黑料社区

Y20 summit gives platform for voice of global youth

Y20 summit gives platform for voice of global youth
A combination of screen grabs from the virtual Y20 Summit are shown in this image.
Short Url
Updated 18 October 2020

Y20 summit gives platform for voice of global youth

Y20 summit gives platform for voice of global youth
  • A Y20 Summit communiqu茅 was submitted to the Saudi education minister to be given to the G20

RIYADH: The three-day virtual Summit of the Youth 20 (Y20) engagement group of the G20 concluded on Saturday with a call on the world鈥檚 biggest economies to sustain efforts to empower the youth.

A communiqu茅 prepared by the Y20 delegates included the following key policy recommendations to G20 leaders:

鈥 Reform educational frameworks for upskilling the young workforce;

鈥 Develop an entrepreneurial mindset through accessible resources;

鈥 Representation, participation and inclusion in decision-making bodies; and

鈥 Environment sustainability and combatting discrimination

Y20 Chair Othman Almoamar handed over the communiqu茅 to Saudi Minister of Education Hamad Bin Mohammed Al-Shaikh, for him to pass on to the G20.

The Y20 Summit is one of eight official engagement groups under the G20 umbrella. It聽brought together a diverse range of speakers including Y20 delegates from around the world, the UN secretary-general, senior executives from leading corporations, NGOs, academic institutions, leaders from major intergovernmental organizations and pro-youth celebrities.

During the online ceremony on Saturday, Y20 Chair Almoamar said: 鈥淲ithin the Y20, we have completely changed the game this year. We looked at how to be innovative in a time when COVID-19 has created more restrictions than anything we鈥檝e faced before.鈥

He noted that the 鈥渞eally tough advocacy work鈥 of the delegates had resulted in at least one policy being accepted by the G20.

Speaking to what he termed 鈥渙ne of the most resilient generations ever鈥 the future torch-bearers鈥 he added that 鈥渨e need to make sure that young people actually have a voice and are heard at the tables of decision-makers鈥, concluding that 鈥測ou cannot wait for the world to come with their changes, you need to change the world yourself.鈥澛

Earlier in the day, in a keynote speech, 黑料社区鈥檚 Y20 Sherpa Sarah Alkhedheiri noted that 鈥渘obody becomes a global citizen 鈥 we simply all are already global citizens.鈥

Speaking about how young people can become a 鈥渃ommunity of active global citizens鈥 she urged young people to 鈥渢ake action 鈥 start where you are with what you have, and build from there.鈥

Alkhedheiri concluded that the Y20 delegates have 鈥渟hown us the perfect example of active global citizens from all around the world.鈥

During each day of the Y20 Summit, the participants explored a different key theme that has been a focus of Y20 delegates throughout the year, and that complements the work of the G20.

Triple Olympic Gold winner Usain Bolt took part in a video Q&A with young people from around the world.

Bolt noted that 鈥測oung people don鈥檛 have a voice鈥 and urged that we 鈥渇ocus and believe in them, build them up, to make sure the world will be in safe hands.鈥

He noted the importance of young people gaining a good education.

As with the first two days, leaders from the United Nations spoke on Saturday.

In a session on sustainable recovery, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN Habitat, noted that 鈥渙ne small step is to envision a better normal."

Hiroshi Kuniyoshi, Managing Director and Deputy to the Director General, Directorate of External Relations and Policy Research, UNIDO, spoke of his concern that 鈥渁lmost 80% of youth employees are employed in informal jobs 鈥 zero hours contracts, temporary jobs.

They don鈥檛 have any social protection and the COVID-19 crisis is forcing the majority of young people to become further disempowered and disenfranchised.鈥

The summit was the culmination of work by the Y20 throughout 2020. The work of the Y20 began with a Y20 Inception event in Riyadh in March, which launched the group鈥檚 plans to be an active and impactful platform between young leaders and the leadership of the G20.

The Y20 working task forces prepared several white papers that explored key issues in more depth and developed a set of recommendations that G20 leaders should take to mitigate specific negative effects that COVID-19 is causing young people globally, particularly relating to education and the labor market.