The 2026 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum opened today, 14 April, at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The three-day event, running until 16 April, brings together young people, government ministers, UN officials, and civil society representatives to discuss progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The forum is convened by the President of ECOSOC and organised by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) in collaboration with the UN Youth Office, the UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (IANYD), the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY), and the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations (ICMYO).
Theme and Focus Areas
This year’s Forum is titled “Innovate, Unite and Transform: Youth Shaping the Road to 2030.” It aligns with the theme of the 2026 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which centres on transformative, equitable, innovative, and coordinated actions to advance the 2030 Agenda. The Forum places particular emphasis on five SDGs under review at the HLPF: Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
Structure and Programme
The programme includes plenary sessions, thematic breakout discussions on each SDG under review, and regional sessions. A virtual session on the future of multilateralism and the post-2030 framework is also part of the schedule. A Youth Blast capacity-building event was held on 13 April, the day before the main Forum began. The Forum’s outcomes will feed into several upcoming UN processes, including the UN Water Conference 2026, the SDG Summit 2027, the World Urban Forum 2026, and the HABITAT Assembly 2027.
Day 1 (14 April) is themed “Working With and For Young People: Shaping Inclusive and Sustainable Solutions for the 2030 Agenda.” The opening session features remarks from ECOSOC President H.E. Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa, General Assembly President H.E. Ms Annalena Baerbock, and Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. This is followed by plenary sessions on SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), covering topics ranging from water access and energy transition to digital transformation and youth entrepreneurship.
Day 2 (15 April) opens with a virtual dialogue on the post-2030 multilateral framework, followed by regional breakout sessions covering Asia-Pacific, Arab States, Latin America, Europe and North America, Africa, and the Caribbean. The afternoon plenary, “Youth Leadership: A Critical Force in Shaping a Sustainable and Inclusive Future for All”, examines youth participation in civic and political processes.
Day 3 (16 April) covers SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) and SDG 17 (Partnerships and Financing for Youth), followed by sessions on youth-driven change in LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, and on youth mental health, drawing from the World Youth Report.
Participation and Access
Participation in the forum is by invitation. Youth participants are selected through National Youth Councils, regional youth organisations, and networks affiliated with MGCY and ICMYO. A particular emphasis is placed on representatives from marginalised and vulnerable youth communities. The Forum operates in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation. Financial support for the 2026 event has been provided by the PVBLIC Foundation.
The Youth Forum was first held in 2012 as a half-day conference and has since grown into a multi-day event. Its summary report serves as an informal contribution to the HLPF, with key elements referenced in the annual Ministerial Declaration.
