The United Nations has marked its 75th anniversary at an event tagged ‘UN@75, The Future is Now: African Youth Engagement for the Decade of Action’. The event brought African youth and leaders together to have conversations on building towards the global sustainable development vision and supporting enhanced international cooperation.
At the event, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, interacted with youth from across the continent . She urged them to use technology effectively to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ms. Mohammed said, ‘[U]se your phones not to sow hatred and division but to bring us together to achieve [the] Sustainable Development Goals’. She also encouraged young people to take their future seriously and work hard to use science, technology, and innovation for change.
The youth in attendance at the event also shared their ideas for a better world. Participating at the event was the African Union Youth Envoy, Aya Chebbi. She called for a stronger youth component in the UN-AU Framework on Peace and Security and other collaborative mechanisms. As part of the discussions at the event, several speakers highlighted the need to institutionalise ‘generational co-leadership’, to ensure smooth and genuine leadership transition to the younger generation.
Source: uneca.org
Photo source: Rwanda Government
