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Young people are at the forefront of global transformation. With more than 1.2 billion youth worldwide, their energy, creativity, and activism are vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) in 2025 offers a timely opportunity to renew our commitment to its core principles: youth agency, participation in decision-making processes, and sustainable development. A peaceful and prosperous future depends on the meaningful inclusion of youth everywhere.
Adopted in 1995, the WPAY is a comprehensive UN policy framework aiming to enhance youth development globally. It outlines 15 priority areas—including education, employment, health, poverty, environment, and participation—providing principles, objectives, and concrete actions for member states and international partners.
Its guiding themes—Participation, Development, and Peace—date back to the first International Youth Year in 1985, and all 15 areas are designed to reinforce these three pillars.
On 25 September 2025, the UN General Assembly President will convene a high-level plenary meeting at UN Headquarters in New York under the theme: "World Programme of Action for Youth at 30: Accelerating Global Progress Through Intergenerational Collaboration." This event marks: the 30th anniversary of WPAY, coinciding milestones such as 80 years since the UN’s founding, three years since the UN Youth Office was established, nearly midway through the Youth2030 strategy. The meeting will: Review progress and achievements over the past three decades, Highlight innovative best practices, Identify challenges and propose actionable steps, Emphasize intergenerational collaboration—bringing together youth, governments, civil society, and UN entities. The plenary will be livestreamed via UN Web TV for public access.
For more information about the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY), please visit:
https://social.desa.un.org/issues/youth/wpay
