KOKOTIKO

WORLD YMCA DELEGATION AT THE 2019 UN ECOSOC YOUTH FORUM I consider the opportunity to represent a Global Organization such as the YMCA at the United Nations 2019 ECOSOC Youth Forum a life time achievement in the same manner athletes will see themselves representing their nation at the Olympics or at the FIFA World Cup, mine is nothing short of that, perhaps it may even be more than that. Considering the live transforming work the YMCA is doing in 120 countries in 1200 communities impacting 60 million people, it was truly an honour to be a flagbearer of the YMCA at such an important meeting to present the voices, hopes, fears and aspirations of millions of young people at the highest forum in order to influence policies and decisions that will impact the lives of young people around the world. I have no doubt that young people around the world will appreciate the fact that they have been represented by   highly qualified young ambassadors and they expect that in the...

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is a platform where young people can exchange ideas and develop recommendations on issues of importance to them, engaging in dialogue with Member States as well as regional and global actors.     The 8th Annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum takes place in New York from the 8 th -9 th April 2019 at a critical point in time as the world is working to address the disadvantages of the current trends in globalization, which are not sufficiently sustainable or inclusive. It will address the theme, “Empowered, Included and Equal”, which is aligned with the theme of ECOSOC and the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) which focuses on inclusion and equality in 2019. [i] The 2019 Youth Forum can also be the space for a broader dialogue that considers the historic Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) and 2419 (2018) on youth, peace and security.   The Youth Forum will create a space for a dialogue on youth actions and polic...