The inaugural Global Forum for Children and Youth (7–9 December 2021) has virtually convened children and young people together with leaders from the United Nations, government, business, philanthropy and civil society, as well as authors, artists and influencers to brainstorm and accelerate proven and new solutions, inspire commitments from participants to create change, and mobilize resources to advance child rights to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
It has been promoted by UNICEF, co-hosted by the Government of Botswana and the Government of Sweden, and co-organized with partners and leaders who work towards improving the lives of children all around the world, including IFFD. Our world president, Olivier Yao, participated in this plenary session on Lifting Families Up. The discussion showed how the COVID-19 pandemic has added unprecedented complexity for parents and caregivers, while exposing wide gaps in the support they need to raise happy children and keep themselves well. While many governments and companies have adopted temporary measures to ease the added burden of the pandemic, this moment offers a bigger opportunity: to implement lasting solutions that see families not just out of the crisis, but into more stable, resilient futures.
