As the world celebrated the 2025 International Day of Education on 24 January, the SDG4 Youth & Student Network was actively involved in advocating for quality education, in various fora.

The SDG4 Youth & Student Network hosted a vibrant online event #LeadingSDG4 Together: Realizing the Fortaleza Declaration as part of the Learning Planet Festival.

Youth and students from all over the world engaged in meaningful dialogue on implementing the Fortaleza Declaration, which was adopted at the 2024 Global Education Meeting in Brazil, and which emphasizes equity, inclusion, and financing as cornerstones of education transformation. For young people, these are not abstract priorities—they are urgent realities that directly shape their lives and futures.

Youth and student voices are indispensable in shaping educational policies and holding stakeholders accountable: they must not be seen as passive participants but as equal partners with an urgent and rightful seat at the decision-making table, driving the transformative change needed to achieve SDG 4.

This event was more than a celebration—it was a resounding call to action. Over 150 participants joined the discussion, including youth leaders, education experts and representatives from international organizations. As Olga Devic, SDG4 Youth & Student Network member recalled, “Nothing for us, without us!”, was the motto of the event.

Moving forward, young people call for “Innovation and inclusivity in classrooms to leave no student behind”, as Fatma Taha, Junior Professional Officer in UNESCO Multi-sectoral Regional Office in Beirut, emphasized.

A major highlight of the event was the interactive regional breakout discussions, where youth participants from Africa, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean discussed region-specific challenges and co-developed recommendations for implementing the Fortaleza Declaration. The insights and recommendations from this event will inform a Youth and Students Recommendation Document (Call for Action), which will be released soon.

This event reaffirmed the transformative power of youth and student leadership in shaping education policy and implementation strategies. As young change-makers lead the way, their collective efforts will ensure the commitments made in the Fortaleza Declaration translate into meaningful action.