On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, the United Nations hosted more than 600 young people from around the world at its New York Headquarters to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The summit coincided with International Youth Day, observed annually since 2000 to celebrate youth as key partners in global society.

Following discussions and workshops organized by the International Organization of Youth, delegates presented a Youth-led Declaration on AI Policy and Governance. This declaration is intended to guide future UN-led initiatives on global AI governance, particularly the Global Digital Compact.

Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs Felipe Paullier emphasized the importance of meaningful youth participation, stating that the generation present will live longest with AI’s consequences. He noted that International Youth Day offers a vital opportunity to hear diverse youth perspectives on how AI can better serve humanity’s future. Paullier stressed, “Meaningful youth participation is not about being consulted in a tokenistic way at the end of a process.”

Ambassador of Dominica Philbert Aaron highlighted that the conversation extends beyond technology to issues of power, dignity, opportunity, culture, and the collective future. He said, “This is not simply a conversation about technology. It is a conversation about power, dignity, opportunity, culture and the future we choose to build together.”

Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, governor of Pakistan’s Balochistan region, warned that technological progress will not automatically lead to human progress if developing countries lack access to necessary infrastructure, computing capacity, skills, finance, and knowledge.

Ahead of the event, the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO) released a report indicating that global youth unemployment is worsening again after a post-pandemic rebound, leaving millions without access to their crucial first job.

The event builds on previous UN efforts to integrate youth voices into AI decision-making, including the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, the International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Board, and the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum.

Sources

UN News: Youth advocates gather in New York to launch new AI standards