Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, appointed the 13 members of SEVENTEEN as UNESCO’s first-ever Goodwill Ambassador for Youth. They announced the launch of “Going Together – For Youth Creativity and Well-Being”, an ambitious joint grant programme for youth projects around the world. SEVENTEEN will contribute $1 million to finance this initiative.
“This group has become a symbol for millions of young people around the world, to whom we transmit positive energy and the spirit of leadership. UNESCO, as the United Nations organization for Culture and Education, is delighted to join forces with SEVENTEEN to give young people the means to express themselves and to take action to rise to this century’s major challenges.” Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General
“We are grateful to be recognized for our consistent effort and longstanding passion to contribute to youth worldwide. We know that our dreams don’t stand alone and now, to give back what we’ve received from all of you, we are determined to use our voice to create a global youth community made stronger through mutual love and support” Joshua, one of the members on behalf of SEVENTEEN
UNESCO and SEVENTEEN’s Global Youth Grant Scheme will support youth-led initiatives worldwide that address challenges affecting the well-being and development of young people and their communities, in particular through music, the arts and sport. To this end, it will support project leaders aged from 18 to 30 years old, from different backgrounds and regions.
As part of their ambassadorship, SEVENTEEN will also take part in UNESCO’s awareness campaigns and events, and will promote UNESCO’s values and actions during their performances. In November 2023, the group participated in the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum, delivering a speech and doing its very first live performance in France, with an online audience exceeding 40 million video views.
UNESCO supports youth across the world
As part of its mandate for Education, Sciences and Culture, UNESCO has implemented numerous youth-led initiatives and supported youth networks to tackle the major challenges of our century, such as the fight against climate disruption. The Organization has also created a direct line of communication between young people and the leaders of its 194 Member States through UNESCO Youth Forum.
UNESCO dedicates several programmes to involving young people in its mandate. The World Heritage Volunteers Initiative has enabled hundreds of young people to take part in heritage restoration projects, the “L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents” programme awards some 30 fellowships each year to young women researchers, while UNESCO’s Transcultura programme, financed by the European Union, has supported 1,700 young artists and creative industry professionals in the Caribbean.
UNESCO also supports young people in situations of crisis or recovery. In Yemen, UNESCO has trained and financed over 4,000 young people over the past six years to restore traditional houses and supported 200 young artists in their creative projects. UNESCO has also dedicated a large part of its “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” initiative to the training of young people and to their participation in the revival of local cultural life.
