UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY 2025

International Youth Day 2025 Most Influential Youth 2025 Sustainability Awards Tuesday 12th August 2025 ONLINE 09:30-14:30 "Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires a seismic shift – which can only happen if we empower young people and work with them as equals." António Guterres, UN Secretary-General In celebration of the United Nations International Youth Day 2025, WASD and its partners across the world are working together to meaningful and self-led youth learnership across the world. The International Youth Day is celebrated across the world to show the remarkable achievements of youth to society and world sustainable development. The conference theme for 2025 will follow the theme selected by the UN for this year’s celebration "Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond", highlights the unique role of youth in translating global ambitions into community-driven realities. According to the UN, with over 65% of SDG targets linked to local governance, youth engagement is not a luxury - it is a necessity. We must therefore, recognise the contribution of all youth around the world to build a more sustainable future for all. Clearly, youth have an untapped potential as a primary mover of greater development across the world and their role is very crucial for increased development, but challenges remain. And so, reforms in economic, social, and political institutions must be made to create an enabling environment for youth engagement and participation. The conference brings together senior and high level intellectual and practice-based contributors who will help develop a framework for the analysis of the role of youth in achieving sustainable inclusive development across the world. You can browse here keynote speakers from our previous international conferences.