Participant of the "Young of Expression" program represented Brazil in Youth Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in New York

Wagner da Silva it the Youth Forum 

Brasilia, 09 February 2015 - Between 02 and 03 February, a young Brazilian from Ceilândia, city in the Federal District, represented Brazil in the Youth Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Invited by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Wagner da Silva Pereira went to the UN headquarters in New York to learn from and to share experiences with other young people from all over the world.

"It was very exciting to participate on a Global Forum", said Wagner. According to him, the most exciting part was the exchange of experience and the stories told by people from all over the world about topics so diverse and relevant. Attend such a huge event can add a lot to the project."

During the Forum, the new goals that have been developed by the United Nations in collaboration with its member states were discussed. These goals are called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and they replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which should be ended in 2015. Up till now, the UN and its member states already agreed on 17 goals and their respective targets. 

Working group 

The participation of the Brazilian representative focused on the objective 16: to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. The objective 16 is a novelty, since the issue of violence did not integrate the Millennium Development Goals. In this context, Brazil has attracted the attention of international public opinion by the sheer number of homicides, totalizing approximately 50,000 deaths per year. 

He prepared himself for a month to get to the meeting with arguments, data and ideas to address violence that affects and claims the lives of thousands of young people every year in Brazil. 

Wagner participates in the Young of Expression, alongside with other 300 young people. A social project coordinated by UNODC, Caixa Insurances and the Socio-Cultural Urban Network (RUAS). Wagner is the coordinator of the Collaborative Space, which seeks to promote entrepreneurial initiatives among the program participants, especially those that are related to urban culture. 

With a quite good knowledge of the English language, Wagner is a sophomore undergraduate of Languages/Portuguese-English at the University of Brasilia and says his daily life is not easy: "Some days I get to catch nine buses, between leaving my house in Riacho Fundo II, going to class, going to the project in Ceilândia, coming back to afternoon classes and finally going home and rest."  

Wagner is also the Coordinator of the Action Sports Center of the RUAS program and is the current general producer of DFSTREET skating championship. It was through the championship that Wagner had his first contact with the institution in 2010.

 

More about the Youth Forum

In July 2015, member states, legislators, civil society organizations, representatives of academia and the private sector will meet in New York during the high-level segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), to give attention to the Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) theme "Managing the transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): What will be necessary?" The ECOSOC system should consider this issue during the work carried out for the 2014-2015 cycle, including Council's subsidiary bodies. It will also be a focus on the informal Council events, including partnerships and Youth Forums.

 

To empower young's voice in this discussion, ECOSOC held a Youth Forum on 02 and 03 February 2015. The idea was to maximize the engagement of young people in transition from MDGs to the SDGs. The Forum preceded the 53rd Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD) organized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the Mission for Youth of the UN General Secretariat Office in collaboration with members of the Inter-agency Network of the United Nations for Youth Development.

For more information

http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/youth2015/pdf/background_note.pdf 

http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/youth2015/pdf/programme.pdf

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