Lars Westra, the European Union's Youth Delegate to the United Nations, called on UN member states and decision-makers to stop fearing youth participation and instead treat young people as equal partners in shaping the Post-2030 Agenda. Speaking at an official side event of the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on 14 July 2026 in New York, Westra stressed that all plans made at the UN are meaningless without young people championing them in their NGOs, startups, and activism. He urged leaders to transform Q&As into open conversations, give youth time to prepare, and create safe spaces for those afraid to speak up.
Westra outlined several EU mechanisms that translate youth participation principles into practice. All European Commissioners, from climate to competitiveness and trade to culture, meet annually with young people in a youth policy dialogue. The European Commission operates a Youth Sounding Board for external action, and 50 EU Delegations worldwide have local Youth Sounding Boards to ensure ground-level youth perspectives inform EU policy. During the week of the event, the EU and African Union launched the AU-EU Youth Cluster, an open network for young people from Europe and Africa to directly exchange, learn, and collaborate at the UN.
Westra also highlighted the EU Youth Delegate program, through which he and his co-delegate represent European youth at the UN. He noted that during their mandate, they met youth from all corners of the world in formal rooms and informal spaces like pizza parties, youth receptions, and digital platforms. He acknowledged that youth participation can be scary for decision-makers but emphasized that everyone is learning. The intervention concluded with a direct appeal: 'Don't be afraid of us. Don't see us as a danger for the status quo, but as an opportunity to transform your ambitions on paper to real life achievements.'