DLC Intern Engages with Youth Voices at the Un ECOSOC YOUTH FORUM 2025

As the United Nations Headquarters welcomed the vibrant energy of spring, it also opened its doors to the powerful presence of young global leaders. From April 15–17, the ECOSOC Youth Forum brought together youth delegates, advocates, and changemakers from around the world to engage on critical global issues. Representing the Dominican Leadership Conference, our UN intern attended key sessions of this year’s Forum, themed “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” Her reflections from the event—particularly on mental health in the digital age—offer valuable insight into how young people are shaping the global conversation and pushing for justice, dignity, and well-being for all.

 

As Spring approached, UNHQ was bustling with new events, programs, and conferences From April 15-17, Youth V oices, primarily between 18-25 filled UNHQ for the ECOSOC Youth Forum. The Youth Forum allowed a space for youth voices to engage with Member States, NGOs, and other stakeholders on their perspective of the world. This year’s Youth Forum theme, focused on “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science-and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind”

As my time as an intern with the Dominican Leadership Conference rapidly comes to an end, I’ve wanted to deepen my understanding of the United Nations even further with diversifying the types of event I’ve been attending. As a young person myself, the Youth Forum is, I believe, integral to the United Nations, which is what encouraged me to check out some of the events during the Youth Forum. On April 15, I attended the Youth Forum Event titled “From Anxiety to Resilience: Strengthening the Mental Health of Young Persons in the Digital Era.” The event included Youth Delegates from Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Hungary, and the United States, who were focused on SDG 3 especially “Good Health and Well-being.”

From the get go, the event speakers asserted that mental health is a matter of dignity and human rights, which was a large theme presented at this event. I was able to listen to a representative from the UN Youth Office who is working on initiatives to deepen the participation of Youth Voices, that is both meaningful and just. Another speaker, Ava Smithing (USA) is a representative for the Young People’s Alliance, where she focused on the technological constraints of how tech companies collect our data, which can be detrimental foryoung people. Smithing used an example that Social Media polarizes us into different echo chambers, that intentionality isolates young people, contributing to the feeling of hopelessness.

From a different perspective, a Youth Delegate discussed why young voices don’t speak up–and it was never because they didn’t want to speak up but because mental health can hinder a person’s potential to speak up, noting that mental health is not a mere “side element,” but a crux of advocacy on the international stage. It is important to create a system of mental health support, especially as we advance technologically as a society.

As an intern, it was inspiring to walk into UNHQ during the Youth Forum and see so many young people.