Youth Leaders Call for Bold Investment and Inclusive Action at ECOSOC 2025

At the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum, PRME joined forces with global influences to spotlight the power of youth entrepreneurship and the need for inclusive, cross-sector collaboration. Through a side event co-hosted with the German Centre for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York, and contributions to a main plenary session, PRME elevated the voices of youth leaders driving innovation toward the SDGs.

Action for Youth: Bridging Partnerships for Youth Entrepreneurship

At PRME’s ECOSOC Youth Forum side event, global youth leaders and cross-sector partners explored how to better support young entrepreneurs tackling the world’s biggest challenges.

The event began with powerful reflections from Chigozirim Bodart, Chief of Staff at the UN Global Compact and Jan Lüdert, Head of Programs at DWIH New York, both of whom emphasized the vital role youth play in advancing the SDGs. Bodart noted the gap between educational preparation and workforce readiness, calling for more equitable, accessible, and sustainable pathways “from the classroom to the boardroom.” Lüdert underscored that youth are not just future beneficiaries of the 2030 Agenda - they are its current drivers. He encouraged young leaders to take ownership of innovation ecosystems and transatlantic collaboration as tools for global progress.

Youth speakers Yuting Zhao, UN Youth Delegate and Founder of Polaris Safety, and Ava Culver, student at PRME Signatory Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University, called for deeper, more intentional support for young changemakers. Zhao pointed out that while encouragement is important, youth also need access to data, technologies, and partnerships to succeed. Culver stressed the importance of reframing innovation through the lenses of sustainability and equity, urging all sectors to move from passive support to active investment in youth leadership. “We cannot afford to be passive observers,” she said. “We have to stand firm in our advocacy, even when it is inconvenient.”

The final segment highlighted the importance of corporate and institutional partnerships in scaling youth-driven solutions. Masatoshi Honda, Venture partner at Lifetime Ventures and professor at Kyoto University, and Bosen Lily Liu, Head, Partnerships and UN Liaison Unit, UNESCO IESALC, both emphasized the need for sustained financial and relational investment in youth. Liu advocated for education systems that integrate interdisciplinarity, interculturality, and sustainability, while Honda underscored the disruptive power of youth innovation, particularly when paired with technologies like AI. The session closed with a clear takeaway: to unlock the full potential of young leaders, all sectors must collaborate to create ecosystems that enable, trust, and empower youth to lead transformative change.

Key Partnerships and Financing for Youth: Unlocking the Potential of the Green Economy

In the main session, Maha AlAbduljabbar, Consultant at Boston Consulting Group, represented PRME and the Misk Foundation. What resonated most, she shared, was the global consensus that youth are no longer just asking for a seat at the table - they are ready to bring the table. “When I shared examples like the Youth Green Summit and youth engagements during UNCCD COP16, I realized these were not just national achievements, but part of a broader global shift,” she reflected. For Maha, the most striking moment was recognizing a shared vision among youth across geographies: one rooted in purpose, not borders.

Looking ahead, Maha emphasized the need for youth co-creation spaces that extend beyond events. “Too often, the energy in these rooms fades once we leave,” she noted. For real progress, she called on institutions to move beyond symbolic inclusion and make youth integral to long-term strategies. “Youth do not need promises, but rather we need continuity, accountability, and spaces where we are not just heard, but trusted to lead.”