Future leaders, present voices: Youth shaping democratic governance through the 2025 VNRs

Following the adoption of the Pact for the Future and its Declaration on Future Generations in 2024, the 2025 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) offered an opportunity for Member States to showcase how youth can influence national priorities and decision-making based on the commitments made the previous year. One of the main avenues for countries to address youth and their role as agents of change is through their Voluntary National Reviews (VNR), which examine challenges, progress, and future steps toward realizing the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the national level. 

In 2025, 35 countries¹ presented their VNRs at the HLPF, all of which referenced youth. In total, there were 2,010 mentions of the term “youth” across these reports, signaling widespread recognition of their key role in sustainable development efforts. Countries with the highest frequency of youth mentions included Bhutan (172), Bulgaria (149), Papua New Guinea (122), Qatar (111), Eswatini (105), Saint Lucia (99), Kazakhstan (91), and Ghana (85). At the other end of the spectrum, El Salvador and Sudan each recorded just two references, followed by the Dominican Republic (6), the Philippines (6), Belarus (12), and Iraq (14).

Several countries also featured dedicated sections in their reports detailing youth participation in drafting the VNRs, engaging in national consultations, and contributing to decision-making processes. These narratives underscore the recognition of youth as active agents of change across national contexts, and also how inclusion and democratic processes are key to better outcomes—in reporting, identifying challenges, and bringing solutions to the table. Moreover, participatory and inclusive decision-making, as central to democracy, has been one of the main issues identified by the young generation. 

Beyond simple mentions, thematic analysis revealed that youth engagement was most frequently associated with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), with 80 per cent of the reports (28 out of 35) referencing the role of youth to drive economic growth, but also how job uncertainties and declines have negatively affected this group. This was followed by SDG 4 (Quality Education), highlighted in 23 reports (65.5 per cent) as a foundational pillar for youth empowerment and long-term development. Youth engagement was also strongly linked to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), with 14 countries (40 per cent) emphasizing the contributions of youth in these critical areas (Figure 1). SDG 16, in particular, is worth highlighting given its enabling feature for the achievement of all other goals of the 2030 Agenda. When institutions are strong, effective, and democratic, progress can be made in all areas of sustainable development, from climate action to poverty reduction to quality education.

Figure 1. Number of VNRs that referenced “youth” according to each SDG. 
 

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From an inclusive and democratic perspective, youth have been at the center of transformational changes and demands for better societies. In Bangladesh, for instance, a pivotal moment was marked in its history following a youth-led uprising that prompted democratic reforms and the creation of an interim government. In the uprising, youth demanded non-discriminatory and just society, inclusive governance, accountability, and equitable growth. Despite challenges related to quality education, youth employment, and health, Bangladesh has made moderate progress in youth-related SDGs overall. 

Bulgaria highlighted the significance of youth participation, empowerment, and well-being across various aspects of the SDGs. Youth were acknowledged as active contributors to sustainable development, recognized for their involvement in civic activism, digital innovation, and policy support and decision-making. 

The Czech Republic included an entire chapter on the perspective of their youth, which was based on a survey conducted with the young generation, highlighting how youth views the key challenges and opportunities for sustainable development, such as the importance of protecting democracy and maintaining the sovereignty and competitiveness of the country. Youth highlighted the need to guard against authoritarian regimes and advocate for strong internal and external security policies. They also expressed concern over political and business influence on the media and called for better mechanisms to ensure media objectivity and prevent oligarchization. The key for the resilience of society is strong democracy, according to Czech’s youth, as well as information literacy in society, empathy and respect, purpose, availability of work, quality education, health, safety, and provision of basic human needs.

On inclusive practices, Suriname has established a Youth Council to ensure inclusive youth representation across all districts and involve young people in policy and administrative decision-making. Complementing this, their SDGs Youth Ambassadors Programme selects young leaders to promote awareness of the SDGs among youth. The Youth Ambassadors represent the country in international forums and lead national activities such as SDG education campaigns, mental health and lifestyle sessions, climate change awareness, human rights advocacy, and environmental clean-ups. 

Thailand incorporated the voices of over 63,000 children and youth aged 10-25 in its report. Youth priorities included inclusive and quality education, stronger economic opportunities, urgent climate action, and participation in decision-making processes—a crucial element for strong and democratic societies. Thailand’s youth envision a more inclusive, sustainable, and future-ready nation by 2030, but stress that this cannot be achieved without meaningful engagement. Thai youth recommended the creation of formal youth leadership roles in policymaking, the establishment of youth-led governance platforms, and more civic rights education. 

These examples demonstrate a trend across the 2025 VNRs—youth are no longer passive beneficiaries of development but are increasingly recognized as partners and leaders in realizing the 2030 Agenda. From driving democratic reforms to leading climate action and innovation, young people are gaining recognition for their contributions across all aspects of sustainable development. Ensuring meaningful youth participation in decision-making processes will continue to be essential to building inclusive, resilient, and better societies for all.
 

¹ The countries that presented VNRs in 2025 include Angola, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Finland, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, Micronesia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Sudan, Suriname, and Thailand.