Last month, CHOICE travelled to New York to attend the 58^th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD58) with the theme ‘Ensuring Healthy Lives and Promoting Well-being for All at All Ages’.

Although the negotiations did not lead to an outcome document this year, there are many outcomes to share in terms of strengthening the youth movement within this UN space, which was CHOICE’s main focus this CPD, as co-facilitator of the ICPD Youth Platform.

The ICPD Youth Platform is a platform that unites people in all their diversity to drive progress on SRHR and bodily autonomy. It’s a space for youth, by youth, to build solidarity, learn, connect and support each other and advocate to uphold young people’s SRHR in the annual CPD and the follow up and review of the ICPD Programme of Action (ICPD PoA). Launched at the ICPD25 Nairobi Summit, the platform has since engaged with 700+ youth, and has recently launched its brand-new website: https://www.icpdyouthplatform.org/

Below is a list of this year’s successes with regards to advancing meaningful and inclusive youth participation (MIYP) at the CPD:

• Youth movement building: The ICPD Youth Platform facilitated daily youth sessions, which were hosted by the permanent missions of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Denmark. These turned out to be a big success, with between 20-40 young people from across different global regions attending each session, showing that youth representation within the CPD has grown significantly over the past years! We focused on connecting with and supporting each other, strategizing together and learning from each other in terms of language advocacy, local SRHR contexts and best practices regarding youth participation, and creating an action plan for sustaining and strengthening the youth movement going forward!

“I am especially grateful to the team behind the ICPD Youth Platform for creating a space for youth voices and for connecting me with some of the most passionate, driven, and inspiring young people from around the world. I learned so much from their unique experiences and perspectives.” Lucas DeRome, UN Youth Delegate McGill Youth Advisory Delegation

• Youth participation: Our dedicated advocacy efforts towards governments and UN agencies for more MIYP at the CPD were rewarded with an increase of the inclusion of youth voices in the CPD, in the formal program as well as the side events. A great example was the intergenerational dialogue “Bridging Generations for Action” that CHOICE and the ICPD Youth Platform organized together with UNFPA and the governments of Benin, Denmark and the Netherlands, co-sponsored by the governments of Moldova, Uruguay, Japan, India, Lebanon and the UN Youth Office. In this panel of youth advocates, civil society and government representatives, the importance of cross-generational collaboration and dialogue as well as the follow-up of the ICPD PoA and the Cotonou Youth Action Agenda was emphasized.

“We are with many. We should be represented at all levels—from decisions to implementation to accountability. We are ready.” Hanna Mulugeta, Development Expertise Center

Quoted by Dr Natalia Kanem, Executive Director UNFPA: “The question is: are we ready to act? And the answer should be yes.”

• Political commitment: We saw commitment from various governments to advance meaningful and inclusive youth participation in the CPD. Namely, more and more governments have adopted or want to adopt the best practice of bringing a youth delegate as part of their delegation, just like the Netherlands includes our Youth Ambassador SRHR in theirs. This year was the first time that our youth sessions were hosted by missions, and we have already heard from more missions from various global regions that they would like to host us next year! We also see that more countries are being vocal about the importance of MIYP. A great example is how this year’s chair of the CPD, the Netherlands, pushed for youth engagement within the forum, and plans for its continuity in its handover to the next chair.

“From the very beginning, our goal was to ensure meaningful youth participation during the CPD Forum. We knew young people couldn’t just be included – they had to be integrated into this process. Not just as participants, but as contributors to the conversation..." - Katja Lasseur, Chair of the fifty-eighth session of the Commission on Population and Development

• Visibility of the Youth Ambassador SRHR: As Youth Ambassador for Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights, Gender Equality and Bodily Autonomy, Aydin Karadag amplified the voice of youth at several key moments in New York. He delivered the Netherlands’ national statement alongside Ambassador Lise Gregoire-van Haaren, advocating for meaningful youth participation in shaping inclusive, youth-centered policies around SRHR. At the intergenerational dialogue, Aydin shared insights from young people worldwide about the barriers they face in accessing holistic HIV care, from stigma and legal barriers to the lack of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services. Moreover, at the Chair’s reception at the start of the CPD, he spoke alongside UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem, UN DESA Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua, and Youth Advocate Riju Dhakal, where he reflected on the progress made in the global HIV response and the urgency of safeguarding those gains amidst global budget cuts. Aydin also met with the directors of the New York offices of UNAIDS and the WHO, engaging in meaningful conversations about the future of global health and the role of young people in shaping it.

“Going to the UN and speaking there taught me so much, but I also left with mixed feelings. Young people around the world know their needs when it comes to their bodies and rights. Spaces like the UN must become more accessible and inclusive of youth voices globally.” - Aydin Karadag, Dutch Youth Ambassador for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, Gender Equality and Bodily Autonomy


So... what happens next? The ICPD Youth Platform will continue its efforts to strengthen the CPD youth movement. Want to know more about the CPD, the ICPD Programme of Action, and the Cotonou Youth Action Agenda? Are you interested in supporting the ICPD Youth Platform or seeing how you can get involved in the community? Visit https://www.icpdyouthplatform.org/