Voiceless at the Table: The Global South at the ECOSOC Youth Forum
Aranya Singh
4/17/20253 min read
In a world increasingly defined by global crises—climate change, inequality, migration—the participation of youth in international policy-making is more vital than ever. Recognizing this, the ECOSOC Youth Forum, organized annually by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, seeks to create a space where young people from around the world can engage in discussions on sustainable development.
This year, the forum is scheduled to take place from April 15–17, 2025, at the UN Headquarters in New York. But beneath its inclusive vision lies a deeper, more uncomfortable reality: youth from the Global South remain systemically underrepresented. Despite being home to the majority of the world’s youth, barriers related to finance, visas, language, and access continue to silence their voices.
The Global South: A Silent Majority
While the forum claims to foster inclusivity, youth from the Global South are often left out—not by accident, but by design. Structural barriers continue to suppress their participation, making the playing field anything but equal. These issues are not isolated—they're systemic and persistent.
Visa Inequality and Travel Barriers
One of the most glaring challenges is visa discrimination. Young people from the Global South face extensive and often arbitrary visa application procedures. The United States, where the forum is held, has lengthy processing times and high rejection rates, particularly for applicants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
In 2024, numerous delegates were denied visas—some were even prohibited from entering the UN Headquarters without clear explanation. Such occurrences expose the forum's fragile infrastructure and call into question its commitment to equitable participation. For many, the ability to attend hinges on bureaucracies that work against them.
Financial Constraints and Lack of Support
Even when visas are granted, economic limitations pose yet another barrier. The ECOSOC Youth Forum does not offer travel or accommodation funding. In fact, its official application materials in previous years have explicitly stated that no financial support is available.
This policy forces many participants—especially from low- and middle-income countries—to self-fund their journey, if they can afford it at all. At one side event focused on Asia and the Pacific, 90% of youth attendees were self-funded—a sobering indicator of the forum's financial inaccessibility. This transforms merit-based inclusion into a pay-to-participate model, where talent is overshadowed by privilege.
Limited Access to Information and Outreach
Another overlooked obstacle is informational exclusion. Many young people in the Global South are unaware of the ECOSOC Youth Forum’s existence due to poor outreach, limited internet access, and the absence of multilingual resources.
With most communications and application materials available only in English, non-English-speaking youth are at a clear disadvantage. Moreover, many educational institutions in the Global South lack connections to global networks, resulting in minimal awareness and mentorship opportunities. Youth miss out—not because they lack merit, but because they’re never informed in the first place.
Tokenistic Participation
Even for those who make it to the forum, the quality of engagement often remains symbolic. Young delegates from marginalized regions or communities frequently report feeling like they’re present only to fill a quota. They are rarely given platforms to contribute meaningfully to debates, influence outcomes, or shape policy recommendations.
This performative inclusion reduces youth engagement to a tick-box exercise rather than a powerful tool for policy transformation. The result? An international stage that sounds inclusive but acts exclusive.
Marginalized Youth Face Double Discrimination
Youth with disabilities, Indigenous backgrounds, or those from conflict-affected regions face compounded barriers. Juliette Gudknecht, a prominent disability rights advocate, has highlighted how youth with impairments are often locked out of global platforms due to a mix of financial, logistical, and institutional challenges.
For them, participation is not just about crossing borders—it’s about breaking through layers of systemic neglect.
The Way Forward: Inclusion Must Be Real, Not Rhetorical
To be clear, the ECOSOC Youth Forum is a laudable initiative. It holds immense potential to empower future leaders and shape more democratic, youth-driven governance. But unless it addresses its internal inequalities, the forum risks becoming a space of elitism rather than equity.
The United Nations must adopt clear reforms:
Simplified visa support systems for participants from the Global South.
Funding mechanisms to support travel and accommodation.
Multilingual resources and diversified outreach strategies.
A shift from symbolic participation to substantive engagement.
Conclusion
The ECOSOC Youth Forum must live up to its ideals. It cannot be a forum for the privileged few—it must be a forum for all. Youth are not a monolith, and the Global South should not remain on the sidelines of conversations that shape our collective future.
Inclusivity isn’t an event. It’s a structure. It’s a commitment. It’s a choice.
The question is: Will the ECOSOC Youth Forum choose it?
