Call for Applications: APFSD Youth Forum 2025

The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) is an annual, inclusive, intergovernmental forum to support the follow-up and review of progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional level.

The Forum convenes United Nations system bodies, Member States, international organisations, civil society, and other stakeholders whose reflections feed into and inform the 2025 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, which reviews sustainable development progress at the global level.

The APFSD Youth Forum 2025

The APFSD Youth Forum is an annual convening that brings together young people from across Asia and the Pacific to discuss and deliberate on sustainable development issues.

The forum aims to ensure young people’s voices and realities are included in setting the regional agenda on sustainable development, empower young people through meaningful interactions and conversations with various stakeholders, and approach the sustainable development agenda with an intersectional, youth, human rights, and justice lens.

ARROW and the regional co-convenors, Youth LEAD, and YPEER Asia-Pacific have been organising the annual APFSD Youth Forum since 2017. Since 2022, we are joined by regional youth networks, such as Major Group for Children and Youth and Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP.

The APFSD Youth Forum engages 400-500 adolescents and young people in the age group of 13-30 years from across Asia and the Pacific region to develop National, Sub-Regional and Regional Youth Call to Action.

2025 is a crucial year for ARROW and Co-conveners with Goal 3 (good health and well- being) and Goal 5 (Gender Equality) being assessed at the APFSD along with Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth); 14 (life below water) and 17 (partnership for the Goals).

APFSD Youth Forum 2025 Theme

In alignment with the goals under review in HLPF 2025 and APFSD 2025, the youth forum will focus on the review, gaps and challenges of the 5 goals. The overarching theme for the youth forum is “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no young person behind in Asia and the Pacific”. 

The outcomes of the APFSD Youth Forum, which is primarily the APFSD Youth Call to Action, will feed into the APFSD Intergovernmental Forum 2025, the High-Level Political Forum 2025, as well as the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2025.

We are also looking forward to abstracts submission and innovation proposals on climate action, gender equality and human rights, health and wellbeing, young people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information and services, Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), decent work, and partnerships to realise SDGs in the Asia and Pacific.

APFSD Youth Forum 2025 Objectives

The APFSD Youth Forum 2025 aims to:

• To ensure young people’s voices, their realities and perspectives are meaningfully included, in setting, transforming and implementing the regional agenda on sustainable development, with specific reference to the intergovernmental APFSD and HLPF 2025.
• To sustain the dedicated youth convening space of “APFSD Youth Forum” and discuss SDG implementation with focus on “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind in Asia and the Pacific”.
• To assess the progress, gaps, and challenges in the implementation of SDGs slated for in depth review including SDG 3,5,8,14 and17 from young people’s lens, and also address structural and systemic barriers to youth inclusion in sustainable development.
• To contribute to the voluntary national review process, from a youth perspective.
• To develop the Youth Call to Action at regional, sub-regional and national level to inform the intergovernmental APFSD, HLPF, and ECOSOC Youth Forum in 2025.

Eligibility criteria

• Below 30 years of age (Birthdate on or after February 21, 1995).
• Is progressive and believes in human rights-based approaches.
• Demonstrates unique strengths in the application that is relevant to SDGs under review as part of 12th APFSD.
• Shows understanding of SDGs at the country or regional level.
• Individuals from marginalised / socially excluded groups, communities and applications from far to reach places will be prioritised to ensure diversity and inclusion in participation at the APFSD Youth Forum.
• Considerations will also be given to the individuals who have been part of previous APFSD Youth Forums and contributed to previous APFSD Call to Action OR have attended the intergovernmental APFSD in the past.

Application process

Funding available for a select number of participants.

Submit your applications below:

• APFSD Youth Forum 2025: https://forms.gle/65XDDMXmTWS7jS4q6
• APFSD Youth Forum 2025 Call for Session Abstracts: https://forms.gle/siaapkimZoRHYkCs8
• APFSD Youth Forum 2025 Call for Innovation Proposals: https://forms.gle/pGUVt6xjJwzRrQsX8

Related documents

• Please click here to read the Abstract Submission Guideline.
• Please click here to read the Innovation Initiative Proposal on SDGs Guideline.

Deadline: 25 December 2024, 23:59 BKK time. If you have any questions, reach out to us at [email protected].

Official announcement