On April 16, the 2026 ECOSOC Youth Forum concluded at the UN Headquarters in New York. Chinese youth representatives actively participated in the forum’s discussions and a series of side events, sharing Chinese experiences and initiatives in promoting the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the UN platform.

The theme of this year’s forum was “Innovate, Unite and Transform: Youth Shaping the Road to 2030”. Experts from international organizations, heads of national youth agencies and organizations, and youth representatives from various sectors engaged in dialogues around multiple SDGs, including “Clean Water and Sanitation”, “Affordable and Clean Energy”, “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure”, “Sustainable Cities and Communities”, and “Partnerships for the Goals”.

Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General; Lok Bahadur Thapa, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly; and Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks.

Amina noted that the ECOSOC Youth Forum has served for over a decade as a key platform for young people to bring their lived realities into UN governance and bridge the gap between global commitments and daily life. She called on Member States to substantially increase investments in youth and promote youth participation. Felipe stressed the need to create genuine spaces for engagement that bring all stakeholders together, so that meaningful youth participation becomes the norm.

Chinese youth representatives shared their insights and experiences drawn from their achievements and work in youth development initiatives.

Tian Runlin, a representative in the field of ecological and environmental protection, introduced the successful practices of the “Beautiful China · Youth Action” initiative. He noted that Chinese youth are actively engaging in ecological and environmental protection through volunteer services, leveraging technological innovation to empower green development, and embodying a simple, low-carbon, healthy, and civilized lifestyle through concrete actions. He called on young people from all countries to work together, effectively utilize innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence to support green practices, advance the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and jointly build a clean, beautiful, and sustainable world.

Feng Chong, a representative of the tech entrepreneurship sector, is dedicated to the research and development of AI-powered augmented reality holographic light-field interaction technology, aiming to create accessible AI-driven personalized educational hardware. He proposes that young tech entrepreneurs should uphold the core principles of “technology for good and innovation for People”, improve inclusive public infrastructure through technological innovation, and empower global educational equity with practical, implementable tech solutions.

Geng Xianghu, a youth representative in the new energy sector, shared the achievements of Belt and Road energy cooperation based on his experience participating in the construction of photovoltaic projects in Brazil by China Three Gorges Corporation. He stated that promoting the development of clean energy requires balancing economic viability with inclusiveness, by deepening international cooperation, enhancing the coordination of power grid infrastructure, and fulfilling social responsibilities, so that clean energy can truly benefit more people and inspire young people to get involved and become practitioners and innovators of the energy transition.

Liu Kai, Deputy Secretary-General of the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF), noted that China’s 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly calls for improving planning and policies to promote youth development, creating favorable conditions for young people to grow, thrive, make contributions, and achieve success. He expressed the hope that young people from all countries will actively participate in the World Youth Development Forum and the Action Plan for Global Youth Development hosted in China, contributing their strength to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the building of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.

It is noted that the ECOSOC Youth Forum is an important platform for youth participation in global governance within the UN framework. At each session of the forum, youth representatives from various countries engage in exchanges and discussions on key areas among the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).