Youth participation: A strategic imperative for sustainable development

Young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow – they will inherit the consequences of today’s decisions. Yet, they remain systematically underrepresented in decision-making. Governments and NGOs can no longer afford to overlook their perspectives.

Youth participation is not a peripheral ideal, it is a cornerstone of inclusive governance, effective policymaking, and sustainable development. With young people aged 15 to 24 representing approximately 1.2 billion people globally, their role in shaping present and future societies is both significant and unavoidable – particularly in developing regions, where youth populations are even larger. Yet, despite their numbers and stake in the future, young people remain systematically underrepresented in formal decision-making spaces.

For governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), this is not just a gap, it is a missed opportunity. Investing in meaningful youth participation is not merely a normative or ethical obligation; it is a strategic imperative that strengthens institutional legitimacy, improves policy outcomes, and drives innovation in addressing complex global challenges.

Youth participation can be defined as the active, inclusive, and sustained engagement of young people in shaping decisions, policies, and processes that affect their lives and societies. Crucially, it moves beyond symbolic consultation or one-off engagement toward shared decision-making power, co-creation, and leadership. It positions young people not as passive beneficiaries, but as equal stakeholders and strategic partners in development.

Why does youth participation matter?

Youth participation is fundamental to effective governance and sustainable development because young people are not merely beneficiaries of policies and programs, but key stakeholders and strategic partners in shaping them. As one of the largest and most dynamic population groups globally, youth bring lived realities, contextual knowledge, and innovative perspectives that are essential for designing responsive and future-oriented solutions. Their meaningful engagement strengthens democratic legitimacy, improves policy relevance, and fosters social ownership, ensuring that interventions are not only inclusive but also sustainable.

This is particularly evident in the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where youth participation acts as a cross-cutting enabler across sectors such as education, employment, climate action, governance, and many others. Young people actively contribute to advancing the SDGs through advocacy, community mobilization, innovation, and accountability efforts, often driving progress where traditional systems fall short. Without their meaningful inclusion, SDG implementation risks being disconnected from present realities and future needs, ultimately undermining its effectiveness and sustainability.

Engaging youth, therefore, is not a symbolic gesture or a favor extended to them, it is a deliberate and strategic investment in better development outcomes. Given that young people will inherit and sustain the results of today’s decisions, their participation is both necessary and urgent. Recognizing youth as equal partners ensures that development processes are grounded in reality, driven by innovation, and capable of delivering long-term impact.

NGOs must take action: The time is now!

For non-governmental organizations, the time to move beyond symbolic engagement toward institutionalized, meaningful youth participation is now. In an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world, organizations that fail to integrate youth voices risk designing interventions that are misaligned, short-lived, and disconnected from the realities they seek to address. Youth participation should not be treated as an optional add-on or a visibility tool, it must be embedded as a core principle of organizational governance, programming, and decision-making.

NGOs are therefore called upon to take deliberate and structured action: to create formal spaces where young people hold influence, to allocate resources that sustain their engagement, and to ensure that youth contributions genuinely shape outcomes. This means moving beyond consultation toward co-creation and shared power, where young people are recognized and engaged as strategic partners with valuable expertise and agency. Institutionalizing youth participation in this way not only strengthens the relevance, legitimacy and impact of organizational work, but also contributes directly to more inclusive and sustainable development outcomes.

The question is no longer whether youth participation is important, but whether organizations are willing to act intentionally and systematically to make it meaningful. NGOs that embrace this shift position themselves at the forefront of responsive, future-oriented development, while those that do not risk being left behind in addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow.

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Careen Samatemba is an Economist and Youth Participation Advocate for our member organization Brot für die Welt.

Careen Samatemba

Brot für die Welt Jugend