Youth have adopted a two fold strategy to tackling the challenges of today and tomorrow. The first phase is the youth statement which identifies priorities we as a group want to see addressed by the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The second phase, currently under development, is an action plan which will propose ways to achieve the goals as set out by the youth statement. The five themes of the 2013 Budapest Water Summit are captured by the statement, which builds upon previous youth statements and covers the thoughts and experiences of youth from all over the world, from Argentina, the Philippines to Canada. The Statement for the Youth Forum of the Budapest Water Summit is the result of an open and inclusive process. Some participants commented that it was one of the most inclusive processes of this nature that they have ever been in. In addition to an online consultation phase, attendees at the summit had the opportunity to actively go through the document, comment on it and debate the amendments.
What made the Budapest Summit special was the inclusivity reflected in the official drafting committee. Here, youth also had the opportunity to comment and to have voice at the table and on the stage in the main plenary.
We found it important to ensure that the SDGs be monitored and enforced. Otherwise success of the SDGs is up to chance. And so, you will see that youth were successful in convening this message, among others to the official Budapest Statement.
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