BLIA Focuses on Youth Participation in Sustainable Development at the United Nations High-level Political Forum

Venerable You Lin, BLIA World Headquarters UN NGO Office Director, led BLIA New York Chapter directors Helen Leong and Judy Chiang in attending the United Nations High-level Political Forum (HLPF) side event “Powering Participation: Youth2030 and the Pact in Action” on July 14. They learned about the latest progress made by the United Nations in promoting youth participation in sustainable development and joined government representatives, international organizations, and civil society groups from around the world in focusing on the important role of young people in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Hosted by the United Nations Youth Office, the forum released the Youth2030 Progress Report 2026 and introduced six key strategic priorities for the second phase of Youth2030 from 2025 to 2030. These include deepening youth participation in decision-making, working with young people to advance the Sustainable Development Goals, strengthening capacity-building, increasing resources, and improving accountability mechanisms, with the goal of placing young people at the center of global sustainable development.

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed called on governments to enable young people to participate in decision-making at all levels and encouraged youth to remain actively engaged in public affairs to jointly advance the Sustainable Development Goals. She stated that although challenges remain, rapid technological development and global cooperation still offer an opportunity to accelerate progress toward sustainable development before 2030.

Judy Chiang shared that attending the forum gave her a deeper understanding of the need for cross-border cooperation and partnerships in advancing sustainable development. Only by bringing together the strengths of governments, civil society organizations, and all sectors of society can the world accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Helen Leong shared that, after attending the forum, she was deeply moved to see many people around the world contributing to sustainable development in different ways. Although the process is full of challenges, every concrete action will accumulate into a force capable of changing the world, giving her greater confidence in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.