The UAE’s General Secretariat of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recently hosted a dedicated youth session titled “Voices for 2045: Youth Shaping the Future” as part of the UAE delegation’s participation in the United Nations Sustainable Development Forum 2025, organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Held at the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations, the session brought together youth leaders and global change-makers, including members of the UN General Assembly’s Major Group for Children and Youth.
Shaping the future of sustainable development
The dialogue engaged young participants in envisioning the world beyond 2030 and empowered them to shape the future of sustainable development. It fostered dialogue on youth aspirations and ideas for the Extended Sustainable Development Goals (XDGs 2045), a global vision for inclusive growth introduced by the Secretariat of the National Committee on SDGs at the 2023 World Governments Summit.
The session enabled youth change-makers to share experiences, connect with peers and exchange ideas for a more inclusive and resilient future.
“The UAE firmly believes that youth are not merely beneficiaries of development pathways but essential partners in shaping and leading them towards the future,” said Abdullah Nasser Lootah, assistant minister of cabinet affairs for competitiveness and experience exchange and chair of the National Committee for Sustainable Development Goals.
He emphasised that the session reflects this philosophy by giving youth a transparent and effective platform to express their visions and challenges.
“Shaping the vision of the post-2030 sustainable development agenda requires open dialogue, collective participation and bold ideas that keep pace with global changes. It is not enough to listen to youth as inspirational voices; their visions must be treated as essential inputs in policy-making and prioritization,” added Lootah.
UAE youth key partners in developing more sustainable world by 2045
Forty participants from the UN Major Group for Children and Youth contributed diverse perspectives on the ambitious XDGs 2045 vision. Discussions focused on three core themes – empathy, passion and action – underscoring the role of youth in building a better future.
Participants responded to three key questions via an online survey, offering insights on their motivations, desired transformative changes, challenges faced and proposed solutions to enhance youth contributions to sustainable development.
Their responses underscored key priorities, including empowering youth and ensuring their active involvement in policy and strategy development, strengthening international cooperation and promoting innovation, guaranteeing universal access to quality education and healthcare, and safeguarding the environment and natural resources for future generations.
The session reflects the UAE’s commitment to supporting global efforts to achieve the SDGs and to enhancing the role of youth as key partners in the development of a more inclusive and sustainable world by 2045.
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Delegations review five key goals
The United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is the UN’s main platform for sustainable development matters. Since its establishment in 2012, it has played a central role in tracking and reviewing countries’ progress toward implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Delegations participating in the Forum conduct assessments of achievements made so far toward the SDGs, with in-depth reviews of five key goals:
- SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
- SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- SDG 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
- SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.
- SDG 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
