UNESCO’s Priority for Youth and the Role of Zonta
Every year on 12 August, the United Nations celebrates International Youth Day, recognizing young people as essential partners in building peaceful, inclusive and sustainable societies.
For UNESCO, youth are not only beneficiaries of development – they are active agents of change. This vision is reflected in the Organization’s Youth Programme:
“By youth, with youth, for youth.”
Young people are encouraged to participate in designing policies, shaping educational systems and contributing to solutions for global challenges.
UNESCO’s priorities for youth
As the international community approaches the 2030 Agenda and prepares the education agenda beyond 2030, UNESCO has placed youth participation at the centre of its global consultations. Young people from every region are being invited to share their aspirations, concerns and recommendations for the future of education and society. Their contributions will inform the Youth Agenda on Education Beyond 2030, to be presented at the 2027 Global Education Meeting.
UNESCO’s current priorities include:
- ensuring equitable access to quality education for all;
- empowering young people to become responsible global citizens;
- promoting digital and AI literacy while protecting human rights and ethics;
- strengthening youth participation in decision-making processes;
- fostering peace, intercultural dialogue, gender equality and sustainable development;
- ensuring that the voices of marginalized and underrepresented youth are heard and valued.
- UNESCO recognizes that today’s young people will live with the long-term consequences of decisions made now. Therefore, policies should not simply be designed for youth but increasingly with youth.
Why this matters for Zonta International?
- These priorities closely align with the mission of Zonta International, whose vision is a world where women and girls have access to all human rights and are able to achieve their full potential.
- Supporting girls’ education, leadership and equal opportunities contributes directly to UNESCO’s objectives. Through scholarships, advocacy, mentoring and community service, Zonta helps young women become leaders capable of transforming their communities.
- Particular attention should be given to girls facing multiple barriers—including poverty, discrimination, conflict, child marriage, gender-based violence and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation. Empowering these girls through education, leadership opportunities and legal protection is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Girls at the heart of the 2030 Agenda
While International Youth Day celebrates all young people, it also reminds us that millions of adolescent girls continue to face barriers that prevent them from fully exercising their rights. Around the world, too many girls are still denied access to quality education, excluded from decision-making, exposed to child marriage, gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, discrimination and conflict.
UNESCO recognizes that girls’ education and leadership are fundamental drivers of sustainable development, peace and social progress. Ensuring that girls can learn, express their views and participate equally in shaping their future is therefore not only a matter of human rights but also a prerequisite for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
This vision strongly resonates with Zonta International’s mission. Through advocacy, education and service, Zonta works to build a world where every girl has the opportunity to develop her talents, make informed choices and become a leader in her own community. Empowering girls today means investing in stronger families, more resilient societies and a more peaceful world tomorrow.
As UNESCO reminds us, meaningful change happens with young people, not simply for them. For girls especially, participation is not an option – it is a necessity. Their voices, ideas and leadership must be recognized as essential contributions to the future beyond 2030.
A shared vision
UNESCO and Zonta International share the conviction that investing in young people – especially girls – is one of the most effective ways to build peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies.
International Youth Day is therefore more than a celebration. It is a reminder that young people must be recognized as partners in shaping the future. Listening to their voices, supporting their education and enabling their participation are essential investments in a better world beyond 2030.
The future cannot be built without the voices of young people. It cannot be truly inclusive without the voices of girls. By investing in their education, protecting their rights and encouraging their leadership, UNESCO and Zonta International contribute together to building a more just, peaceful and sustainable world for all.
Lydia Chaillou from “Voice of the girl”
Photos: © UNESCO
