联合国驻华协调员常启德
在首届世界青年发展论坛开幕式上的致辞
各位阁下，
尊敬的各位来宾，
来自全世界的优秀青年感谢中华全国青年联合会邀请我来到2022年世界青年发展论坛致辞。很高兴我能参加本次论坛。在六月举办的全球发展高层对话会上习近平主席宣布了这一论坛，旨在让全世界的青年思想者、改变者、创新者和交流者聚集在一起，推动青年发展。我欢迎习近平主席对论坛的倡议，用习近平主席的话说，就是“为落实联合国2030年可持续发展议程汇聚最广泛力量。”当今世界是18亿年龄在10至24岁青年人的家园，这是历史上人数最多的一代年轻人。将近90%的青年人口都生活在发展中国家，尤其是最不发达国家，这一数字预计还将持续增长。青年人是2030年可持续发展议程的火炬手。毫无疑问，没有年轻人的参与，不为年轻人创造释放他们全部潜能的条件，可持续发展目标和和平就无法实现。这个世界从未如此互联，年轻人希望——并且已经——为其社会的丰富和国家的未来做出了贡献。他们挺身而出领导气候行动斗争，动员起来争取种族平等和社会正义，同时他们也提出推动进步和引领变化的创新解决方案。虽然促进青年发展和参与方面已取得了相当大的进展，但青年人正面临着前所未有的危机和威胁，如2019冠状病毒病疫情、气候变化、冲突升级、结构性不平等、数字鸿沟、贫困增长、粮食危机、公民空间受到侵蚀以及对体制的信任度下降等等。最近的数据显示，2020年，全球15至24岁的年轻人中有超过五分之一处于失业状态或未能接受教育和培训。值得担心的是，在这个群体中，年轻女性占到了三分之二。
目前仍在肆虐的2019冠状病毒病疫情持续对青年就业、教育和整整一代人的经济前景产生影响。从未有过如此多的儿童同时失学，疫情扰乱了学习和生活的节奏，尤其是那些最脆弱和边缘化的儿童。这不可接受。青年必须成为我们努力应对这些挑战，以建设更可持续、公正与和平社会的中心.今天的论坛恰当其时，让公众再次聚焦青年发展，将青年发展列为总体发展议程的优先事项，并倡导青年行动，以落实2030年可持续发展议程，实现可持续发展目标。青年是明日的领导者。他们在解决现代世界面临的问题方面拥有巨大能量，包括和平与安全、人权和发展问题，也就是联合国的三大支柱。联合国秘书长安东尼奥·古特雷斯相信青年的力量。不论是在推动性别平等、发展教育和技能培训，还是在创业和数字变革等方面，他都强调了年轻人所体现出的能动性、创造性和奉献性。他呼吁年轻人作为“自己未来的设计者”在议事桌前拥有一席之地。我同样也深信不疑，全世界的年轻人都可以携手并进，为全人类创造一个更包容、更公平、更可持续的世界。作为联合国驻华协调员，我也想要鼓励中国的青年们响应这一呼吁，行动起来，为解决问题、推进可持续发展寻找切实解决方案。
女士们，先生们为了实现联合国可持续发展目标，世界需要撬动每一代人的潜能。代际之间的团结对于可持续发展至关重要。在国际青年日即将到来之际，我们必须尽我们所能去促进、革新代际合作，进而让全世界的年轻人能够享有一个更加公平、开放的社会环境。实现可持续发展目标的“行动十年”仅剩不足八年时间，联合国驻华系统愿通过落实《联合国对华可持续发展合作框架》，促进中国青年发展，确保不落下任何一个青年。我们联合国驻华系统将会继续努力应对国内外青年，特别是弱势群体青年面临的挑战和风险，放大青年声音，促进青年参与，解决青年需求。他们就是我们的未来。祝愿大家的讨论取得丰硕成果。谢谢！致辞原文：
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Young talents from around the world,
I want to thank All-China Youth Federation for the invitation to address the 2022 World Youth Development Forum. I am pleased to join this forum, announced at the High-Level Dialogue on Global Development in June, which aims to bring together young critical thinkers, change-makers, innovators, and communicators around the world to advance youth development. I welcome President Xi Jinping’s call for this forum as, and I quote, “a bid to pool as much strength as possible for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
The world today is home to 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 to 24, the largest generation of young people in history. Nearly 90 per cent of this youth population lives in developing countries, especially in the least developed countries. This number is expected to grow.
Youth are the torchbearers of the 2030 Agenda. It is clear that sustainable development and peace cannot be achieved unless we engage young people and create the conditions for them to reach and unlock their full potential.
Interconnected like never before, young people want to – and already – contribute to the richness of their societies and the future of their nations. They stand up to lead the struggle for climate action, mobilizing for racial and social justice while putting forward innovative solutions that advance progress and inspire change.
While considerable progress has been made in advancing youth development and engagement, young people now face unprecedented crises and threats in the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, rising conflicts, structural inequalities, digital divides, rising poverty and hunger, the erosion of civic spaces and declining trust in our institutions.
Recent data showed that in 2020, more than one in five young people globally aged 15-24 are neither in employment, education or training. Alarmingly, two out of every three in this group are young women.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to see impacts on youth employment, school attendance, and the economic prospects of an entire generation. Never before have so many children been out of school at the same time, disrupting learning and upending lives, especially those of the most vulnerable and marginalized.
This is not acceptable.
Youth must be at the centre of our efforts to address these challenges and build more sustainable, just and peaceful societies.
Today’s forum provides us with a timely opportunity to refocus public attention on youth development, prioritize youth development in the overall development agenda, and advocate for youth action to implement the 2030 Agenda and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Young people are the leaders of tomorrow. They hold great power in addressing issues confronting the modern world, including those of peace and security, human rights, and development, the Three Pillars of the United Nations.
The Secretary-General, António Guterres, believes in the power of young people. Whether in advancing gender equality, education and skills development, or entrepreneurship and digital innovation, he highlights how youth exhibit drive, creativity, and commitment. He has called for young people to have a seat at the table as “designers of their own future.”
I too firmly believe that young people around the world can join hands to realize a more inclusive, fairer, and more sustainable world for all. As the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, I would like to encourage the youth of China to answer the call, take part, and find practical solutions to solve problems and promote sustainable development.
Ladies and gentlemen,
To achieve the SDGs, the world needs to leverage the potential of all generations. Solidarity across generations is vital for sustainable development. Ahead of the upcoming International Youth Day, we must do everything possible to foster and renew intergenerational partnerships that enable the world’s young people to enjoy a more equal, open-minded society.
With less than eight years left to achieve the SDGs in the Decade of Action, the UN in China stands ready to promote youth development in China through the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, to ensure no youth is left behind.
We, the UN Country Team in China, will continue our efforts to address the challenges and risks faced by the young people at home and abroad, especially those in vulnerable groups, to amplify their voice, promote their participation, and address their needs. They are our future.
I wish you productive deliberations. Thank you.
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