UN and SDGs: A Handbook for Youth

"UN and SDGs: A Handbook for Youth" is an outcome of ESCAP East and North-East Asia’s internship program that brings young people closer to the work of the United Nations, as well as to the achievement of the ambitious set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As young leaders of tomorrow, it is pivotal that youth are informed and engaged with the global vision for the future. Over the next fifteen years, youth will not only directly experience the outcome of SDGs and plans, but will also be the key driver for their successful implementation. For this reason, it is vital to raise awareness about the recently adopted 17 SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development among youth, build a platform for discussion, and create the conditions for active engagement.

This Handbook explores SDGs and the 2030 Agenda from a youth perspective. In the first chapter, it introduces the concept of sustainable development and outlines its historical development through the transition from Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to SDGs. The second chapter discusses how youth can be harnessed as a major agent of change in achieving sustainable development, focusing on several pertinent youth issues in Asia and the Pacific. The final chapter introduces the UN system and its regional arm, ESCAP, explaining their role in the successful implementation of SDGs.