Reflections on WPAY30
26 September 2025
At the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80), world leaders gathered for the first-ever High-Level Meeting on Youth held during the UN High-Level Week — a landmark in global youth participation. The event commemorated the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY30) and reaffirmed the central role of young people in shaping the future of sustainable development.
Under the theme “Accelerating Global Progress through Intergenerational Collaboration,” the meeting was convened by H.E. Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the General Assembly, with support from the UN Youth Office. It brought together nearly 150 UN Member States, including 13 Heads of State or Government, 90 ministers, and over 600 civil-society representatives, the majority of them young people.
Among the participants was Nthanda Manduwi, Founder and Executive Director of the Ntha Foundation, who joined youth leaders from across the globe to reflect on how intergenerational partnerships can accelerate inclusive development. The reflections were later published by the United Nations Youth Office in the article “Placing Youth Voices at the Center: Reflections on UNGA80, WPAY30, and the #YouthLead Festival.”
Co-authored by youth delegates Aisha, Antonio, James, Nthanda, Vladislav, and Zakira, the piece captures shared insights on policy, participation, and partnership — emphasizing the need for youth leadership to move from representation to structural influence.
A Framework for Partnership: WPAY at 30
Adopted three decades ago, the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) remains one of the most significant policy frameworks for advancing youth rights and participation. It affirms that youth are not passive beneficiaries of development, but critical partners in shaping it.
With over 60% of Africa’s population under 35, and countries like Malawi where nearly 80% are youth, the region stands at a demographic crossroads. For nations like Malawi, unlocking the full potential of young people is not only a matter of inclusion — it is the foundation for long-term stability, innovation, and growth.
The #YouthLead Dialogues echoed this principle: young people are no longer waiting to be invited into systems; they are designing, leading, and transforming them. As the article reflects, the challenge is no longer about rewriting frameworks but realizing their promise — ensuring financing, representation, and accountability for youth-led systems.
Inclusion in Practice
Despite progress, meaningful youth participation remains uneven. Many young people — particularly those with disabilities, from rural areas, or from low-income backgrounds — continue to face structural barriers that exclude them from policy and programmatic processes.
The UNGA80 meetings demonstrated that inclusion is achievable when intentional. Increased accessibility measures such as sign-language interpretation, live captioning, and hybrid participation allowed for broader engagement. Financial support enabled more youth from the Global South to attend.
These examples reinforce a simple truth: inclusion works when planned from the start. To “leave no one behind,” global frameworks must be informed by all youth — especially those whose realities are most distant from policy spaces.
A Call to Shared Power
From UNGA80 and WPAY30 emerged a collective call for a new kind of partnership — one defined by shared power rather than symbolic participation. Young people are demanding space not only to contribute but to co-author and co-implement the systems, strategies, and funding models that define their futures.
As Nthanda Manduwi emphasized through her work with both the Ntha Foundation and Kwathu Kollective, “youth must be seen not as a demographic category, but as a constituency — a political and social force capable of leading transformation.”
At the Ntha Foundation, this conviction continues to shape our work — building youth systems, strengthening civic engagement, and empowering young leaders to become equal partners in governance and development.
Read the full reflections on the United Nations website:
#NthaFoundation #YouthLead #UNGA80 #WPAY30 #BuildingOurFutureTogether #UNYouthOffice #Youth2030
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Want to partner on or fund one of our programs / initiatives? We are always open to collaborations and partnerships. Contact our Founder; Ms. Nthanda Manduwi via contact@nthafoundation.org.
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