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Add to Preferred SourcesSix youth leaders from around the world were at UN Headquarters in New York to share their ambitious visions for a future where international cooperation is prioritized and everyone’s voice is heard.
They took part in a discussion with Secretary-General António Guterres marking the official launch of dialogues being held worldwide this year to mark the UN’s 75th anniversary.
As Mr. Guterres explained, this initial high-profile UN75 dialogue will set the tone for these global conversations on how the Organization can work harder to create a better future for all.
“We want to change, we want to be better, we want to respond to your aspirations, to your concerns. We want you to have the opportunity to play the role that youth must play in the modern world in which we live, and especially in the world we are trying to build,” he said.
Diverging from most UN meetings, where speeches from the dais are the norm, the Secretary-General instead sat in a semi-circle with the participants, stressing that he was there to listen, not to take questions.
Earlier, Mr. Guterres had asked the panellists, as well as scores of young people in the room, if they felt the world will be better, worse or the same in 25 years’ time when the UN turns 100.
“I think there is a wave of optimism,” he stated, based on the show of hands.
The Secretary-General will present the opinions, ideas and solutions generated through the various UN75 dialogues globally, and an online survey initiative, at a high-level summit for world leaders in September.
Original source: UN News
Published on 29 January 2020