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For the first time in ITU history, young people delivered sessions and engaged with decision makers during the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 (PP-22), which took place from 26 September to 14 October 2022 in Bucharest, Romania. “Youth at PP-22” was funded by the Government of Canada and the Government of Australia and organized in coordination with the PP-22 host country Romania. Generation Connect Youth Envoys representing all ITU Regions were fully funded to physically participate in the second week of PP-22. To learn more about the experiences of the Generation Connect Youth Envoys at PP-22, please read their reflections.

Videos and Testimonials

Check out this poem titled ‘WITH JUST A CLICK’, written and performed at PP-22 by a Generation Connect – Africa Youth Envoy, Karimot Odebode. Karimot has recently been selected by the UN Youth Envoys’ office as a 2022 SDG Young Leader! Her poem describes how technology could be harnessed towards the economic empowerment of youth, women and girls across the world. By delivering this powerful poem, Karimot lent her voice to youth, women and girls all over the world in the presence of key global decision-makers.

“Attending PP-22 was an experience that has definitely impacted my life. It has left hope in young people, believing that together we can create a better future, more inclusive, with more opportunities and impact on lives around the world. Representing the youth of Generation Connect at this conference was an opportunity to raise the voice of young people, put our opinions on the table, and be heard!” – Jackeline Garcia Alvarado, Generation Connect – Americas Youth Envoy

Pictures

Check out some images of Generation Connect Youth Envoys participating in the global digital development dialogue at PP-22!

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International Youth Day 2023

On 12 August 2023, ITU & Generation Connect, together with the UN Family and Partners, celebrated the International Youth Day!

The ITU Generation Connect global youth initiative catalyses youth action for digital transformation, gives young people a voice & opportunity to be empowered, engaged & to participate to advance the digital development agenda for present & future generations.

On the occasion of International Youth Day, ITU Development Sector held a webinar “Celebrating Youth Digital Change makers for a Sustainable Future” on  Monday 14 August 2023 1400-1500 CEST. The webinar underscored the transformative impact of young digital change makers within the current digital socio-economic landscape. The webinar spotlighted young individuals who are contributing significantly to the global goal to ensure that no one is left behind. Check out the full webinar below!

Under the theme ‘From Potential to Prosperity’, the 5th United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) was held in Doha, Qatar, from March 5 to 9, 2023. It aimed to drive transformational change to positively affect the lives of the 1.2 billion people who live in the 46 Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

5 Generation Connect Youth Envoys: Jacqueline Mukarukundo (Rwanda), Antonio Braga Fazenda (Angola), Emmanuel Ganse (Benin), Gouro Amadou Kamissoko (Mali) and Samwel Nassary (Tanzania) were fully funded by QFFD or OHRLLS respectively to participate especially in the LDC5 Youth Forum and in the LDC5 Youth Track sessions.

The #LDC5 Youth Declaration ’For all Generations’ was adopted at the LDC5 Youth Forum. In the Youth Declaration, young people in LDCs call for more investment in youth initiatives, better policies to support young entrepreneurs and more seats at decision-making tables. The ‘Digital Inclusion’ section on Page 7 was contributed by Generation Connect Youth Envoys in the consultation phase.

Generation Connect co-delivered the below sessions at LDC5:

• Putting youth at the forefront: Paving the way for an enabling environment for youth to thrive and prosper – by ITU, QFFD, UNDP
• Youth enabling digital development in LDCs (LDC5 ) | UN Web TV – by ITU, UNCDF, ITC
• Youth Forum (LDC5) | UN Web TV and the LDC5 Intergenerational Dialogue.
• Youth: Reimagining a Better World | UN Web TV – by SDG Media Zone
• Gender Equality: Key to progress for the most vulnerable – by SDG Media Zone
• Partner2Connect Session at the Private Sector Forum

In addition to the above sessions, the ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin and the BDT Director, Dr. Cosmas Zavazava also held informal meetings with the #LDC5 Youth Delegates in Doha.

For more details visit ITU at LDC5

In line with the ITU Youth Strategy and within the framework of the “Generation Connect” global initiative, European Youth were called upon to contribute to the preparatory process for the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-21), in particular the Regional Preparatory Meeting (RPM) for Europe, through the establishment of the Generation Connect – Europe Youth Group (GC-EUR).

Youth declaration

A Youth Declaration presented at the RPM, was prepared by the Europe Youth Group.  Through the Declaration the European Youth Group share their views on the challenges and opportunities related to digital development. The Declaration recognizes the essential role of meaningful connectivity for digital development and calls for specific actions in Europe in the areas of capacity development, policy and regulation, cybersecurity, environment, and digital inclusion. Considering the declaration, RPM decided to incorporate several proposals in the new set of regional priorities for Europe ensuring meaningful engagement of Youth in the preparatory process towards WTDC-21.

Watch our Generation Connect European youth group and listen to their voices