United Nations ECOSOC Youth Forum
CYEN Saint Lucia Event Report
By Jenna Williams
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum is one of the largest annual youth-centred platforms within the UN system. Since its establishment in 2011, the Fo-rum has provided a space for young leaders, organizations, and government representatives to
come together and engage in open dialogue on how youth can support the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This year, the 14th annual ECOSOC Youth Forum was held on April 15-17 2025 at the UN Head-quarters in New York. It was its largest to date, welcoming thousands of young people from all regions of the world. The Forum centred around the theme “Youth at the Forefront: Leveraging Science and Social Inclusion for Sustainable Development”. This forum had strong thematic fo-cus areas tied to global inequality, climate change, digital access, and youth inclusion in policy-making and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
One of the key themes of the forum was SDG 14: Life Below Water, given the oceanās critical role in food security, biodiversity, and climate regulation. It was highlighted that global fishery sus-tainability dropped drastically (from 90% in 1974 to just over 62% in 2021), marine protected areas are still below the 10% SDG target, and recent record sea surface temperatures have trig-gered a fourth global coral bleaching event, posing an existential threat to marine biodiversity.
I was honoured to be selected by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to represent the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) as part of the official Caribbean delegation. I participated in plenaries and sessions on SDG 14: Life Below Water. During the session, I delivered my intervention which highlighted
– CYENās youth-led intercoastal clean up and Commonwealth King’s Baton Relay Beach Clean-Up
– The impact of sargassum on Caribbean coasts
– My research into sargassum prosthetics and its intersection into SDG 14 implementation
– The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement (BBNJ), and how these global frameworks can be localized for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The forum emphasised the urgent need to close the digital divide, particularly in low-income and climate-vulnerable regions where many youth still lack access to basic technology and infra-structure as one in five youth worldwide still do not have internet access.
Throughout the Forum, youth delegates stressed the importance of accountability mechanisms within global agreements like the Paris Agreement, highlighting the need for enforceable conse-quences for countries that fail to meet their environmental obligations.
OBJECTIVES:
ā¢ Raising awareness: To equip youth with a deeper understanding of the significance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SDG 14, as well as its interlinkages with the other SDGs. This will include a discussion on the current state of the ocean, the threat it faces, and the implications of these threats on humans and marine biodiversi-ty.
ā¢ The event will also discuss the role played by youth in promoting ocean literacy and advocacy at the local, national, and international levels. Furthermore, the session will emphasise the youthās role in influencing and participating in key UN intergovernmental processes, including the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and the HLPF.
ā¢ The session will also highlight the role of youth in shaping and contributing to Volun-tary Ocean Commitments.
ā¢ Fostering partnerships and collaborations: To strengthen partnerships between youth organizations, indigenous and local communities, governments, and other stakeholders to promote collaborative action on ocean-related issues to achieve SDG 14.
ā¢ Mobilize youth action: To provide youth with practical tools and strategies to allow them to actively and meaningfully engage in local and global initiatives related to ocean protection and to promote ocean innovation and solution-oriented actions.
KEY TAKE AWAYS:
Based on the sessions across the three-day United Nations ECOSOC Youth Forums, these were the main takeaways that were relevant to the organization’s goals and objectives:
1. The different youth-led initiatives such as Project Aquatica, Blue Horizons, and 30×30 Indone-sia showcased innovative approaches to ocean conservation, highlighting the transformative role of youth in sustainable marine practices.
2. The panellists in the SDG 14 session emphasised the urgent need to address ocean degrada-tion through systemic changeācalling for stronger international cooperation, policy reforms, and youth-centred decision-making.
3. In light of the upcoming 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, and the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), the panelists highlight that these spaces offer youth inclusion via voluntary commitments, youth-led side events, and participation in official delegations.
4. One main challenge faced by developing countries and frontline communities is systemic bar-riersāincluding limited funding, visa challenges, and digital inequality which continue to re-strict meaningful youth participation from those countries.
5. The session spotlighted initiatives such as the Peace Boatās Youth for SDG Scholarship/ Pro-gram which demonstrate the effectiveness of education and creative storytelling in raising ocean awareness.
6. From our sister island down south, Ariana B from Trinidad & Tobago advocated for the ratifi-cation of the High Seas Treaty and integration of marine biodiversity into domestic legislation and strengthened SDG 14 frameworks.
7. Mr. Moko Ekuta of Thailand emphasised digital literacy and capacity-building to empower youth across the Global South and bridge gaps in access to environmental information and ac-tion.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ā¢ Encourage youth organizations to register voluntary commitments for the 2025 UN Ocean Conference via the UN DESA platform, ensuring youth contributions are visible in official outputs.
ā¢ Push for governments to officially include young people in the creation of Ocean Action Plans and HLPF roadmaps, from grassroots consultations to negotiation tables.
ā¢ Advocate for the inclusion of youth in national delegations to the UNOC and HLPF and ensure financial and logistical support for their full participation.
ā¢ Integrate ocean and climate change education into national curricula and develop peer-to-peer training platforms on marine science, digital advocacy, and local conservation.
ā¢ Promote the ratification and localization of international ocean treaties, such as the High Seas Treaty, and advocate for the protection of marine biodiversity through legal reform and enforcement.
ā¢ Support hybrid formats (online/offline) for major summits and consultations to improve accessibility for rural, coastal, and underrepresented youth.
NEXT STEPS FOR CYEN:
In alignment with the discussions held at the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum and in preparation for the upcoming UN Ocean Conference, the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) is well-positioned to consider deepening its impact through the following strategic actions:
1. CYEN can convene a regional youth dialogue in advance of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference to consolidate Caribbean priorities, prepare future youth delegates, and draft a unified regional youth declaration. In this regard CYEN can consider collaborating with organizations such as ECLAC to host this suggested Pre-UN Ocean Conference Caribbean Youth Summit.
2. The organization can consider using the Water Subcommittee to establish a focus dedicated to SDG 14, BBNJ implementation, and coastal resilience, tasked with policy advocacy and policy education.
4. CYEN can investigate ways in which the organization can collaborate with Peace Boat, UNESCO-IOC, Blue Planet Alliance, and others to enhance youth access to training, international exposure, and ocean governance platforms.
5. In advocating to the government, CYEN can engage Caribbean diaspora youth in the US, Can-ada, and the UK to support international advocacy, amplify regional issues, and co-fund grass-roots marine projects.
6. CYEN can advocate for a push for explicit recognition of SIDS and Caribbean youth within UNOC and HLPF outcome documents, especially regarding equitable access to ocean resources, climate finance, and technology.