United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth
| Founded | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Global |
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Official language
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All 6 of the official languages of the United Nations |
| Website | http://childrenyouth.org/ |
Established in 1992, the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UN MGCY) is an official platform for involving children and youth in intergovernmental processes within the United Nations. Engagement with UN MGCY is open to any young person, or youth-serving organization.
UN MGCY is governed by its adopted Process and Procedures, and organized into external and internal working groups. External working groups facilitate inputs into particular UN processes, while internal working groups manage procedural and internal matters. Day-to-day matters are managed by five elected Organizing Partners. UN MGCY’s legal and financial affairs are managed by Children and Youth International, a charity jointly registered in Belgium and the United Kingdom.
In practice, UN MGCY is a network of youth from across the globe. Its members are citizens and residents of over 170 countries.
UN MGCY receives its mandate through Agenda 21, United Nations General Assembly Resolutions (such as 2013’s A/Res/67/290), as well as agreements with UN bodies and conferences. Starting in 1992 with the establishment of the Major Groups system, UN MGCY has facilitated the participation of young people throughout the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) culminating at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012. Since that time, the mandate has transferred to the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), the enhanced successor body of the CSD, and expanded to the Open Working Groups (OWGs) and outlined processes.
The Major Group system was created following the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, also referred to as the Earth Summit. Through Section III of Agenda 21, one of the Earth Summit’s outcome documents, the world’s national governments formally recognized the role of all social groups in working towards sustainable development. To implement this, nine Major Groups were established for women, children and youth, and other civil society segments to organize and channel inputs into intergovernmental processes established at the Summit.
The Major Group for Children and Youth initially provided input into a single process: The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). The CSD was mandated to monitor the implementation of goals and resolutions adopted the Earth Summit, and functioned as a commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. From 1992 until 2012, the Commission on Sustainable Development met annually to discuss and evaluate progress towards the objectives established at the Earth Summit. At most of these meetings the Major Group for Children and Youth delivered statements and organized youth-focused parallel events.
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