COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Youth engagement in delivering the 2030 Agenda Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU Voluntary Review on progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Date: 2023-05-15
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU policy, European social policy, UNO, climate change policy, sustainable development, the EU's international role, young person, youth policy

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 15.5.2023  SWD(2023) 702 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Youth engagement in delivering the 2030 Agenda Accompanying the document REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS EU Voluntary Review on progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development {COM(2023) 700 final} - {SWD(2023) 700 final} - {SWD(2023) 701 final} - {SWD(2023) 703 final}  
 
 
Introduction  

This  annex  provides  a  state  of  play  regarding  the  tools  and  mechanisms  present  in  the  EU 
policy  landscape  when  it  comes  to  young  people  and  their  role  in  implementing  the  2030 
Agenda. The review goes beyond those initiatives visibly labelled as Sustainable Development 
Goals  (SDGs),  instead  taking  a  broader  approach  to  policies  that  significantly  impact  the 
implementation of those goals in the EU.  

After outlining the connection between young people and the SDGs, this annex presents key EU 
policy  initiatives  and  actions  that  strengthen  their  role  within  and  outside  Europe  in  the 
implementation of the  2030  Agenda, based on  three headline themes:  empowering, engaging 
and connecting young people.  

This  includes  key  initiatives  that  seek  to  benefit  and  harness  the  potential  of  young  people 
(empower),  where  young  people  participate  in  decision-making  (engage)  and  where  young 
people are provided with opportunities to interact and exchange (connect). 

Drawing a link: young people and SDGs in the EU’s internal and external policy  

The European Commission has developed a series of initiatives to ensure the mainstreaming of 
the  SDGs  across  all  policies,  both  internally  and  externally.  Drawing  a  link  between  these 
headline  initiatives  is  an  important  step  in  understanding  the  interconnectedness  of  the  SDG 
agenda and how the EU and young people engage with it.    

With  2022  proclaimed  as  the  European  Year  of  Youth,  it  is  more  imperative  than  ever  to 
promote a strong and lasting partnership with young people to achieve the SDGs, ensuring that 
no one is  left  behind.  The legacy of the European Year of Youth falls into the broader policy 
context of the 2019-27 EU Youth Strategy and the follow-up to the Conference on the Future 
of Europe.  

In  the  spirit  of  the  European  Year  of  Youth  and  in  the  light  the  COVID-19  pandemic  and  its 
aftermath,  the  Employment  and  Social  Developments  in  Europe  2022  review  focused  on  the 
challenges  for  young  people  in  Europe,  in  particular  related  to  SDG  1  (no  poverty),  SDG  4 
(quality  education),  SDG  5  (gender  quality),  SDG  8  (decent  work  and  economic  growth)  and 
SDG 10 (reduced inequalities). 

As  indispensable  contributors  and  natural  custodians  of  this  inter-generational  agenda, 
‘young people are agents of development and change’.1 However, this enormous potential of 
youth  is  often  untapped,  and  to  date,  global  youth  engagement  in  this  process  has  been 
‘somewhat limited’, according to the UN World Youth Report from 2018.  

The  Better  Regulation  Toolbox,  published  in  November  2021,  explicitly  sets  out  that  every 
legislative  proposal  of  the  EU  must  contribute  to  the  implementation  of  specific  SDGs,  while 

1  Report  from  the  Commission  Supporting  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals  across  the  world:  The  2019  Joint 
Synthesis  Report  of 
its  Member  States  (COM/2019/232  final)  https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52019DC0232  

the  European  Union  and 

1 

 
 
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
                                                           
stressing the importance of youth engagement in EU policy-making.2 The goal of mainstreaming 
young people’s interests as a priority across all policy areas can only be achieved, as set out in 
the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, by enabling and encouraging the capacity of young people 
to  be  architects  of  their  own  lives  while  involving  young  people  more  in  policy  decisions 
across all sectors.  

Under  the  EU  Youth  Strategy,  young  people  should  meaningfully  participate  in  the 
‘development,  implementation  and  follow-up  of  policies  affecting  them’  (Principle  C: 
Participation).   More  importantly,  this  contribution  should  go  beyond  policies  limited  to  the 
youth field, and take a cross-sectoral approach among different policy areas (Principle E: Dual 
Approach).    

Given the universality of SDGs, young people’s voices should be taken into account ‘whenever 
global issues are addressed’, making SDGs especially prominent, as emphasised in Principle D 
(Global,  European,  national,  regional  &  local  dimension).  The  Better  Regulation  Toolbox3 
clearly commits the EU to ensure the implementation of SDGs in its externally-oriented policy 
measures. The Youth Action Plan in EU External Action mirrors the three strands of the EU 
Youth  Strategy,  namely  engage,  empower  and  connect  youth,  and  will  shape  the  EU's 
partnership with young people in partner countries.  

Mainstreaming young people’s interests as a priority across all policy areas will benefit the EU 
and young people in Europe and beyond. By strengthening the role of young people in policy-
making,  the  EU  contributes  to  support  SDG  16  (Peace,  Justice  and  Strong  Institutions)  and 
specifically  target  16.7.  (‘ensuring  responsive,  inclusive,  participatory  and  representative 
decision-making at all levels’).  

For  young  people,  it  will  reinforce  them  as  rights  holders  while  promoting  inclusion  and 
meaningful  youth  participation  at  all  levels  of  society  and  in  decision-making  processes,  thus 
supporting democracy. Similarly, it will enable the EU to develop an alliance of common values 
and principles and position the EU as a role model globally.  

Internal EU youth initiatives to fulfil the 2030 Agenda  

Empower 

The EU has developed different  internal  instruments  to  empower  young  people, promote their 
political and civic participation and provide them with tools to complete the SDGs.   

The  11  Youth  Goals  of  the  2019-27  EU  Youth  Strategy  focus  on  harnessing  young 
 
people’s potential to meet the vision of the SDGs. Youth Goal 2 ‘Equality of all genders’ can for 

2 Tool #19 ‘Sustainable Development Goals and Tool #31 – Education and Training, Culture and Youth’ of the 
Better regulation toolbox (europa.eu) 
3 Tool #35 ‘Developing countries’ and Tool#25 ‘Internal market’ of the Better regulation toolbox (europa.eu) 

2 

 
 
 
  
 
 
  
   
  
  
                                                           
example  serve  as  a  complementary  indicator  to  SDG  5  tackling  gender  equality  and 
empowerment for all women and girls. 

The Council Recommendation on establishing a Child Guarantee aims to prevent and 
 
combat  social  exclusion  by  guaranteeing  effective  and  equal  access  for  all  children  in  need  to 
key  services  including  free  early  childhood  education  and  care,  free  high-quality  and  inclusive 
education, free healthcare, adequate housing, healthy nutrition, and physical activity.  

The  reinforced  Youth  Guarantee  ensures  that  all  people  under  the  age  of  30  receive  a 
 
quality  offer  of  employment,  education,  apprenticeship,  and  traineeship  within  four  months  of 
becoming unemployed or leaving education. This would align with SDG 8 on decent work and 
SDG  4  on  quality  education.  The  new  flagship  initiative  ‘Aim,  Master,  Learn,  Achieve’ 
(ALMA) aims to provide the first work experience abroad for disadvantaged young people who 
are not in employment, education or training.  

The  European  cooperation  network  of  employment  services  (EURES) is  a  platform 
 
developed by the European Commission to facilitate the free movement of workers by offering 
targeted  schemes  for  people  aged  18-35  to  find  their  first  job  or  traineeship  in  another  EU 
Member States, Iceland or Norway. 

The  2022  European  Year  of  Youth  (EYY)  was  the  first  European  Year  to  be  fully  co-
 
designed by  EU institutions,  Member States,  and  youth  stakeholders. Through over 100 policy 
initiatives, more than EUR 127 million were identified in EU programmes linked to the Year’s 
implementation.  Moreover,  the  eight  policy  areas  of  the  European  Year  of  Youth  are  closely 
associated with the EU Youth Strategy, whose goals form an integral part of several SDGs.  

The European Youth Portal serves as the primary source of European and country level 
 
information about opportunities and initiatives directly benefitting young people in Europe (such 
as equality and inclusion, sustainability, mental health and well-being, and quality employment) 
with more than 8 500 activities (as of 9 December 2022). 

In its internal organisation, the European Commission is attempting to mainstream young 
 
people’s  interests  into  all  policy  areas.  An  EU  Youth  Coordinator  was  nominated  in  June 
2021,  to  strengthen  cooperation  across  sectors  within  the  different  European  Commission 
departments  on  issues  affecting  youth.  Pursuing  this  mainstreaming  effort,  the  Better 
Regulation Toolbox4 provides the EU with concrete solutions on youth engagement, integration 
and opportunities during the policy-making process.  

In 2022, the Committee of the Regions, along with the European Youth Forum, created a 
 
European Charter for Youth and Democracy. The Charter strives to build a democratic space 
that ensures young people are formally and continuously represented in the EU.      

Engage 

The 2022 EU Barometer on Youth and Democracy revealed that young people's most common 
expectation  for  the  European  Year  of  Youth  is  for  decision-makers  to  listen  more  to  their 
demands  and  act  on  them,  and  to  support  their  personal,  social  and  professional 

4 Tool #31 – Education and Training, Culture and Youth of the Better regulation toolbox (europa.eu) 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
development (72%). As such, EU institutions developed internal instruments that allow young 
people to engage and participate in the decision-making process.   

The EU Youth  Dialogue is  the largest  organised citizen involvement process  in  the EU, 
 
under  which  several  youth  consultations  are  held  on  a  subject  relevant  to  young  people  across 
Europe. It is organised by youth-led national working groups, together with an EU-level steering 
group, in 18-month cycles. The current theme of this cycle is ‘A sustainable and green Europe’ 
which  covers  SDG  11  (Sustainable  Cities  and  Communities)  and  SDG  12  (Responsible 
Consumption and Production). 

In  addition,  the  Youth  Policy  Dialogues  enable  in-person  exchanges  between  each 
 
European Commissioner and  young people on topics  covered in  the Commissioner’s portfolio, 
thus covering the full SDG spectrum.  

The  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  launched  the  Youth  Climate  and 
 
Sustainability  Round  Tables,  which  provide  a  space  for  regular,  structured  and  meaningful 
dialogue between young people and EU decision-makers.  

The Conference on the Future of Europe that took place in 2021-22 included European 
 
Citizens’  Panels  which  consisted  of  800  randomly  selected  citizens,  of  which  one-third  were 
young people. One of these recommendations, proposed by the European Youth Forum and set 
out  in  the  final  report  of  the  Conference  published  on  9  May  2022,  is  an  EU  Youth  Test  that 
would evaluate the impact of policy proposals on young people.  

The Commission Youth Network established in 2021 serves as a forum for exchanges on 
 
youth  issues  and  helps  strengthen  cross-sector  cooperation  and  the  mainstreaming  of  youth 
policy. This initiative is linked to the European Year of Youth, whose legacy seeks to create  a 
strong cross-sectoral dimension, reflecting young people’s interest in many EU policy areas. 

The  Young  Twente  Board  in  the  Netherlands  created  a  regional  online  panel  where 
 
young people can sign up to receive a short survey six times a year about a wide range of topics 
relevant for their future.  

Connect 

Active  young  participants  in  society  are  a  unique  pool  of  committed  people  who  strive 
to promote SDG and EU values to further advance youth engagement. It is important to identify 
and connect these individuals and provide them with meaningful opportunities to develop their 
skills as agents of change. 

The EU’s flagship initiative, the Erasmus+ Programme, has facilitated international youth 
 
exchanges and study opportunities abroad since 1987. With EUR 26.2 billion, the programme’s 
budget for 2021-27 was almost double that of 2014-20.  

The  European  Social  Fund  (ESF)  and  the  Youth  Employment  Initiative  have  helped 
 
over  24  million  young  participants  from  2014  to  2022  to  improve  their  education,  skills, 
employment opportunities and social inclusion.  The ESF+, with a budget of roughly EUR 98.5 
billion for the 2021-27 programming period, will continue to support this mission. 

The  European  Commission’s  new  ‘Voice  your  Vision’  platform  allows  young  people  to 

 
express their hopes and aspirations for the future of Europe in short, recorded messages. 

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The  Young  Elected  Politicians  programme  (YEPs)  is  a  network  of  local  and  regional 
 
politicians  under  the  age  of  40  in  Europe. The  programme  provides  networking  opportunities 
within the YEP Community and the Committee of Regions as well as training on EU topics.  

The  EU  Climate  Pact  Ambassadors  is  a  European  Commission  initiative  connecting 
 
people,  especially  young  people,  communities  and  organisations  towards  the  goal  of  climate 
action and building a greener Europe. It contributes to both SDG 13 on climate action and SDG 
17 on partnerships. 

The European Solidarity Corps offers volunteering opportunities for young people who 
 
want  to  help,  learn  and  develop  an  inclusive  society.  As  from  2022,  the  European  Solidarity 
Corps opened up to the world with the European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps offering 
new  cross-border  volunteering  activities  in  support  of  humanitarian  aid  operations  in  countries 
outside the EU.  

The  regional  Danube  Youth  Council,  established  in  2022  and  co-funded  by  the  City  of 
 
Vienna  and  the  European  Commission,  provides  a  platform  for  the  institutional  and  political 
involvement of young people in the Danube region, including countries in the Western Balkans 
and Eastern Partnership. 

The  2017-18  Irish  UN  youth  delegates  group  prepared  a  report  entitled  ‘Generation  for 
 
Change:  Spotlight  Report  on  Young  People,  the  Sustainable  Development  Goals  and  Ireland, 
2018’  to  provide  a  youth  perspective  on  key  issues  for  government  departments  leading  SDG 
work, in advance of Ireland’s 2018 Voluntary National Review (VNR). 

External EU initiatives to fulfil the 2030 Agenda 

Empower 

With instruments like Global Europe (under the Neighbourhood, Development and International 
Cooperation  Instrument  (NDICI)),  the  EU  empowers  young  people  by  fighting  inequality  and 
providing young people with the skills and tools they need to thrive.  

The Youth Action Plan in EU  External  Action, adopted on 4  October  2022, is  the first-ever 
EU  policy  framework  for  a  strategic  partnership  with  young  people  around  the  world.  The 
Council Conclusions on the Youth Action Plan in EU external action from 28 November  2022 
underline that young people worldwide are essential and reliable partners in the implementation 
of the SDGs.  

• The EU committed to invest at least 20% of the overall funding for NDICI-Global Europe in 
human development.  Moreover, the EU aims to  invest  in  education at  least 10% of the overall 
funding  under  Global  Europe  for  Sub-Saharan  Africa,  Latin  America  and  the  Caribbean,  Asia 
and the Pacific including through Global Gateway investment. In addition, the EU allocates 10% 
of  its  humanitarian  aid  funding  to  education  in  emergencies  and  protracted  crises,  to  reach  the 

5 

 
 
  
  
   
  
 
most  marginalised  children  and  young  people,  including  those  in  areas  of  armed  conflict  and 
refugee sites.5 

•  Since  2017  the  EU4Youth  initiative  increases  the  employability,  upskilling  and  active 
participation  of  young  people  in  the  Eastern  Partnership  countries  with  special  focus  on 
disadvantaged youth and women. 18 000 young people have benefited from EUR 42.6 million in 
targeted support. 

In 2017 the EU and the UN launched the Spotlight Initiative, a multi-year partnership to 
• 
eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. The initiative seeks to empower women, 
in  line  with  (i)  SDG  5  on  gender  equality  and  (ii)  the  commitment  to  eliminate  all  forms  of 
gender-based violence affirmed in the New European Consensus on Development.  

The EU Youth Guarantee in the Western Balkans and the 2022 Youth Package in the 
• 
Neighbourhood South support youth employment, through activities addressing the challenges 
of  young  people  not 
training  (NEETs)  and  boosting 
entrepreneurship in the countries covered by the EU Neighbourhood policy. 

in  education,  employment  or 

• 
The  EU  flagship  programme  EUROsociAL+  implements  measures  that  promote  social 
cohesion  in  Latin  America,  such  as  promoting  science,  technology,  engineering,  and 
mathematics  (STEM)  studies  for  girls  in  Uruguay  and  the  Dominican  Republic,  youth 
employability in Peru and organisation of university debates with young students on the Chilean 
constituency process. 

Engage    

‘Young people are a constituency who hold  uniquely critical  perspectives and skills, necessary 
for  informing  and  driving  policy,  service  delivery,  and  research’6  states  the  Youth  Sounding 
Board  for  International  Partnerships.  The  EU  is  committed  to  engaging  young  people  beyond 
Europe  in  increasing  their  voice  and  leadership,  in  particular  young  women  and  girls,  youth 
activists  and  organisations,  at  all  levels  of  governance,  from  domestic  politics  to  multilateral 
forums, and within EU processes. 

The  Youth  Action  Plan  in  EU  External  Action  has  been  drawn  up  after  extensive 
 
consultations  with  over  220  stakeholders  across  the  world,  in  particular  youth  and  children’s 
rights organisations. It responds to the legitimate demand by young people, also reflected in the 
outcomes of the Conference on the Future of Europe, to be involved in a more structured way in 
internal and external decision-making processes. 

In  2021,  the  European  Commission  set  up  the  first  Youth  Sounding  Board  for  EU 
 
International Partnerships comprised of 25 young people from around the world which advises 
the  Commission  on  how  to  improve  youth  participation  and  empowerment  in  external  action. 
The Youth Sounding Board was closely involved in the drafting of the Youth Action Plan and 

5 Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the Youth Action Plan (YAP) in EU external 
action 2022 – 2027 pdf (europa.eu)   
6 Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the Youth Action Plan (YAP) in EU external 
action 2022 – 2027 pdf (europa.eu) 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
will  participate  in  its  monitoring  and  implementation.  At  country  level,  examples  include  the 
Youth Sounding Board in Nepal  and Ethiopia, the Youth Network in  Mauritius and the Youth 
Advisory  Panel  for  Palestine.  By  2027,  most  EU  Delegations  should  have  youth  advisory 
structures, as set out in the Youth Action Plan. The Commission has also already appointed two 
Special Advisers on Youth to the Commissioner for International Partnerships.  

In the  countries  covered by  the  EU's Neighbourhood  policy  and in  the  Western Balkans, 
 
the  EU  provides  regular  opportunities  to  Young  European  Ambassadors,  EU  Goodwill 
Ambassadors and Jeel Connect networks for engaging and exchanging with their peers in their 
region and the EU. In the context of the European Year of Youth, the EU4Youth Days brought 
together over one thousand young people, including members of these programmes, around the 
topic of youth resilience.  

The  ongoing  Western  Balkan  Youth  Lab  Project,  implemented  by  the  Regional 
 
Cooperation Council, provides a forum for young people and other stakeholders to participate in 
the decision-making of youth-relevant policies in the Western Balkan countries. 

The EU is also supporting the participation of young people in multilateral fora through 
 
youth  delegate  programmes,  notably  the  EU@UN  Youth  Delegates  programme.  The  EU 
also  sponsored  the  participation  of  young  people  in  the  Biodiversity  COP15  (training, 
mentoring,  regional  consultations)  and  the  COP26  in  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  delegation.  Moreover,  the  EU-funded  youth  engagement  processes  for  the  UN 
Transforming Education Summit  in September 2022. The EU also supports the participation 
of young people in the European Development Days (EDD), through the EDD young leaders. 

The African Union-EU Youth Hub is an empowering multi-stakeholder platform which 
 
aims  to  improve  public  welfare  and  revitalise  communities  together  with  civil  society 
organisations and the private sector, for the benefit of an estimated 150 000 young people. 

Connect 

The  EU  aims  to  connect  young  people  across  the  world  by  promoting  study/work  abroad  for 
young people (‘youth mobility’), exchanges and networking as an essential aspect of the people-
to-people  dimension  of  the  Global  Gateway  strategy.  The  goal  is  to  ensure  diversity  and 
inclusiveness,  while  paying  special  attention  to  social  and  economic  barriers  and  the  digital 
divide. 

For Africa alone, the EU will invest EUR 970 million until 2027 on youth mobility through 
 
the  NDICI-Global  Europe  funds.  In  the  context  of  the  Global  Gateway,  the  Team  Europe 
Initiative  on  Youth  Mobility  for  Africa  will  also  promote  youth  exchanges  and  mobility  in 
Africa and Europe through almost 40 Erasmus+ partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa.  

The EU Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) programme supports 
 
projects that connect Europeans to global social, economic and environmental issues by working 
with  European  civil  society  organisations  and  local  authorities.  Through  projects  for  education 
for sustainable development (Shaping Fair Cities), global citizenship (Bridge 47) and awareness 
raising  (Start  the  Future),  the  programme  promotes  SDG  11  (Sustainable  Cities  and 
Communities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).  

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The  Transcultura  project  brings  together  youth  in  Cuba,  the  Caribbean  and  the  EU 
 
through  the  EU  Culture  and  Creativity  Programme  (2019-24)  to  strengthen  skills  and  increase 
opportunities through knowledge transfer and exchanges, thereby contributing to SDG 4 Quality 
Education. 

The Hiwarouna project supports intercultural and interfaith dialogue initiatives by young 
 
people in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq with EUR 1.5 million of EU funding between 2018 and 2022. 
So  far,  67  youth-led  initiatives  have  been  supported,  including  storytelling,  theatre,  music 
festivals, painting and community dialogues. 

Looking ahead 

According  to  the  2021  European  Year  of  Youth  online  survey,  almost  two-thirds  of  young 
people  did  not  know  or  were  unsure  how  to  make  their  voice  heard  or  express  their  opinion. 
Meanwhile,  the  2022  EU  Barometer  on  Youth  and  Democracy  highlights  that  young  people’s 
main  expectations  from  the  EU  for  their  generation  include  preserving  peace,  reinforcing 
international  security  and  promoting  international  cooperation  (37%)  (SDG  16),  increasing  job 
opportunities (33%) (SDG 8), fighting poverty and economic and social inequalities (32%) (SDG 
10), and promoting environmentally friendly policy and fighting climate change (31%) (SDG 6, 
7, 12 and 13). 

Building  on  the  vast  array  of  opportunities  created  by  the  2022  European  Year  of  Youth,  the 
2023 Commission  work  programme proposes  to  update the EU learning mobility framework 
with  the  aim  of  helping  young  people  to  study,  train  or  do  their  apprenticeship  in  another  EU 
country,  enabling  the  connections  that  will  drive  Europe  towards  the  implementation  of  the 
SDGs.  It  also  proposes  to  update  the  quality  framework  for  traineeships  to  address  issues 
including fair remuneration and access to social protection, targeting mainly young people. 

The  younger  generation’s  legitimate  demands  to  be  involved  in  a  more  structured  way  in  EU 
decision-making processes is clearly reflected in the outcomes of the Conference on the Future 
of  Europe.  For  instance,  Proposal  36  -  Citizen  information,  participation  and  youth  sets  the 
objective  of  increasing  youth  involvement  and  effective  participation  in  democracy  beyond 
election  periods.  Based  on  the  experience  of  the  European  Citizens’  Panels  throughout  the 
Conference, the Commission is enabling a new generation of citizens’ panels to deliberate and 
make recommendations ahead of certain key proposals. 

The panels, whose format will reflect their Conference predecessor (at least one-third of young 
participants), cover topics such as food waste, learning mobility and virtual worlds, such as the 
metaverse.  The  panels  will  result  in  citizens’  report  that  will  feed  into  the  reflections  on  the 
actual policy proposals.  

The Commission  will be taking stock of the results delivered by  the  European  Year of Youth, 
which will be assessed in a subsequent implementation report by the end of 2023. The report will 
include  ideas  for  future  common  endeavours  in  the  field  of  youth.  The  European  Youth  Work 
Agenda  is  one  such  idea  promoted  by  the  EU  Youth  Strategy  (2019-27)  and  the  Council  of 
Europe  Youth  Sector  Strategy  2030.  The  initiative  adopts  a  targeted  approach  to  further 
developing  cooperation  among  stakeholders  in  diverse  areas  of  youth  work  in  Europe, 
connecting political decisions with their practical implementation, especially on SDGs.  

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Moreover, another way to raise awareness about SDGs and to bring them closer to young people 
is  through  communication  initiatives,  such  as  digital  media,  youth  influencers  and  other 
contemporary means of engagement. To ease the transition from an abstract concept to concrete 
actions, SDGs can be more explicitly linked to existing EU initiatives  during presentations and 
workshops for young people. As well as encouraging peer-to-peer learning about SDGs amongst 
young people, it is important to make sure they feel addressed by highlighting the target group, 
the  specific  purpose  of  the  meeting  and  the  role  that  young  people  play  in  it,  as  well  as  by 
ensuring  the  issues  are  followed  up.  Furthermore,  simplifying  administrative  procedures  and 
monitoring processes could encourage a greater uptake of SDG-related youth projects.  

For external action, the main priority will be the implementation of the recently adopted Youth 
Action Plan in EU External Action. Its objective is to shape external action in partnership with 
young people, to ensure their ownership and thus accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda 
for  Sustainable  Development  and  other  international  commitments.  Among  several  forward-
looking initiatives, the Youth Action Plan includes three key initiatives:  

The Youth Empowerment Fund is a new EUR 10 million pilot initiative that will provide 
 
financial  support  for  youth-led  initiatives  in  partner  countries  focusing  on  local  SDG 
implementation, particularly on projects related to climate change, environment and the inclusion 
of vulnerable and marginalised youth. 

The  Youth  and  Women  in  Democracy  Initiative,  worth  EUR  40  million,  will  increase 
 
the  voice  and  leadership  of  young  people  and  youth-led  organisations  across  the  world,  by 
strengthening their rights and empowering their participation in public and political affairs. The 
initiative  will  support  grassroots  organisations  and  young  activists  in  efforts  towards  anti-
corruption, citizen election observation, civil education, promotion of the right to vote, freedom 
of association and assembly and human rights. 

The Africa-Europe Youth Academy will channel EUR 50 million in financial support to 
 
formal  and  informal  learning  opportunities  and  exchanges  for  young  people,  to  improve  their 
leadership skills and to create connections between change-makers in Africa 

Looking  ahead,  raising  awareness  of  the  2030  Agenda  and  educating  citizens  on  SDGs  is  an 
ongoing  process  critical  for  establishing  a  European  vision  for  sustainable  development, 
generating support and promoting a whole-of-society approach to implementation. The Summit 
of  the  Future  in  2024  proposed  by  UN  Secretary  General  António  Guterres  will  seek  to 
‘advance  ideas  for  governance  arrangements  in  the  areas  of  international  concern  […]  where 
governance arrangements are nascent or require updating’.  

The organisation of this Summit is an integral part of Commitment 11 (‘Listen to and work with 
youth’)  of  the  UN’s  Common  Agenda,  whose  proposed  actions  are  designed  to  accelerate  the 
achievement of the SDGs. It will promote youth participation and empowerment globally, create 
global alliances in line with the principles of the Youth Action Plan in  EU  external  action and 
create partnerships  with  young people, worldwide. Thus  recognising their role  as essential  and 
reliable partners in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. 

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