Celebrated every year on August 12, Secretary General António Guterres note that this year’s theme – “United Generations: Creating a World for All Ages” – reminds us of “a fundamental truth” that “wI need people of all ages, young and old, to join forces to build a better world for all.“.
Solidarity between generations
The top UN official commented that too often, ageism, prejudice and discrimination have prevented this essential cooperation.
“When young people don’t make decisions about their lives, or when older people don’t get a chance to be heard, we all lose out,” he said.
Mr. Guterres stressed that as the world faces a series of challenges that threaten our common future, “unity and cooperation are needed more than ever”.
Are from COVID-19 on climate change and conflict to poverty, inequality and discrimination, “we need all together” to achieve Sustainable development goals (SDGs) and build the better, more peaceful future that everyone is looking for.
Bolster Youth
We need to support young people with big investments in education and skills building – “including next month Education Transformation Summit‘ said the general secretary.
“We also need support gender equality and expand opportunities for young people participation in civic and political life”.
The head of the United Nations affirmed that it is not enough just to listen to young people, “we need to integrate them into decision-making mechanisms at the local, national and international levels”.
This is at the heart of the UN proposal to create a new Youth Office at the Organization.
Join hands
At the same time, he pointed out the importance of ensuring that older generations have access to social protection and the opportunity to give back to their communities as well as the ability to share decades of accumulated experience. century in which they lived.
“On this important day, Let’s join hands across generations to break down barriersand work as one to achieve a more equal, just and inclusive world for all”, concluded the Secretary-General.
Need for ‘youthful motivation’
Meanwhile, in her lecture to students of Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan, General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid reflected on the importance of intergenerational cooperation, acknowledging that “those who are Children often blame us when we lack any issue, whether it is conservation, peace, or human rights”.
As we face a full-blown planetary crisis with countries putting themselves in an “unreasonable position” in negotiations, he reminds, “it is the young people who are stepping up the act. their movements”.
“It was young people who kept the 1.5-degree goal alive,” he said. “It is young people who reject our excuses when we, even in the face of a lot of evidence, delay and fail to take action to limit emissions and protect the environment.”
Mr. Shahid asserted that the world needs “that youthful dynamism and energy” today.
