In their findings, the young researchers found that over 50% of students around the world who were surveyed reported that the quality of their learning declined considerably; nearly 20% of youth surveyed on wellbeing rated their mental health as poor, a more than six-fold rise from 3.1% before the pandemic; and almost 75% of youth responding on cybersecurity felt they had been exposed to misinformation, but only 4.2% believe that they were always able to identify fake news.

Focusing on these data, the Conference will provide space for policy-makers and young researchers from around the globe to meet, both virtually and in person. Online participants will follow UNESCO’s livestream, where 60+ young representatives of the initiative and over 20 policy-makers will join UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, Gabriela Ramos, to create actionable solutions to the initiative’s findings and recommendations. Among others, these will include engaging with young people to design, implement and monitor an equitable hybrid educational model; encouraging public-private partnerships and youth inclusion in policymaking; and establishing legal and institutional frameworks to ensure safe and low-cost access to digital tools.

The objective will be to offer a set of specific and concrete youth-oriented actions to government representatives. Following the conference, a Global Coalition of Actors to adapt policies, build capacities, generate knowledge and support youth-led solutions, will be launched, notably through a Global Grant Scheme. This grant will fund youth-led research and youth-led actions for positive social impact.