APFSD Youth Forum 2027: An opportunity for young people in all their diversity to engage in-person and online for the sustainable development goals (SDG) follow-up and review in Asia and the Pacific✨✨
CLICK HERE TO APPLY TO THE APFSD YOUTH FORUM 2027
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.
This regional platform aims to inform, empower, and support Asia-Pacific countries (especially least-developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states) in their efforts to achieve the 17 SDGs and their targets set out by the 2030 Agenda by identifying regional trends and sharing best practices and lessons learned.
The Forum convenes United Nations system bodies, Member States, international organisations, civil society, and other stakeholders whose reflections feed into and inform the ECOSOC Youth Forum as well as the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) 2027 in New York, which reviews sustainable development progress at the global level.
Introduction to the APFSD Youth Forum 2027 ⬇️
The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (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 Center have been organising the annual APFSD Youth Forum since 2017. From 2022, we have been joined by regional youth networks, such as Major Group for Children and Youth and Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP) have also joined in 2025. The APFSD Youth Forum is also done in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP).
The APFSD Youth Forum engages 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.
The goals under review at APFSD 2027 and HLPF 2027 are listed below.
- SDG 4 (Quality Education)
- SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
- SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
- SDG 15 (Life on Land)
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) with a focus on emerging trends
The APFSD Youth Forum will focus on the review of gaps and challenges of the SDGs, along with three additional crosscutting goals:
- SDG 13 (Climate Action)
- SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being)
- SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
APFSD Youth Forum 2027 Theme🌱
The theme for the 2027 edition of the Youth Forum is “Scaling up just transitions to achieving sustainable development, poverty eradication and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals – young people at the forefront.”
APFSD Youth Forum 2027 Objectives⬇️
The APFSD Youth Forum 2027 aims to:
- To ensure adolescents’ and young people’s voices, realities and perspectives are meaningfully included in setting, transforming and implementing the regional agenda on sustainable development, with specific reference to the intergovernmental APFSD 2027 and HLPF 2027.
- To sustain the dedicated youth convening space and discuss SDG implementation with focus on the theme “Scaling up just transitions to achieving sustainable development, poverty eradication and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals – young people at the forefront.”
- To assess the progress, gaps, and challenges in the implementation of SDGs slated for review in 2027, including SDGs 3, 4, 5, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 17, from adolescents and young people’s perspective, while addressing structural and systemic barriers to young people’s inclusion in sustainable development.
- To contribute to the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process from a youth perspective.
- To develop the Youth Call to Actions at regional, sub-regional and national levels.
- To provide a platform for National Alliance on APFSD to share the national Call to Action for incorporation into the APFSD Regional Youth Call to Action.
Call for Abstracts✨
We are looking forward to your abstracts submissions relevant to the goals under review. Please note that the abstracts submissions are not limited to research, but can also include programme implementation on the ground, initiatives focused on young people, and initiatives led by young people.
Additionally, those who apply to the Call for Abstracts MUST apply to the general Call for Applications as well.
Young people are encouraged to apply and share their work on the ground.
Guideline for Abstract Submission⬇️
Please click here to read the Abstract Submission Guideline.
Click here to submit your abstract.
What next after the APFSD Youth Forum 2027?🤔
The APFSD Youth Forum 2027 will build on the outcomes and recommendations of the Tenth South And South-West Asia Subregional Forum on Sustainable Development 2026, and other relevant national, sub-regional and regional youth-led processes. A structured review and consolidation process will be undertaken to identify continuing priorities, emerging issues and recommendations requiring further regional advocacy.
Youth-led organisations and representatives involved in these processes will be encouraged to contribute to the development and validation of the APFSD Youth Call to Action 2027, strengthening continuity, collective ownership and accountability across youth-led sustainable development processes.
The APFSD Youth Call to Action 2027 will feed into the APFSD Intergovernmental Forum 2027, the HLPF 2027, the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2027, and other key processes such as the 2027 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 32), the UN Water Conference 2027, and the ECOSOC review process in the lead-up to the SDG Summit 2027.
The Youth Call to Action will also contribute to national-level follow-up and review with governments in respective countries. We also aim to ensure young people’s representation and active participation in all these identified forums, and the inclusion of young people’s asks and recommendations in all.
📢 Eligibility criteria
- Between the age of 13-30 years of age (Birth date on or after 21 February 1997).
- From Asia and the Pacific region.
- Progressive and believes in human rights-based approaches.
- Demonstrate unique strengths in the application that is relevant to SDGs under review as part of 14th APFSD.
- Show understanding of SDGs at the country, regional or global 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 the sub-regional forums and have contributed to previous APFSD Call to Action OR have attended the intergovernmental APFSD in the past.
🚨 Deadline 🚨
16 November, 2026 (11:59 PM, Bangkok time).
Important Notes📝
- The APFSD Youth Forum 2027 will be conducted in English.
- Please mention if you require interpretation services in the application form. Conveners of the Youth Forum will try to accommodate your request to the best of our ability.
- If you are below 18 and you are selected to participate in the Youth Forum, you will be requested to provide consent from your parent/guardian in the later process.
Have questions? Reach out to us👇
If you have any questions, reach out to us at apfsdyouthforum@arrow.org.my.