The convening of the 5th Asian Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) Youth Forum, held prior to the APFSD 2021, had created a space for youth delegates from around the region to make their voices heard towards the monitoring and review process of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional level.

With the theme “Sustainable and Resilient Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic in Asia and the Pacific”, the three- day forum, plus an extra day of a capacity strengthening session on data driven advocacy, was filled by energetic and vibrant participations from 500 young people from over 34 countries, ranging from activists and advocates from diverse backgrounds in the region. Designed for inclusivity and to maximise participation through multiple virtual plenaries and breakout sessions to discuss opportunities, gaps, and potential youth-led solutions, the forum once again has proven to be one of the most crucial spaces for young people to organise around SDGs in the region towards shaping a holistic response and solutions to the 2030 Agenda.

The main focus of the forum discussions were on mitigating the impact of COVID-19 in respective settings for young people at local, national, and regional levels, and as well as on the SDGs 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16, and 17. Some of the key outcomes include:

• The forum is recognised by the UNESCAP as a youth- inclusive and youth focused preparatory meeting held annually prior to the APFSD.

• The forum brought together about 500 participants from 34 countries (the highest number so far for the Youth Forum) from across the Asia Pacific region from diverse backgrounds, youth movements, and youth led organisations to create a meaningful space for youth to engage in the SDG process. Held virtually this year, the forum also saw more participation from more adolescent delegates, representatives from rural communities, and more underrepresented communities.

• The participants discussed in depth, on the nine SDGs from a youth-lens perspective and able to provide a number of concrete recommendations to be included in the APFSD Youth Call to Action document, as well as in the outcome document for regional implementation and the follow up and review for the 2030 Agenda.

• At the end of the forum, young people developed the Youth Call to Action 2021 to be used for advocacy purposes during the APFSD 2021 deliberations in order to fully integrate the issue of young people in the region in the official APFSD processes.