23 April 2024, New York. – On April 16, 2024, the Trusteeship Council Chamber hosted the ECOSOC Youth Forum, featuring the launch of a unique video series showcasing Hello Kitty as the special ambassador for Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11). This initiative highlights the crucial role of urban youth in advancing sustainable development and showcases their efforts in transforming informal settlements.
Michal Mlynar, Acting Executive Director of UN-Habitat, opened the forum emphasizing the dynamic potential of young people to catalyze change in urban environments globally. He highlighted the partnership with Hello Kitty, describing it as a strategic approach to engage a broader audience, making urban sustainability goals relatable and actionable. Mlynar stressed that such initiatives are vital for empowering youth to lead in urban development.
The Hello Kitty video series focuses on the youth of Mathare, the second largest informal settlement in Nairobi, documenting their efforts to transform their community. The Mathare Community Park has been transformed from a once-abandoned space on the banks of the Mathare River that was used solely for dumping garbage into a public green space used for gardening, community activities and a safe place to play for children. This park not only offers a green respite within the dense urban slum but also symbolizes hope and the possibility of renewal.
The Mathare Community Park is not merely an open space; it’s a vital center for child and youth development and community cohesion in a region challenged by harsh living conditions. The park is designed to provide a safe and healthy environment for young people who often face obstacles like domestic violence, drug abuse, and the absence of safe play areas. The design of the park is aimed at fostering the mental, physical, creative, and social development of these children.
Summit of the Future
The Hello Kitty video and other communication and education tools like it are critical in raising awareness of sustainability and the SDGs. This awareness drives the policy narrative leading to the Summit of the Future, and provides a critical roadmap for the world and youth’s role in it. Linked with this are a number of strategic policy documents: the Global Youth DeclarACTION on Youth and Sustainable Urbanization adopted at the World Urban Forum 11 and the Pact for the Future and its Annex the Declaration on Future Generations. UN-Habitat, working with its partners IAAI Glocha and AFS, and using these key policy document, propose the creation of local Pacts for the Future that can be adopted by youth-led groups globally, reflecting their commitment and actions towards sustainability and the achievement of the SDGs by 2030.
Conclusion
The launch of the Hello Kitty video series at the ECOSOC Youth Forum served as both a showcase of community engagement and a call to action for global, assuring the no one is left behind. It emphasized the importance of partnerships in mobilizing and educating youth to actively contribute to the SDGs, reminding everyone that they have a role in creating a sustainable and just future for all communities.
