MANILA, Philippines – In celebration of International Youth Day 2021, Youth Co:Lab Philippines, co-led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Citi Foundation, held a series of online events entitled "The World We Want Philippines" from August 9 to 13. The series featured 16 pocket sessions hosted by Youth Co:Lab Philippines and 16 community partners and attended by 336 participants from the Philippines and other countries in the Asia Pacific region. 

Youth Co:Lab (YCL), a UNDP Regional Programme that is part of Citi Foundation's global Pathways to Progress initiative, is the largest youth social entrepreneurship movement in Asia Pacific. Since its inception, it has positioned young people front and center in the efforts to solve the region's most pressing challenges. YCL is building an ecosystem to connect the youth with incubators, accelerators, and investors to turn solutions into viable business models.

"The World We Want Philippines" fostered meaningfully engaged Filipino youth, together with other youth-led and youth-serving organizations and encouraged them to listen and take action as the stewards of the future. The tagline of the week-long event was, "Together, let us turn the world we have into the world we want." Taking off from the success of past Youth Dialogues, the event included consultation sessions to understand the present realities of the youth and acquire their concrete visions for 2030.  

The first day of the event kicked off with messages from UNDP and Citibank Philippines. 

UNDP Resident Representative, Dr. Selva Ramachandran, expressed his confidence in the youth and noted that "the youth are best prepared now than any other time in the past to engage with the world and influence sustainable development. All over the world, young people respond to present-day challenges with innovative approaches and fresh ideas, building bridges and creating the world they want. They are leading development for themselves, their communities, and their societies. We look forward to more Filipino youth doing the same."

Citibank Philippines AVP for Corporate Citizenship, Jaqueline Hain Ampil, also delivered an encouraging message for the youth: “It is crucial that we hear your voice, and we will listen to what you have to say. It may include issues and priorities on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or perhaps it will be about your contributions to sustainable development. We join you in your journey and share your vision for a better future.” 

The week-long event concluded with a discussion among selected youth leaders, decision-makers, and ecosystem players on the results of the youth consultations and determining the next steps for youth development. Significant findings from the consultations reflected the Filipino youths’ concerns and priorities, which were in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From the 235 youths who participated in the consultations, their top three answers on what they were “most hopeful” about were good governance (49.5%), post-COVID recovery (36.5%), and education (28.4%). On the other hand, they were “most worried” about climate emergency (49.5%), conflicts and disasters (45.5%), and access to primary healthcare and social services (30%).

The first Youth Day happened in 1999 after the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and since then has been commemorated annually every August 12. It was then recommended to support the day for better awareness of the World Programme of Action for Youth. Fast forward to 2021 at the ECOSOC Youth Forum (EYF); young participants highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly its effect on human health, the environment, and food systems, as most concerning. Other crucial challenges must also be addressed, with interlinkages embodied by the 2030 Agenda, including poverty reduction, social inclusion, health care, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation.

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