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Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Esteemed members of civil society,

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It is a pleasure to join you today.

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I deliver this statement on behalf of the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Mr. Philemon Yang, who sends his sincere regrets he is unable to join us, due to his official travel schedule.

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I thank His Excellency Mr. Z¨¦phyrin Man¨ªratang, Chair of the Third Committee, for continuing the good practice of convening this discussion with civil society organisations.

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The diverse contributions of civil society are essential to the work of the United Nations, especially in the field of human rights.

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We deeply value your first-hand expertise and advocacy on the critical issues of our day.

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Against this backdrop, I welcome today¡¯s focus on ¡°Youth and the Third Committee¡±. And I am encouraged that an increasing number of young diplomats are participating in the Committee¡¯s work each year.

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Young people are our torchbearers towards a safer, more just, and equal world.

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Their contributions are vital not only to address today¡¯s global challenges, but to write the next chapter of multilateralism.

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When youth participate fully and meaningfully in global decisions, United Nations responses are more attuned to their issues, and more effective in meeting their needs. And what is more, they are inherently connected to the future.

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It is evident that young people are not content to be passive observers.

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They are eager to participate.

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Indeed, from human rights campaigns to climate action, from business to digital innovation, they are already launching global solutions and shaping the global narrative.

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In 2022, the United Nations took a major step forward with the establishment of the United Nations Youth Office, which now leads the Organization¡¯s efforts to better work with ¨C and for ¨C young people.

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The Pact for the Future aims to build on these gains, with Member States reaffirming their commitment to invest in children and young people and to foster their inclusion.

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Now is the time to focus on implementation of the actions and commitments agreed in the Pact.

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How can we better ensure the voices of young people are heard and respected, their rights protected, and their potential unleashed?

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This is especially important for young women and girls, who are more likely than their male peers to be locked out of opportunity.

As you know, this year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth.

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The General Assembly will convene a High-level Meeting to mark this milestone and take stock of progress in empowering young people around the world.

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I am grateful to the Permanent Representatives of Ireland and Malawi for spearheading the consultations on the preparations for the High-level Meeting.

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We will need all hands on deck to harness the energy of this moment.

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With this in mind, on 12th January, I will convene a Townhall with civil society organizations on the priorities of the 79th session, with a special focus on the Pact for the Future.

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I will be interested to hear your views on how we can level up our efforts to realise the promises contained in the Pact.

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Equally important is to include youth in diplomacy. To support the next generation of young diplomats, I have resumed the President of the General Assembly Fellowship Programme.

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Just this week, five fellows from Belize, Libya, Nepal, Solomon Islands and the United Republic of Tanzania joined my cabinet, aiming to gain in-depth exposure to the United Nations and first-hand experience in the work of the General Assembly.

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I look forward to their contributions as role models for more young people to join the ranks of the international civil service and support the power of multilateralism. And I look forward to their ideas and energy in my own Office.

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In turn, I encourage all Member States to involve youth at the national, regional and international levels ¨C and to engage more regularly with the Youth Delegate Programme, ensuring we have a youth delegate in each delegation in the upcoming session.

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With that, I look forward to hearing the many ideas that I am sure will be put forward by members of the civil society and Member States here today on how we can better involve your views in the important work ahead.

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