United Nations Youth Office

In Paris, Felipe Paullier Olivera, Head of the UN Youth Office & ASG for Youth Affairs, had a timely meeting with Khaled El-Enany Ezz the Director- General of UNESCO, following his recent appointment. The exchange marked an important step in strengthening collaboration between the UN Youth Office and UNESCO, grounded in shared priorities for youth — from advancing meaningful youth participation and fostering a culture of peace, to supporting youth mental health, implementing Youth2030, and delivering on the Pact for the Future. At the heart of the discussion was a shared conviction: systems perform best when the people they serve help shape them. The question is no longer whether youth should be involved in education governance, but whether their participation is meaningful enough to influence decisions in practice.

What does peace look like beyond agreements and institutions? In Nepal, peace is deeply shaped by caste, class, gender and geography. For Young Leader for the SDGs Aishworya Shrestha, it is a lived condition — one that depends on whether protection, voice and investment reach people before crisis does. Her reflection reminds us that sustainable peace is built in everyday life, by listening to those who live with its absence most closely. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/erEDuKJk

Education systems are more relevant, legitimate and effective when young people help shape them. This #EducationDay, we join UNESCO to call for a critical shift from consultation toward shared decision-making in education governance. New global evidence shows that while many governments consult young people, far fewer have formal mechanisms that allow youth and students to meaningfully influence education policy. This gap matters — particularly at a time of rapid technological change, widening inequality and growing expectations for democratic accountability. Today in Paris, the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs Felipe Paullier joined a high-level conversation on how institutions can move from intention to impact, ensuring that youth participation is measured not just by presence, but by influence, — alongside Eléonore Caroit, Minister Delegate to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Laura Frigenti, CEO of Global Partnership for Education and Eunice Lynda Nakaibale, young changemaker and member of the SDG 4 Youth & Student Network. The UN Youth Office also moderated an event launch of the new Lead With Youth Report by GEM Report UNESCO, bringing together youth leaders, student representatives, education advocates, creators, UN leaders and policymakers to examine how education systems can move beyond consultation towards genuine co-creation. Education systems perform best when the people they serve help shape them.

The 2026 Youth Report, Lead With Youth, published today by the UN Youth Office and GEM Report UNESCO, marks a transition point for global education governance. For the first time, the report introduces a global indicator measuring youth and student participation in education legislation and policymaking, providing the first comparable evidence of how participation is embedded in national education systems. The findings reveal a persistent gap between consultation and influence: only 1 in 3 governments have formal mechanisms to involve youth, and while 6 in 10 youth and student organizations are consulted during policy design, only 1 in 3 see their feedback reflected. The risk is clear. Education systems that do not meaningfully integrate youth voices weaken their own reform, resilience and long-term relevance. Explore the report: https://lnkd.in/edJ8m3KC

When thinking about Justice, Sahba El-Shawa looks to space. Founder of the Palestine Space Institute and the JSRI - Jordan Space Research Initiative, this UN Young Leader for the SDGs links science with ethical responsibility in addressing humanitarian crises. In this interview, Sahba explains how space technology and satellite data can bear witness to injustice and serve as a bridge towards justice and sustainable development. 📖 Read more at the link below (article available in Arabic). عند التفكير في العدالة، تنظر صهباء الشوا إلى الفضاء. مؤسسة معهد فلسطين للفضاء والمبادرة الأردنية لأبحاث الفضاء 'جسري'، هذه القائدة الشابة للأمم المتحدة من أجل أهداف التنمية المستدامة تربط بين العلم والمسؤولية الأخلاقية في معالجة الأزمات الإنسانية. في هذه المقابلة، تشرح صهباء كيف يمكن لتكنولوجيا الفضاء وبيانات الأقمار الصناعية أن تشهد على الظلم وتكون جسراً نحو العدالة والتنمية المستدامة. اقرأ المزيد عبر الرابط أدناه (المقال متاح باللغة العربية). 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eGsY7dGY

At a time of rising conflict, eroding trust and growing disengagement from institutions, reforming multilateralism is no longer optional. Speaking on a high-level panel today, the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs Felipe Paullier Olivera underscored that the UN’s credibility depends on delivery — and on making multilateralism more inclusive, tangible and responsive to people’s lived realities, especially those of young people. From prevention to peacebuilding, meaningful youth participation is not symbolic. It is a stabilizing force and a core pillar of effective peace and security policy. As we mark 80 years of the UN Charter, renewing its promise means closing the gap between global decision-making and local impact — and ensuring young people are partners, not spectators, in shaping peace. #YouthLead #Multilateralism #Peacebuilding #YouthParticipation #UN80

¿Qué significa poner a la juventud en el centro de las decisiones globales? En esta entrevista, Felipe Paullier, Subsecretario General de la ONU para Asuntos de la Juventud, comparte su recorrido y las tres agendas clave que hoy movilizan a los jóvenes: participación, paz y seguridad, y salud mental y bienestar. Lee la entrevista completa y conoce cómo el liderazgo juvenil está transformando el multilateralismo. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ePdhttD6 -- What does it take to put young people at the centre of global decision-making? In this interview, Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, reflects on his journey to leading the UN Youth Office and on three priorities shaping youth agendas worldwide: participation, peace and security, and mental health and well-being. Read the full interview to learn how youth leadership is shaping the future of multilateralism. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gz78-gNr #YouthLead #MentalHealth #YouthPeaceSecurity #UNYouth

In a world filled with fear and negative headlines, Mariam Solika - مريم سوليكا chose hope. Founder of THE GOOD NEWS - ذا جود نيوز and a UN Young Leader for the SDGs, Mariam uses the power of positive storytelling to open windows of possibility for millions of young people across the Arab region. In this interview, Mariam shares how words can become a tool for leadership, resilience and real change. 📖 Read more at the link below (article available in Arabic). .في عالم يضج بالخوف والعناوين السلبية، اختارت مريم سوليكا الأمل مؤسسة منصة The Good News وقائدة شابة من أجل أهداف التنمية المستدامة، تستخدم قوة السرد الإيجابي لفتح نوافذ الأمل أمام ملايين الشباب في العالم العربي .في هذا الحوار، تتحدث عن الكلمة كأداة للقيادة والصمود وصناعة التغيير الحقيقي اقرأوا المزيد على موقع أخبار الأمم المتحدة (باللغة العربية) 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ePd5fDaB #YouthLead #SDGYoungLeaders

How do we make meaningful youth engagement the norm? Join us for a hybrid dialogue bringing together youth leaders, institutions, civil society and UN partners to explore how we can advance meaningful youth participation across the UN system and beyond. 🤝 Co-hosted by the UN Youth Office and the Learning Planet Institute, with support from the European Union Global Gateway, this interactive session builds on the momentum of UNESCO 's International Day of Education and forms part of the Learning Planet Festival. 🗓️ Friday, 23 January 2026 ⏰ 17:30–19:00 CET 💻 Online and in-person 📍 Learning Planet Institute. Paris, France. 🍴 Light reception for in-person participants 🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/eWSQ4eMg #UNYouthCompass #LearningPlanetFestival #YouthLead

Co-creating education starts with meaningful youth participation❗ If education is to be a human right and a public good, young people must have a real seat at the table where decisions are made. Their ideas, leadership and lived experience are key to building education systems that leave no one behind. Join us as we mark this year's International Day of Education and reaffirm that when #youthlead, education becomes more inclusive and transformative for all ✊