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Whilst UNESCO Member States are currently involved in the final nomination of their youth delegates to the 8th UNESCO 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ, all young people throughout the world can participate in the pre-Forum discussions online from 21 August 2013.

By taking part in the online discussion community, young men and women will be able to shape the way in which UNESCO’s Operational Strategy on Youth is to be implemented from 2014 to 2021.

In line with the three main axes of this Strategy, the topics for discussion are:
1.    Policy formulation and review with the participation of youth
2.    Capacity development for the transition to adulthood
3.    Civic engagement, democratic participation and social innovation

The preliminary debates will take place online, providing the blueprint for nine strategic recommendations that are to be presented by the youth delegates during the 8th UNESCO 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ, held at the Organization’s Headquarters, in Paris, France, from 29 to 31 October 2013.

These discussions are open to all young men and women, not only those coming to Paris in October! This is a chance for youth from across the world to come together and share their concerns, local and global, and to put forward their solutions.     

All discussions will be led by young people, about young people, and for young people!  

How does it work?
There will be a short trial period, from 21 to 26 August, during which participants can familiarize themselves with the online platform and organize themselves, setting up drafting committees and choosing moderators where necessary. Some might like to lead discussions or get involved with the drafting process, whilst others may prefer to contribute ideas to the debate. There is room for all sorts of participation!

From 26 August until 30 September, participants will get down to the task of discussing the topics, sharing ideas and starting to formulate the Recommendations. The online debate is divided into three discussion groups, one for each topic, with each one aiming to formulate three Recommendations. These groups are not mutually exclusive – everyone can join in as often as they wish and wherever they have something to contribute!

The resulting nine Recommendations will then be drawn up as a blueprint, and discussed in an online plenary debate session from 30 September. The drafting teams of the three groups will be responsible for keeping up to date with any adjustments or revisions, to be completed by 14 October 2013.

These strategic Recommendations will be presented, debated and endorsed during the 8th UNESCO 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ itself, before being submitted to the representatives of Organization's Member States, who will gather in Paris for the 37th UNESCO General Conference in November 2013.

This is an opportunity for young people across the world to get involved with the decisions that are made today, to join a dynamic online youth discussion community, and to shape the debates to come!

Are you a youth? Participate in the discussions online!

Any questions? Get in touch at youth(at)unesco.org

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