In this section:
- Watch the recording of the event here.
- Download the concept note here.
- Download agenda here.
- Download the event poster here.
- Register for the event here.
This event, being organized during the 10th Anniversary of the ECOSOC Youth Forum, is a unique opportunity to further engage in dialogue with the Member States on the Call to Action that was developed by youth with disabilities through the global consultation and their intervention at the 13th COSP. It is also an opportunity to think together about specific issues of relevance to youth with disabilities as well as their broader role in enabling and promoting sustainable development, and the barriers to be addressed to ensure the full and effective participation of youth with disabilities across all intersectionalities.
Side Event
On “Ramping up Representation: promoting the participation of youth with disabilities in pandemic recovery efforts”, the panel will highlight the specific impact of the pandemic on youth with disabilities, including women and girls and underrepresented groups of persons with disabilities, particularly related to the relevant sub-group of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as selected by the Member States for in-depth discussions at the 2021 High-level Political Forum (HLPF)[7].
With the involvement of committed partners from UN Agencies, the panel will then explore a twin-track approach toward all youth with disabilities aimed at promoting their inclusion and leadership in international human rights and development frameworks, including ECOSOC Youth Forum, in order to ensure that youth with disabilities are meaningfully involved in and are in a position to benefit from programmes and policies related to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in COVID-19 recovery efforts.
Objectives of the side event
- Presenting the specific impact of COVID-19 and related lockdown measures on youth with disabilities, including women and girls and underrepresented groups, and their experiences in accessing and enabling services linked to Goals 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 16.
- Presenting youth perspectives on inclusive COVID-19 recovery that ensures the inclusion of youth with disabilities across intersectionalities, towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including findings from the Call to Action in November 2020.
- Identify synergies between various mechanisms and systems of the UN and with Civil Society Organisations to facilitate the inclusion and leadership of young people with disabilities including in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs at the HLPF, as well as carrying forward previous advocacy actions.
- Highlight avenues for information sharing and engagement with the wider disability and youth mainstream movements, including the youth registered for the ECOSOC Forum, towards an enabling environment for the participation of young people with disabilities.