80 Years of Youth at the United Nations v2

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The youth agenda has steadily gained momentum over the past eight decades — from the founding of the United Nations in 1945, to the adoption of the World Programme of Action for Youth in 1995, to the creation of the UN Youth Office in 2022. Now, in 2025, we reach another milestone moment. This is a year to celebrate how far we’ve come and to take bold steps forward.

#YouthLead Festival: A Spotlight on Youth on the Global Stage

The #YouthLead Festival is a week-long celebration of youth leadership and intergenerational action at the United Nations and beyond. Anchored around the 80^th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA80) and the 30^th Anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY30), the festival brings together young people and their allies to reflect on progress made, create momentum and continue shaping the future of global decision-making.

The #YouthLead Festival is open to all young people and those working with and for youth — including UN entities, UN Country Teams, youth-led and youth-serving organizations, governments, civil society, academic institutions and other partners across sectors.

More than a celebration, this is a rallying point.

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During UNGA High-Level Week, the #YouthLead Festival will come to life through a global wave of events celebrating youth action, promoting intergenerational collaboration, and showcasing local solutions to shared global challenges.

Recognizing that access to UN Headquarters is limited, the UN Youth Office is curating a public calendar of youth-led and youth-focused events taking place in New York and around the world — from grassroots gatherings to global discussions. These events will be self-organized by various partners and communities to ensure inclusive, broad participation.

Youth Mobilization Schedule for UNGA/UN@80

With inputs from groups worldwide, has collated a schedule of youth-led and youth-centric events happening during the UNGA. You can access

A landmark event at the heart of the festival

World Programme of Action for Youth at 30: Accelerating Global Progress Through Intergenerational Collaboration

25 September 2025 | UN Headquarters, New York

For the first time in its 80-year history, the United Nations will host a high-level meeting dedicated to youth affairs and mandated by UN Member States during the high-level week of the General Assembly, with participation at the level of Heads of State and Government. This milestone event will bring together youth leaders, governments, UN entities, civil society, and other partners and allies to:

Take stock of what has been achieved over the last 30 years
Share good practices and innovations for advancing the implementation of WPAY
Identify current challenges and actionable solutions
Chart the way forward through intergenerational collaboration.
Click here to learn more about the 30^th anniversary event

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Learn more about the high-level meeting

#YouthLead Dialogues: Conversations shaping the global agenda

In the lead-up to the Festival, the UN Youth Office is mobilizing #YouthLead Dialogues —youth-led and youth-focused conversations hosted by partners and allies around the world.

These dialogues can take place in-person or virtually and can be formal or informal. They are encouraged to be intergenerational, inclusive and representative.

Key takeaways from the dialogues will contribute directly to the High-Level Plenary Meeting marking the 30^th Anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth. Organizers are invited to focus on key themes of the High-Level Meeting, including meaningful youth participation and the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth.

This is an open invitation to co-create this milestone moment by capturing diverse perspectives and bringing youth voices into global spaces of influence.

Whether you’re hosting a community forum, digital roundtable or classroom discussion, your voice matters. Host a #YouthLead Dialogue and join the global conversation today!

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Learn more about hosting a #YouthLead Dialogue

#YouthLead(ership) Roundtables: Intergenerational leadership in action

During the #YouthLead Festival, the UN Youth Office is encouraging #YouthLead(ership) Roundtables — interactive conversations bringing together UN leadership and young people.

These roundtables can be hosted in-person or virtually, and are designed to foster open exchange, inclusivity and dialogue across generations. They are spaces to exchange ideas, explore solutions and identify ways to carry forward youth recommendations from the #YouthLead Dialogues across the UN system, in line with national, regional and global frameworks.

This is an open invitation for UN Heads of Entities, senior leaders and decision-makers to co-create solutions and ensure youth perspectives are at the heart of global action.

Whether in the form of a town-hall style discussion, a digital roundtable, or a small group conversation, we encourage you to host a #YouthLead(ership) Roundtable and help us turn youth voices into action!

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Learn more about hosting a #YouthLead(ership) Roundtable

#YouthLead Dialogues Summary Report

Over 75,000 young people in 182 countries engaged in and co-led the #YouthLead Dialogues, sharing the realities they face today, the futures they want to build, and the actions needed to get us there. Their message is urgent and clear: the future is not something to wait for—it is something to build together, on foundations of peace, justice, equality, inclusion, sustainability, and solidarity. We are not there yet, but with concrete actions and the seeds of change, we can move closer to our preferred future. Read more about young people’s recommendations in the #YouthLead Dialogue Summary.

Get involved

Whether you are a young leader, ally, policymaker or advocate, we invite you to take part in the #YouthLead Festival.

Organize a #YouthLead Dialogue. Help shape the conversation in your community and submit the outcome to contribute to the global output.

Host a #YouthLead(ership) Roundtable. Bring together young people and UN leadership in an intergenerational conversation to explore how youth recommendations can shape national, regional and global action.

Attend a Festival event. Browse the calendar to discover events taking place during High-Level Week in New York and beyond.

Attend the High-Level Meeting at UNHQ in New York: Stay tuned to register for in-person attendance or watch the livestream on UN Web TV on 25 September 2025 (coming soon).

Stay connected: Follow @unyouthaffairs on social media for updates, highlights and more opportunities to engage.

Why this moment?

The #YouthLead Festival takes place at a critical time. Around the world, young people are facing urgent, interconnected challenges — from climate change and conflict to inequality and growing distrust in public institutions.

But young people are also leading the way forward and pushing for accountability, justice, sustainability and inclusion.

Amplifying youth leadership and intergenerational collaboration is not optional. It’s essential.

This moment matters because:

Young people are not just future leaders — they are leading change now.
Youth movements are shaping national agendas across every region.
Intergenerational collaboration is key unlocking long-term, sustainable progress across the global agenda.

This is a chance to recognize youth leadership, share bold ideas and build systems that work for and with young people.