What are the main challenges that the world is facing today according to young people? What are the main priorities that the G20 leaders should focus on?
In 2021, for the first time in history, Italy is hosting the G20 Summit.
For this occasion, in collaboration with the Italian Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, YAS led an online consultation to know the opinion of young people regarding the issues that the G20 should address.
You can find below the results of the consultation “A Youth Perspective on the G20 Italy 2021 Agenda”, delivered to the G20 Italian Presidency and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to help to steer the G20 and Y20 2021 Italy programmatic lines.
We gathered the views from 9,451 Italian young people from every region of the country.
More than 60% of the participants are between 20 and 24 years old, most of which are students or young professionals. This signals a strong willingness of young people to make their voice heard!
About 70% of the participants have an international perspective as they identify themselves as citizens of their continent or the world!
The global perspective of young people emerges also from the willingness of the respondents to live abroad in the near future. Although at the moment 92% of them live in Italy and only 24% of them have already spent more than 4 months in another country, around 75% of them want to move abroad in the next 3 years.
Moving to their attitudes towards the future, we notice that most of the respondents (76% ) feel optimistic regarding their own future in the next 3 years, while only a mere 23% feels positive towards the future of the world. The percentage drops even more (19%) when the respondents are asked whether they are positive for the future of our country in the next three years.
At both country and global level, young people think that climate change and environmental issues are the top priorities that governments should discuss and address. As a result, it is a positive news that sustainability will be at the core of the discussions of both the G20 and the Y20 under the Italian presidency.
Inequalities (39%), wars and terrorism (39%), development of emerging countries (30%) also represent important issues that should be prioritised at global level. These topics will be key components of the third pillar of the Y20 Summit on Inclusion.
Another important priority for young people at the national level, as expressed by almost half of the respondents, is jobs and future of work (43%), education and culture (37%) and economic growth (37%). These topics are closely intertwined with young people’s worries about the years to come and, as such, the future of work will be addressed thoroughly at the Y20 Summit.
Focusing on the issue related to climate change and sustainability, more than half of the respondents would focus the attention on promoting the use of clean or renewable energy. Young people also consider particularly important the role of research in order to find new and innovative solutions that can help us fight against climate change.
About inequalities and discrimination, the second most voted issue, young people particularly stressed the importance of fighting against discriminations in education, by ensuring an equal system accessible to everyone, and in the health system. This is especially important in this historical period when the Covid-19 pandemic is significantly affecting our lives and, in particular, of least developed countries.
Finally, the future of work is definitely another important issue that brings opportunities but also challenges for many young people. One of the most important measures that young people would prioritise are related to ensuring fair pay and a global minimum wage that would potentially ensure a less uncertain future to younger generations.
On December 1, the Italian government shared the list of priorities that will be addressed by the global leaders during the G20 Italy 2021 Summit. The G20 will focus on three pillars: people, planet and prosperity with the aim of ensuring a rapid solution and recovery from the current crisis, with particular focus on reducing inequalities, on women’s empowerment, on the younger generations and on protecting the most vulnerable. The Italian presidency also stressed the importance of building a prosperous future through facing climate and energy challenges and also promoting innovation and make digitalisation an opportunity for all.
It is definitely a very positive signal that the G20 Italy priorities are in line with the ones that young people care the most about. The Y20 Italy will be another great opportunity for younger generations to make their voice heard by providing strong and clear inputs to the G20 leaders.
We are looking forward to hosting the first Y20 Italy Summit in 2021 and to continuing to work with the G20 Italian presidency to make young people’s voice heard!
👉 To know more about the Y20 Italy 2021 or to apply to become one the three delegates that will represent Italy at the Summit please click here.
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For any questions about the survey please send an email to info@youngambassadorssociety.