Financing Gaps Remain Biggest Barrier For Youth Action, Says UN Official

Youth are already actively solving global livability challenges rather than just preparing to play a role in the future, Jonathan Some, a member of the UN-Habitat Youth Advisory Board, told AzerNEWS.

Speaking in an interview, Some, who also serves as the Executive Director of "Young Africans for Sustainable Africa," highlighted that the younger generation is driving change through innovation, grassroots organizations, and high-level advocacy platforms.

“The primary challenge now is how young people can effectively collaborate with older generations to ensure a collective effort toward the sustainable urban future we are aiming for,” Some noted.

He emphasized that it is critical for global leaders, ministers, mayors, and municipalities to institutionalize youth voices and the work they do to increase their visibility. However, he stressed that financial backing remains the most critical hurdle.

“Young people are entirely willing to change the world, but we need resources and genuine support. To actualize our goals, we require blended, predictable, and sustainable financing mechanisms, alongside robust capacity-building systems. This must go beyond mere information sharing and consultation-our priorities must be integrated from the initial design stage right through to implementation,” Some concluded.

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