In an exclusive interview with G20 Brasil, Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs at the United Nations, emphasized the urgency of integrating youth into global decision-making processes, aligning the UN and G20 agendas to face the challenges of the 21st century, such as achieving sustainable development.
At a time when the world is facing interconnected crises, ranging from climate change to social inequality, the largest generation of young people in history (with almost 2 billion people today) demands to participate in the decisions that will shape the future and is emerging as a vital force for global transformation. In an interview with the G20 communications team, Uruguayan Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs of the UN, advocated the involvement of young people as fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and creating a more equitable and sustainable planet. In this interview, Paullier talks about how the UN and G20 agendas converge around the needs and demands of young people, highlighting the importance of effectively integrating them into decision-making processes at all levels.
Reporter: How do the United Nations' youth and G20 agendas align?
They are extremely aligned. It's symbolic that the G20 meeting will be held in Rio de Janeiro this year. It is a very typical city for the sustainable development agenda. Sustainable development, as we know it, has a long history that can be traced back to 1992 in this very city, and 20 years later, at the Rio+20 meeting. Therefore, the G20 is undoubtedly a crucial space on the global agenda.
The commitments being made regarding sustainable development are in line with what the United Nations (UN) can achieve. The UN is the multilateral platform that brings the whole world together, there are 193 countries, this is relevant because there is a strong alignment between the commitments that governments representing 80% of the global economy are making in terms of sustainability, and specifically in this Y20, when it comes to youth engagement and participation.
Considering youth from a plural perspective, as young people, in terms of differences of class, race, gender and nationality, is there a common demand that unifies all these young people in the current world?
This creates a very diverse agenda, and if I have to speak specifically about youth issues, we can say that there are 1.9 billion priorities that each of these voices brings to the table. I think there is a common demand for better and more effective engagement when it comes to decision-making.
There is a great imbalance between demographics and decision-making processes. For instance, we can look at a fact regarding the participation of young people in parliaments. Only 2.8% of members of parliaments worldwide are under the age of 30. There is a great imbalance in power dynamics. In all the countries I visit, young people share a desire to contribute, and not just in parallel spaces. It's about integrating this willingness to participate with concrete decision-making.
There is a great imbalance between demographics and decision-making processes. For instance, we can look at a fact regarding the participation of young people in parliaments. Only 2.8% of members of parliaments worldwide are under the age of 30. There is a great imbalance in power dynamics.
I think it's crucial that the conclusions reached by each of the youth delegations from all the G20 countries, finding common ground, are linked to the final commitments that the heads of state will make during the G20. The United Nations will make a significant move: the Summit of the Future will be held at the end of September in New York. It will bring together all the heads of state of the 193 governments that are part of the UN to rethink and reform multilateralism.
How can young people participate in economic negotiation tables?
In terms of each institutional space, I believe that the challenges we are facing are about the fact that we have a system that was established with the mindset of the 19th or 20th century, that was attempting to solve the challenges of a different era. In the last 10, 15 years, the world has changed drastically. The opportunities for young people and for society to participate are completely different. The accountability systems are different, and it is necessary to rethink how institutions engage with civil society, young voices, and citizenship in general. The establishment of the UN Youth Office by the United Nations General Assembly a few months ago is an example of a step in governments' commitment to a new form of engagement with young voices.
The only way to move the agenda forward is collaboratively. That's why we are here, with the Youth Office attending this Youth20 meeting. We want to know the conclusions, commitments and agreements that all these delegations of young people are bringing to the table. I hope that these conclusions will be taken forward by heads of state to be included in the final commitments that the G20 will make this year under the presidency of Brasil.
In terms of each institutional space, I believe that the challenges we are facing are about the fact that we have a system that was established with the mindset of the 19th or 20th century, that was attempting to solve the challenges of a different era. In the last 10, 15 years, the world has changed drastically. The opportunities for young people and for society to participate are completely different.
Many policies do not meet the wishes of the young and are out of step with the current world, how important is a reform of global governance for youth agendas?
It is impossible to solve and our Secretary-General has a very symbolic way of expressing this. António Guterres said that we won't be able to solve our grandchildren's challenges with a system designed to solve our grandparents' problems. Next year, the United Nations will be celebrating its 80th anniversary, and I don't think anyone doubts the need for global governance. The challenges facing our world are entirely interconnected: the climate crisis and the mental health crisis that adolescents and young people are facing in all parts of the world.
The world is experiencing more active conflicts since World War II. The system needs to be transformed; this is the only space where we are bringing everyone together. I believe that young voices in this process are crucial because the values that the United Nations and multilateralism represent are deeply connected to the youth. I had the opportunity to interact with some young delegates from different parts of Brasil, and I asked them what the UN means to them. I think their response was fascinating. The UN stands for hope, the UN stands for diversity, and the UN stands for convention. And I think that's where we are. We need these young voices because they believe in multilateralism. Some of them were born into the most interconnected world ever. This current generation is the most educated and the most global of all time. So, more than ever, we need these voices if we want to achieve and have more effective governance in multilateralism.
We need these young voices because they believe in multilateralism. Some of them were born into the most interconnected world ever. This current generation is the most educated and the most global of all time. So, more than ever, we need these voices if we want to achieve and have more effective governance in multilateralism.
One in five young people worldwide is neither studying nor working. What commitments and public policies do governments need to tackle this situation?
The problems of access to education, qualification, and employment are global. Young people are facing this challenge in all regions, but the answers differ from place to place. These are global challenges that need to have regional and national perspectives and commitments. Even in countries like Brasil, which is so diverse, we need subnational perspectives to be effective. As you mentioned, one in five young people in the world currently is not in education, employment, or training, and this issue also has a gender perspective. Two of those three young people are women. The solutions and the policies we create must also have this intersectional perspective. Gender inequality clearly plays a significant role in this issue as well. When it comes to access to education, training, or employment, being a young woman is not the same as being a young man.
This is about global commitments but with national and specific programs at the local level. In different regions, we see that training young people in entrepreneurship programs rather than traditional education is bringing tangible and good responses in this regard. In its report, the International Labour Organization (ILO) recommended that this is the way we must move forward together. I'm happy to see that many young people from all over Brasil are bringing their perspectives to this G20 meeting, specifically to Youth 20.
