On 27 February 2025, the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh, hosted a virtual side event of the 12th Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) titled “NextGen Partnerships: Empowering Youth to Accelerate SDG Delivery”. The event was organised in collaboration with the ASEAN Youth Forum, Indonesia; ChildFund International; Plan International, Asia-Pacific Regional Hub; UNDP, Asia Pacific Regional Office; and Youth for Change, Bangladesh. The 12th APFSD is part of the annual intergovernmental forum that reviews progress on the 2030 Agenda, fostering multistakeholder solutions and peer learning to accelerate SDG implementation amid regional challenges.

The session brought together five distinguished speakers from across the Asia-Pacific region, featuring four youth leaders and a government representative, offering a balanced mix of ground realities and institutional perspectives. The side event was attended by an audience of 70 participants from countries like Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. To ensure active audience engagement, the session integrated a live poll throughout its duration, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for youth to contribute to the SDGs.

Mr Jeta Jiranuntarat, Coordinator of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network in Thailand, shared successes and challenges regarding youth participation in climate governance. He highlighted the delivery of the Thailand National Youth Statement to the Director-General of the Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE), which influenced ACE policies and supported his COP29 participation. He also addressed challenges such as the need for policy frameworks tailored to youth and the importance of monitoring youth involvement in climate processes.

Mr Mohammad Naufal, a Youth Advocate and Climate & Child Protection Activist from Indonesia, stressed the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships to create safe spaces for youth in decision-making. He advocated for pro-youth policies, access to information, legal protections for activists, and resource support, including funding and training. He also called for gender-sensitive strategies in national climate action plans and funding mechanisms that prioritise women- and girl-led climate initiatives.

Ms Shourza Talukder, Research Associate, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh, discussed the challenges faced by Indigenous youth in Bangladesh. She described the ongoing struggle for recognition, citing violent exclusion during protests such as the removal of the term “Indigenous” from textbooks and attacks on students in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). Ms Talukder called for better data collection, political representation, protection for activists, and the inclusion of Indigenous culture in the national curriculum, alongside full implementation of the CHT Peace Accord. She also highlighted the growing role of digital activism among Indigenous youth.

Ms Sayma Rahman Payel, Content Writer at WeMen View and Moderator of Our Voices Our Choice Hub, Bangladesh, contributed to the discussion by highlighting experiences from across the Asia-Pacific region. She emphasised the need for partnerships that protect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. She discussed the shrinking civic spaces, limited funding, and legal barriers youth-led organisations face, calling for the protection of civic spaces, accessible funding, amplified youth voices in SDG reporting, and stronger digital protections for activists.

Mr Shihab Quader, Director-General for SDG Affairs, Government of Bangladesh, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to prioritising youth, especially within the UN ESCAP framework. He stressed the importance of institutionalising youth participation, creating funding opportunities, and providing mentorship and capacity-building programmes. Mr Quader also highlighted the need to leverage technology for greater inclusion and empower youth-led accountability mechanisms to track SDG progress.

Ms Najeeba Mohammed Altaf, Senior Research Associate, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh, moderated the event, emphasising the importance of youth engagement in achieving the SDGs.

The session was followed by a Q&A session, allowing for deeper discussion on the issues raised.

In her concluding remarks, Ms Altaf thanked the co-organisers and participants. She emphasised that youth and youth-led organisations, as well as governments, are united in fighting for the same objectives. She noted that without fundamental rights, the contributions of youth cannot be fully harnessed in a meaningful way.