, everyone gains’

Celebrating youth: ‘When young people take the lead, everyone gains’

But after a decade of armed conflict and amidst a severe economic depression, educational toy imports have become way too expensive for many classrooms in Yemen. Shadia and Fatima, two young entrepreneurs in Yemen, identified this gap after participating in a training course run by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). They decided to begin a youth-led […]

Indigenous youth meet trailblazers ahead of Nelson Mandela Day

Indigenous youth meet trailblazers ahead of Nelson Mandela Day

Accompanied by their parents and mentors from the midwestern state of Wisconsin, the group wore handmade ribbon skirts and vests featuring seven coloured bands, each symbolizing a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of personal significance, such as good health and gender equality. Also visiting the UN in New York for the first time that day was […]

From diamonds to dirt: Sierra Leone youth bring land back to life

From diamonds to dirt: Sierra Leone youth bring land back to life

But now, parts of the land have been restored. Crops are beginning to flourish and bees are buzzing around once again. The people responsible for this change are a hodgepodge group – former taxi drivers and miners, people who barely finished secondary school and some with higher education degrees. The unifying factor? Most have youth […]

Celebrating the potential and promise of the largest youth generation ever

Celebrating the potential and promise of the largest youth generation ever

Secretary-General António Guterres said empowering young people in a fair and hopeful world reaffirms the UN promise that every person has the right to make informed choices about their lives and futures. While many young people face economic uncertainty, gender inequality, health challenges, the climate crisis and a spike in conflicts – they are still leading […]

Flavoured nicotine products driving youth addiction, WHO warns

Flavoured nicotine products driving youth addiction, WHO warns

This is especially true among youth users: it’s one of the main reasons young people experiment with tobacco or nicotine products in the first place, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).   Flavoured nicotine and tobacco products are inherently addictive and toxic – often more so than regular tobacco. Flavours increase usage, make […]

‘We are the present’: Tajik climate activist urges leaders to include youth voices in dialogue

‘We are the present’: Tajik climate activist urges leaders to include youth voices in dialogue

At the end of April, Fariza Dzhobirova attended a Model United Nations Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation in Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe, where she represented Switzerland. For Ms. Dzhobirova, it was a rehearsal of sorts for the actual High-level Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation which began on Thursday in Dushanbe. There, she will serve as a panel member representing […]

Pandemic accord can be a ‘gamechanger’ for marginalised communities, says youth advocate

Pandemic accord can be a ‘gamechanger’ for marginalised communities, says youth advocate

Mr. Hassan and his fellow Youth Councillors advise and actively engage with the WHO Director-General and the agency’s senior leadership, designing and expanding the agency’s programmes and strategies. In an interview with UN News ahead of the 2025 World Health Assembly – the UN’s highest forum for global health – Mr. Hassan, who was born and raised […]

Smartphone tracking shows fear affects where youth spend time

Smartphone tracking shows fear affects where youth spend time

Youth spend less time in their neighborhoods if area residents have a high fear of crime, according to a new study that used smartphones to track kids’ whereabouts. Researchers found that adolescents aged 11 to 17 spent over an hour less each day on average in their neighborhoods if residents there were very fearful, compared […]

Action plan for new generation of youths

Action plan for new generation of youths

The Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel said in the Rajya Sabha today that for unleashing the creative power and commitment of the new generation of youth, the Government has introduced the National Youth Policy, 2014 (NYP-2014). The vision of the Policy is “To empower youth of the country […]

President Mukherjee Launches ‘100 Million for 100 Million’ Campaign on Birthday

President Mukherjee Launches ‘100 Million for 100 Million’ Campaign on Birthday

President of India Mr. Pranab Mukherjee marked his 81st birthday by launching a ‘100 Million for 100 Million’ Campaign organized by the Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (December 11, 2016). Speaking on the occasion, the President said that he was delighted to launch the campaign led by Nobel peace prize winner, Shri […]