The High-level Political Forum(HLPF) will be held from 9 to 18 July 2019 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The HLPF will serve as a central platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The theme will be “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.” The focus will be on reviewingthe progress and implementation of a specific set of SDGs: Goal 4, Quality Education; Goal 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth; Goal 10, Reduced Inequalities; Goal 13, Climate Action; Goal 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; and Goal 17, Partnerships for the Goals.

Today, the world is the youngest it has ever been with over one billion youth, of which 600 million live in violence- and conflict- affected areas. Of the approximately 1.4 billion people worldwide living in countries impacted by crime, violence, conflict and fragility, 50 per cent are under the age of 20. In 2016, children under the age of 18 constituted 51 percent of the refugee population, compared to just 31 per cent of the global population. Forced displacement has mainly affected developing nations, which currently host the majority of the forcibly displaced.

During the side event, participants will look at the theme of the HLPF, “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”, from a youth perspective. Participants will identify mechanisms that empower youth,discuss youth’s role in peace and security, and advance collaboration efforts in the implementation and localization of SDG 16, including how it is relates to SDG 4. The discussions will also focus on how education can play a key role in the implementation of SDG 16. Achieving inclusive and equitable quality education for all will require increasing efforts, especially in sub-Saharan Africa for vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities, indigenous people, refugee children and poor children in rural areas. UNODC’s Education for Justice (E4J) initiative – under the Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration – has been developed to create and disseminate education materials in UNODC mandated areas of crime prevention and criminal justice across the primary, secondary and tertiary education levels. Overall, the objective is to empower youth to become socially responsible global citizens with a sound moral and ethical compass who are prepared to tackle the world’s challenges related to the rule of law, particularly on SDG 16 and other related Sustainable Development Goals.

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This session will build on the previous UNODC and The Gambia National Youth Council joint side event that took place in Banjul, The Gambia during the AYC 3rd Pan African Youth Conference on African Unity and Development which brought together youth representatives from across Africa to engage in a dialogue with young African leaders, who are involved in government, policymaking and youth empowerment initiatives. As an independent Pan-African youth network founded by young leaders to foster synergies among youth and youth organizations, The Africa Youth Commission (AYC) will be a key partner in the side event. AYC is committed to providing a space and voice for youth to be key partners in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the UN Agenda 2030; Sustainable Development Goals, UNSCR2250 and the Africa 2063 Agenda.

The Gambia National Youth Council, Office of The African Union Youth Envoy, The United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth will also play a significant role in the side-event.