Recognizing Youth Contribution Award

This category is open to applicants from all UN member states. Applicants can be individual youth above the age of 15 years and below the age of 35 years; a youth-led entity (defined as any entity, in which at least 50% of current management/leadership is below the age of 35); or a youth-focused entity (defined as any entity, in which at least 90% of resources serve youth above 15 and below 35 years of age).

It includes up to five awards, each including a financial prize of USD20,000

Award supported initiatives

Each of the possible 5 awards will recognize a unique and successful development initiative by youth in one of the 5 key aspects of sustainable development covered in Agenda 2030, namely:

• People: Ending poverty and hunger in all forms;
• Prosperity: Ensuring prosperous and fulfilling lives in harmony with nature;
• Planet: Protecting our planet’s natural resources and climate for future generations;
• Peace: Fostering peaceful, just, and inclusive societies; and
• Partnership: Forging solid partnerships to implement Agenda 2030.

Award submission evaluation

In evaluating submissions, jurors will consider the extent to which the development initiative has been informed by, or upholds, where applicable, key principles of holistic sustainable development underlying the vision of Agenda 2030, especially in the post-COVID reality, including:

• Integrated: Addressing, in an integrated manner, the three dimensions of sustainable development, economic, social, and environmental.
• No one behind: Leaving no one behind, which includes being inclusive and focusing on and prioritizing the farthest behind.
• Risk-informed: Incorporating risk prevention and management, and where applicable, forging links between development, humanitarian, and peacebuilding dimensions.
• Global outlook: Recognizing and addressing interlinkages between local action and global impact.
• Gender Balance: Helping to ensure that women and girls get full and equal opportunity to reach their full potential, thus enabling half of society to contribute to achieving the full extent of development in line with the ambition of Agenda 2030.
• COVID relevance: Addressing the consequences of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pursuit of sustainable goals; helping people, communities or countries cope and recover from the adverse, health, social and economic impacts of the pandemic; and contributing to the preparedness of related challenges in the future.

Submission guidelines

In presenting the development initiative, submission narratives describing the initiative are expected to provide evidence of and/or elaborate on the following:

• Impact: Impact of the initiative on the SDGs achievement and specific contribution to mitigating the immediate, medium- and long-term impacts of COVID-19, and taking action to better prepare for similar challenges in the future. Substantiated with:
  • Quantifiable results, linked to specific SDG targets, and where possible, indicators for SDGs measurement.
  • Validation of impact, through reference letters, one from people whose lives were affected by the initiative and another from a peer or mentor.
  • Previous recognition of the initiative, if any, national or international.
• Scalability: If designed as a pilot or for small-scale implementation, elaborate on the potential for and feasibility of scaling up the initiative to a larger, or national level, if applicable.
• Sustainability: Elaborate on measures to sustain and ensure the future viability of the initiative. If specific plans for sustainability had been elaborated, please include them.
• Innovation: Elaborate on how the initiative goes beyond “business-as-usual” development action and incorporates creativity and innovation applying, the following principles for innovation as appropriate.