Youth Delivery Lab

At the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development 2026 in Addis Ababa, I had the privilege today to join a powerful conversation organised by @ECA_OFFICIAL, @UNDPAfrica and @YouthAfricanU: Shaping the future now, Youth leadership for transformative and coordinated SDG action. The discussion focused on key SDGs : 6 Water, 7 Energy, 9 Industry & Innovation, 11 Cities, and 17 Partnerships. My intervention was grounded in the experience of #Togo where youth represent a major structural factor with 19% of the population aged between 15 and 24, and 75% of the population under 35: 1. Listening before acting Through initiatives like the @YouthDLab organized by the Ministry in charge of youth gathering thousands of young people alongside policymakers, private sector, and creatives we are learning directly from youth about their priorities: employment, skills, inclusion and initiatives to scale. 2. Institutionalizing youth voice, not just a passive one With UN agencies in Togo, we established a Youth Consultative Group, bringing together young leaders across agriculture, energy, health, environment, digital and other sectors to advise, plan with us and challenge our programmes and results. 3. Investing in opportunity and innovation From entrepreneurship funds #FAIEJ, #FNFI to innovation hubs like @UniPod_Togo, young people are driving solutions from Agrifood systems to circular economy models transforming waste into value. As @UN_Togo, our role is not to speak for young people but to listen carefully, create space, build capacity, and connect their ideas to the making. I left the room inspired and challenged by the clarity and ambition of young leaders who made proposals to advance the SDGs, some are already turning into reality #staytuned #ARFSD2026 #SDGs #YouthLeadership #Togo #LeaveNoOneBehind