There are 1.8 billion young people living in the world today – more than ever before in history. Their needs are urgent, yet under-recognized and under-served. To advance the agenda of adolescent well-being, PMNCH is coordinating the 1.8 Billion Young People for Change Campaign, a multi-year campaign (#1point8 Campaign) to build momentum – with young people – for new policies, funds and better services for adolescents. The Global Forum for Adolescents, 11-12 October 2023, was a key milestone of the campaign and the world largest online forum for action created by and for young people.
The Global Forum for Adolescents served to:
- Engage partners in the Forum and country level advocacy to secure political and financial commitments from governments to improve adolescent well-being,
- Increase awareness of adolescent well-being including through data, knowledge products, and the five domains of the Adolescent Well-being Framework,
- Stimulate action and engagement of 1 million young people, at the global, regional, national, and local levels to shape the Agenda for Action for Adolescents, and
- Build a strong community around AWB for long-term demand and action on accountability, contributing to progress towards SDG2030.
- 9015 number of registrants, with 55% under 30.
- 5656 participants in total at the lobby from 131 countries, with 2200 connecting to a session, on average, watching for 55 minutes.
- Of those who watched, 66% were women, 29% were men and 5% were from other genders.
- Top 10 countries in the order of viewership: USA, Nigeria, Kenya, India, UK, Uganda, France, Netherlands, Mexico, Finland
- 42% of the participants were under 30 years old. The top ten countries with most under 30-years-old participating in the Forum were Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Ghana, South Africa, UK, Zimbabwe and USA
- 117+ partners
- 234 speakers, of which about 50% are youth
- 33 sessions in total of which 23 partner led sessions, sessions, 8 products launches and 3 plenaries
- Commitments by 18 countries, 2 regions, 10 donors and foundations, 2 non-governmental organizations, 1 intergovernmental organization, and 1 health-care professional association
- National Events: 125 with over (7337 participants of which 3974 were under 25 years of age)
- Knowledge Product Launches: 8
Between 11-12 October 2023:
- On social media, #1point8 reached 2.5M users (4M between 1-12 October 2023).
- On media, estimated potential media reach was 1B in Africa, Asia and Globally.
The Forum
The Global Forum for Adolescents sessions were co-designed with 117 partners to discuss Adolescent Well-being in its entirety, building on the five domains of adolescent wellbeing. With over 200 speakers participating in 3 plenaries, 22 thematic sessions and 8 product launches, adolescent well-being was discussed in its entirety. More importantly, the sessions were organized by and with young people, including several sessions that were entirely youth-led, such as the substance use session, climate change and meaningful adolescent and youth engagement.
“As a young advocate, I think it is completely understandable to be mad because we are frustrated. But one thing that gives me hope in the middle of frustration is the stories of young people who are taking the chance of thinking that this world can be different.”
The three plenary sessions were structured to highlight the status of adolescent well-being, success stories to inspire everyone to act, and closing with commitments made and launch of the Action Agenda for Adolescents. Plenary 1 entitled “Change begins with youth” positioned the asks and needs of young people at the center of the discussion and had a panel of 3 young women; 18+ Member states present in the room, 8 to make strong statements in support of adolescent well-being; and 4 UN agencies represented with 3 Executive Director’s in attendance. Plenary 2 entitled “Unlocking solutions for adolescent well-being" showcased successful initiatives and real-life examples and experiences on micro finance, SOGI, violence, mental well-being, and menstrual health. Plenary 3 entitled “From Commitments to Action” set out the roadmap for action and featured the launch of the Agenda for Action for Adolescents as well as showcase country and non-state actor commitments.
“The solution is to ensure that young people and adolescents are engaged at all levels. We are not just the future. We are actually the present. You cannot describe as the future without involving us in the policies and frameworks that are being worked on.”
The 22 partner-led sessions were organized according to the five-tracks of the Adolescent Well-being Framework to familiarize the audience with the relevance and interconnectedness of the topics as well as facilitate a discussion to support identifying policy priorities. The plenaries and all other sessions of the GFA are available here on demand.
Art for Well-Being
During the breaks the 9 Art for Well-being competition’s winners were announced from the total of 787 entries from 114 countries.
68 media hits with 1B reach, press release: Young people push policymakers for action at world’s largest forum for adolescents
8 product launches:
- Agenda for Action for Adolescents
- The Global AA-HA! 2.0
- Adolescent Wellbeing Investment Case
- Draft Measurement Approach for monitoring and measuring adolescent well-being
- Preliminary Data as part of Guttmacher’s Adding it Up Report (full report to be published)
- African Union Continental Strategy on Education for Health and Well-being of Young People in Africa
- US National Strategy for Adolescents
- NCD Alliance's marketing policy report
During the Forum, momentum was leveraged by world leaders and high-level participants who responded to the demands of adolescents and youth regarding their well-being needs.
Governments and partners committed to more investments, better policies, and smarter programmes aligned with the seven asks of the Agenda for Action for Adolescents determined by adolescents and youth themselves. These commitments prioritize adolescent well-being through financial pledges, policy changes, and increased investments in young people.
The Global Forum for Adolescents on the 11-12 October 2023 was a key moment to launch and amplify these commitments towards adolescents’ well-being. Commitments were announced from a wide range of stakeholders, including 18 Member States, 2 Regional Committees, 13 philanthropic and funding organizations, 2 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other organizations including inter-governmental organizations and health-care professional associations.
In support of the Global Forum for Adolescents:
- 125 national events were registered,
- in 48 countries, where
- 7337 people participated, with
- 3974 of them being under 25.*
The type, scope and focus of the events varied widely based on the objectives of the organizers from small youth-led online gatherings to regional, multi-day in-person gatherings to discuss adolescent well-being with stakeholders.
In China, a short youth-led webinar was organized to discuss adolescent well-being, with the International Pediatric Association (IPA) supporting over 15 events at national level. A variety of events organized by the AY grantees in collaboration with local partners were opportunities to present the What Young People Want findings. Furthermore, national events were used by governments to celebrate their commitments (such as in Botswana), and WHO colleagues in Pakistan who took the opportunity to operationalize existing frameworks with the Government and other stakeholders.
*based on reporting by 43 organizers.
The What Young People Want Initiative received 1,389,826 responses from 90 countries, by around 1000 mobilizers. Mass mobilization took place in 16 priority countries. The average age of the respondents is 19 years old. 50% of the respondents are women, 46% men, and 4% identify themselves with other genders. India, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Colombia were the top 50 countries with the most responses. Building on the What Young People Want Initiative and the various consultations in the run up to the GFA, the Agenda for Action for Adolescents (AAA), a high-level call for action for financial, policy and service delivery commitments to enhance action on adolescent well-being, was launched.
The Agenda for Action for Adolescents encompasses seven critical pillars:
- Education and Employment (universal education, vocational training, labor laws);
- Health and Well-being (accessible healthcare, one-stop shops, digital platforms);
- Mental Health (timely support, destigmatization);
- Legal Reforms (protective laws, anti-discrimination, access to sexual and reproductive health services);
- Social Protection (income programs, safety nets);
- Stigma and Discrimination Prevention (legal protection, Comprehensive Sexuality Education); and
- Youth Agency (civic participation, accountability mechanisms).
The AAA seeks to ensure adolescents and youth have access to education, health services, and protection from discrimination, with a focus on well-being, employment, and social engagement. Drafted by an expert advisory group of PMNCH youth leaders, members of PMNCH standing committees and working groups, and the Programme Action Group of the GFA. True to the spirit of partnership, the AAA’s final draft incorporated feedback from all constituencies, Strategic Advocacy Committee, GFA Global Coordination Committee and the Executive Committee before being launched at the third plenary of the GFA.
At the third plenary, the following recommendations were made for the international community to take the much-needed work to improve adolescent well-being globally forward:
- Embrace and champion the AAA collectively across all stakeholders in specific contexts at national, regional, and global levels;
- Integrate AAA asks into various sectoral agendas to ensure sustained attention, avoiding isolation;
- Turn promises into action by including commitments to adolescents and youth in budgets, policies, and laws;
- Ensure strong accountability and involve young people meaningfully in decision-making.
- Strengthen intersectoral collaboration for a cohesive, whole-of-government effort, advancing adolescent well-being; and
- Actively involve adolescents and youth in collaborative efforts, encouraging their participation in data generation, advocacy, and accountability initiatives to effectively deliver on the AAA agenda.
The PMNCH Board, 27-28 November 2023, will discuss and agree the next strategy on Adolescent Well-being to implement the Agenda for Action for Adolescents building on the commitments made at the GFA, to give future direction to the 1.8 Campaign and What Young People Want with a focus on the Summit of the Future:
- Support the mobilization of new commitments and accountability for implementation of commitments made,
- Continue the engagement of partners through national events in support of commitment mobilization and implementation,
- Finalization and socialization of the Investment Case and AWB indicators and measurement approaches, and
- Develop an Advocacy Roadmap 24-25: WEF, ICPD30, WHA, UNGA and the Summit of the Future September 2024.