EU Statement – UN General Assembly: Report of the UN Youth Office
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro*, Serbia*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Georgia, as well as Armenia, Monaco, San Marino and the United Kingdom align themselves with this statement.
The EU welcomes the 2026 Report of the UN Youth Office, and we commend their leadership in advancing the youth agenda worldwide through its mandate on UN system coordination, intergovernmental support, as well as advocacy and outreach.
Regarding systemwide coordination, we salute the work of the Office in mainstreaming and strengthening meaningful youth participation across the board. The latest Youth2030 Progress Report shows significant advances by country teams and UN entities in systematic youth engagement in the implementation of the SDGs. We also welcome the launch of the Core Principles for Meaningful Youth Participation this March, which provides important guidance for the UN, Member States and civil society in establishing and strengthening participation processes that are safe, inclusive, rights-based and truly representative. In addition, we are pleased to see the catalytic impact of the Youth Compass, the Office’s flagship initiative supported by the European Union, which provides a practical navigation tool for young persons to explore opportunities to engage in policy- and decision-making processes.
Turning now to intergovernmental engagement, we recognise the work of the Youth Office in organising the high-level meetings to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the World programme of Action for Youth, the 10th anniversary of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda as well as the ECOSOC Youth Forum, among many others. We remain firmly committed to supporting the Office’s key role in advancing the YPS Agenda. We encourage the Youth Office to continue to share information in a timely manner on upcoming initiatives and liaise proactively with Member States, Youth Delegates and all other stakeholders to maximise intergovernmental engagement in its important work.
Finally, regarding advocacy and outreach, we commend the work undertaken by the Office to ensure that the voices of those most left behind are heard, and to address key and emerging challenges, such as youth mental health or reprisals. We appreciate the leadership of Assistant Secretary-General Paullier and the Youth Office in actively listening, trusting young persons’ agency and building a genuine partnership with them. We look forward to the upcoming UN Youth Townhall, another opportunity for young voices to contribute to multilateral cooperation. We also appreciate the role of the Young Leaders for the SDGs in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Chair,
We have heard loud and clear the call from young persons to move from mere participation to influence in decision-making processes, and we are working towards this goal. For example, through the global and local EU Youth Sounding Boards, young persons have been involved in the co-creation, rollout and evaluation of the ‘Youth Action Plan in EU external action’, as well as other international cooperation frameworks. The EU also provided funding for the 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report, which places young learners and advocates at the centre of the analysis and recommendations on education policy. Furthermore, the EU Youth, Peace and Security network brings together more than 700 young peacebuilders from all the world to implement demobilization, reintegration and inter-community dialogue activities in the field and in the wider international arena.
Chair,
Young persons are essential partners in creating, implementing and taking forward the goals and principles of the UN. We can only succeed in addressing the burning challenges of today if we do not only invite young persons to the table, but co-create the ‘tables’ themselves with them, empower them with the information and skills needed to take part in the process, and ensure their participation in the implementation and accountability for the decisions made.
Thank you.
- North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.