Children Assembly

The objectives of the Children and Youth Assembly are to:
• Highlight and celebrate the contributions of children and youth to the World Urban Forum and Habitat III, examining their contributions to the progress of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
• Provide an online platform for global youth to exchange knowledge, experiences and solutions.
• Foster and encourage the establishment of inter-generational dialogue between various stakeholders with the aim of promoting sustainable urban development.
• Promote the sharing, assessment, and dissemination of knowledge from various formal and informal sources to provide an evidence-base for the implementation, monitoring, and review of the NUA.
• Endorse the role of children and youth in creating and implementing strategies and solutions for innovative and sustainable approaches towards urban development, specifically encouraging their active participation in the design, implementation and review process of the NUA.

Youth have the potential to accelerate sustainable development as agents of change in their immediate communities and beyond. With unique skills and perspectives in today’s ever-evolving world, youth sit at the frontlines of innovation, yet their leadership remains untapped.

According to the Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, there are about 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 today – the largest youth population ever – creating an unprecedented potential for economic and social progress. Additionally, as elaborated on during previous urban youth assemblies, meaningful youth participation in the development (design, implementation, monitoring, follow-up and review) of urban policies enhances inclusive urban governance, ensures the protection of the urban environment, and leads to innovation and entrepreneurship in approach.

The Children and Youth Assembly at the Ninth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF9) is an inter-generational and inter-stakeholder forum which aims to provide a platform for young people to share experiences and knowledge, showcase solutions and initiatives, and develop partnerships to make cities and human settlements more equitable, inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. WUF9 is guided by the connected objectives of the New Urban Agenda (NUA) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (including the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular, Goal 11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable). The Assembly will explore cross-cutting issues and solutions for sustainable development across the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of an urbanizing world, with a special focus on the engagement of children and youth to promote inclusivity, equity and resilience.

The Children and Youth Assembly will build upon outcomes from previous assemblies at past sessions of the World Urban Forum, Habitat III and regional forums, as well as recommendations contained in the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY). Key recommendations and outputs of the Assembly will feature in a Special Session on Children and Youth as part of the official WUF9 and will inform the final recommendations of WUF9. Additionally, experiences shared by children and youth participants will help to inform future strategies and objectives of the United Nations agencies and other relevant stakeholders, further supporting the realization of the objectives of the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda (including the Sustainable Development Goals).