A lot has been said about how young people can take action to combat the crisis, from community organizing to innovative startups. Luckily for you, that isn’t what I will do, because, let’s face it, we do not talk about the interdependence of generations enough.

Youth Friendly Health Services were established in Moldova by the Government, in partnership with UNICEF. The initiative engaged more than 45,000 young people in the promotion of Agenda 2030 and volunteerism, while also giving them a chance to become more aware of healthcare and their wellbeing. Vulnerable groups like those who suffer from drug addiction or commercial sex also had the opportunity to take an HIV test, visit doctors and consult psychologists confidentially

In 2018, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) launched a job creation programme for 3,000 young people in Mali. Daouda Michel Sawadogo (Burkina Faso) is based in Mopti and served under this programme as an international UN Volunteer Youth Specialist. Idleness makes young people easy prey for armed groups who can then easily recruit them.  The challenge is to help them find an occupation that meets their aspirations. --Daouda Michel Sawadogo, international UN Volunteer Youth Specialist

Through the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development and its network, the initiative aims to mobilise, train and deploy 2500 community youth volunteers across the country, selected from some of the most affected communities in the country. They will support ongoing sensitization efforts by the Zambian Government, the United Nations, Development partners and other key stakeholders to help control the spread of the virus.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) does not discriminate by race, gender, geography, income, age or sex. Regardless of who you are, the type of job you have, or the lifestyle you lead, COVID-19 has shaken societies around the world and upended lives and livelihoods. It has forced governments to respond rapidly and develop response and recovery plans.

I was invited to deliver keynote remarks in front of you. I can do that. Or, I can ask us to pause and reflect about a future keynote speech that one of you may be asked to deliver to a youth audience in the year 2050. 2050 is when the world will mark mid-century. By that time, the 21st century’s identity will have been cast. And it is you—your generation—that will have a major role in casting this identity.

Before UNDP, I worked at the Permanent Representation of the Czech Republic to the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium – working closely with the Agriculture and Environment Unit and engaging with the EU’s Task Force for Rural Africa. This provided me with development experience in an agricultural context. As a recent graduate and practitioner in the field of Agricultural Economics, it has been a challenging yet compelling transition to dive into the approaches to prevent violent extremism (PVE). --Tomas Kral, UN Youth Volunteer, UNDP

The commitment of UN Member States to leaving no one behind requires mechanisms that will contribute to the creation and stabilization of peaceful, fair and equal societies. Over the next decade, such mechanisms will prove essential in the realization of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 16, which encompasses promoting the rule of law at national and international levels and ensuring equal access to justice for all.