 UN launches worldwide search for exceptional young leaders
The United Nations (UN) launched a new initiative worldwide to search
for exceptional young leaders to help achieve Sustainable Development
Goals. Young Leaders will collaborate with UN Secretary-General's Envoy
on Youth to help end poverty, combat climate change and reduce
inequality.
Spear-headed by the Office of the UN Secretary-General's envoy on
Youth, the UN Young Leaders Initiative will recognize on an annual basis
17 young leaders who are driving change to help realize the Sustainable
Development Goals. A first of its kind at the UN, the initiative will
showcase the outstanding leadership that young people are demonstrating
to put the world on a more sustainable course.
Between 2016 and 2030, when the Goals aim to be reached, a new
'Class' of 17 Young Leaders will be announced following an open call for
nominations. During their term, the Young Leaders will work with the
Envoy on Youth and the United Nations to help galvanize other young
people around achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Young Leaders
The first class of Young Leaders will be announced in September,
ahead of the United Nations General Assembly.
 "Last year member states had committed to the Sustainable Development
Goals, an ambitious agenda for people and planet. In order to achieve
these ambitious Goals, we must engage today's youth and empower a
generation which knows about the Goals, cares about their success and
actively works toward their realization", said the UN
Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi.
Nominations are now open via the Young Leaders website. Categories
for nomination include Advocacy, the Arts, Business, Entrepreneurship,
Finance, Media, Philanthropy, Policy, Science, Sport, Technology and
others. The call for nominations aims to unearth young people between
the ages of 18 -30 from around the world, and across multiple sectors,
who are leading positive change towards a sustainable future.
"With this call, I invite people around the world to nominate those
young people who have demonstrated exceptional ingenuity, ambition and
leadership to put the world on a more sustainable course.
This is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the young leaders
who are changing our world for the better", said Alhendawi.
Nominations will be open from June 15 to July 15 and can be made
online at www.SDGYoungLeaders.org. The Class of 2016 will be announced
ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2016.
On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - adopted by world leaders
in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit - officially came into force.
Over the next fifteen years, with these new Goals that universally apply
to all, we must all mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight
inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is
left behind.
First-ever Envoy
In 2013, the UN Secretary-General's appointed Ahmad Alhendawi of
Jordan as his first-ever Envoy on Youth and as the youngest senior
official in the history of the organization. Alhendawi's mandate is to
harmonize the UN system efforts on youth development, enhance the UN
response to youth needs, advocate for the development needs and rights
of young people, as well as to bring the work of the United Nations on
youth closer to them.
The Envoy on Youth also acts as the advisor to and the representative
of the Secretary-General on youth related matters. |
