Young People's Vision for a Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Asia Pacific

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2025

Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) Youth Forum 2025

“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”

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). 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. The Youth Call to Action will also contribute to national level follow up and review with governments in respective countries. We also strive to ensure young people’s representation and active participation in all these identified forums.

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.

Key cluster goals under discussion include:

  • SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 5 (Gender equality), SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth), SDG 14 (Life below water), SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals).

The APFSD Youth Forum 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.
Click image to view APFSD youth forum 2025 Agenda

Submit your applications below:

APFSD Youth Form 2025
APFSD Youth Form 2025 Call for Session Abstracts
APFSD Youth Form 2025 Call for Innovations Proposals

🚨 DEADLINE: 25 December 2024, 23:59 BKK time.

The final day was dedicated to finalising and adopting the Youth Call to Actions and discussing ways forward for youth engagement in regional and global forums. Representatives from five national APFSD Youth Alliances (Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mongolia, and Papua New Guinea) shared their experiences of establishing country-level platforms to advance SDG implementation and youth engagement at the national level.

Access the APFSD Youth Forum 2025 Report here →


The second day centred on climate action and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), with high-level opening remarks from UNDP, UNFCCC, UNICEF, ARROW and the Embassy of Sweden.



Plenary presentations highlighted critical challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, including:
  • Rising greenhouse gas emissions with the region accounting for approximately 60% of global emissions
  • Significant regression on SDG 13 (Climate Action)
  • Disproportionate climate impacts on women and girls
  • Ocean pollution with approximately 80% of global ocean plastic pollution originating from Asia

Access the APFSD Youth Forum Abstracts here →

An Innovation Walk showcased 18 youth-led innovations addressing various SDGs through technology, indigenous knowledge, and community-based approaches.

Access the APFSD Youth Forum Innovation Booklet here →



Day one focused on gender equality, and health including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The opening session featured addresses from co-conveners and a video message from Dr Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs.



Plenary sessions included presentations from UN agencies and experts on the status of SDGs 3 and 5 in the region, highlighting alarming statistics on maternal mortality, HIV infections, mental health issues among youth, and barriers to SRHR access.