“Youth at the Forefront: Leveraging Science and Social Inclusion for Sustainable Development”

Speakers/panelists (tentative):

• Vedika Mandapati (Policy Analyst, Global Choices)
• Abigail Corrao (Educational Lead, GHGAPS)
• Steven Qi (Staff, African Department, International Monetary Fund)
• Elina Forsyth (Student, Monash University)
• Moderator: Danielly Magalhães (Senior Project Director, GCCHE)

The Global Health Governance as Public Service (GHGAPS) program educates, equips, and empowers youth leaders across academic and personal backgrounds to effectively engage in governance spaces. Through dynamic, experiential learning with a focus on soft-skills, GHGAPS encourages youth to adopt a systems-thinking approach to address planetary crises across multilateral spaces. GHGAPS serves as an iterative framework for youth across the world to meaningfully advocate for and act towards sustainable development, to better the health of people and the planet.

The 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum is adequately timed to discuss not only the increasingly crucial role of youth in global governance, but also the mechanisms by which youth can continue to educate other youth on the importance of engagement. This session will showcase the experiences of youth leaders across multilateral fora and demonstrate areas for cohesion among formal and informal educational programs to further support youth as prepared changemakers.

As geopolitical tensions erode the credibility and value of multilateral instituions, it is increasingly important to place trust in youth to advocate for the organizations designed to defend the health and human rights of those who otherwise would be left behind.