Young Voices Demand a Seat at the International Table

The article explores the increasing demand for meaningful youth involvement in global decision-making processes. Highlighting dialogues at the United Nations, young activists like Daphne Frias and Marinel Sumook Ubaldo stress the urgency of integrating youth perspectives to address pressing global issues. The UN's evolving efforts to engage younger generations are scrutinized.

Youth activists are demanding a stronger say in global decision-making, with 26-year-old Daphne Frias leading the charge at recent United Nations discussions.

"It's time for those who talk most to step back," Frias, a disability and climate activist, told UN Secretary-General António Guterres, advocating for her generation's leadership at a pre-General Assembly event.

A 2018 initiative called "Youth 2030" aimed to make young people full-fledged partners in the UN's work. The recent "Pact for the Future" seeks to deepen youth engagement, but younger voices stress that symbolic inclusion must turn into real decision-making roles.

(With inputs from agencies.)