Young Leaders Call for a New Culture of Peace
Presenting the Call and Reflection Document in Paris
On 3 and 4 September 2026, eleven young leaders brought their ideas into direct dialogue with Khaled El-Enany, Director-General of UNESCO, and H.E. Mr Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, during events held at UNESCO Headquarters and at France’s Fabrique de la Diplomatie at the Sorbonne.
The Director-General and the Minister recognized the importance of youth engagement for peace and the critical role that young people must play in addressing the challenges of today’s world. Their exchanges with the young leaders called for placing youth not at the margins of the discussion, but at its very center.
The Director-General highlighted that: “Peace […] requires creativity, imagination, patience and tools. The role of UNESCO is precisely to provide new generations with these tools.”
Mr Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, stated: “UNESCO perhaps embodies, more than any other entity within the United Nations system, the spirit of peace. This spirit of peace is inherently a spirit of the future, one that it falls to young people to uphold, nurture and pass on to future generations.”
The Call and the Reflection Document put forward concrete proposals on how UNESCO’s founding mandate to build peace can continue to be translated into ambitious and effective action, particularly in times of crisis.
They call for deeper and more meaningful youth participation in decision-making and for greater investment in key areas of UNESCO’s mandate, from inclusive education to climate action, from Open Science to the ethical development of artificial intelligence, and from the protection of cultural heritage to access to reliable information.
The documents emphasize the importance of empowering young people as partners in addressing global challenges, strengthening resilience in times of crisis, and promoting intercultural dialogue. They also underline the need to ensure that UNESCO’s normative leadership translates into tangible benefits for communities, particularly those that are underserved, affected by conflict, or vulnerable to climate change.
Youth as a Priority Group
In line with UNESCO’s designation of youth as a global priority, this consultation is a strong example of the Organization’s commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young people to contribute to its strategic thinking and to work alongside UNESCO in the implementation of its programmes.
The Call by Young People is being presented as part of the broader UNESCO80 reform initiative for consideration by UNESCO’s Member States at the Executive Board session to be held in October 2026.
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