13 members of Seventeen named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors for Youth
Azoulay and band members have announced the launch of Going Together – For Youth Creativity and Well-Being (Photo: © UNESCO/Christelle ALIX)
Director-General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Audrey Azoulay has appointed the 13 members of K-pop band Seventeen as UNESCO’s first-ever Goodwill Ambassadors for Youth.
According to a press statement by UNESCO, Azoulay and band members have announced the launch of Going Together – For Youth Creativity and Well-Being, an ambitious joint grant programme for youth projects around the world. The statement adds that the group Seventeen will contribute USD 1 million to finance this initiative.
Audrey Azoulay
“This group has become a symbol for millions of young people around the world, to whom we transmit positive energy and the spirit of leadership. UNESCO is delighted to join forces with Seventeen to give young people the means to express themselves and to take action to rise to this century’s major challenges,” says Azoulay.
“We are grateful to be recognised for our consistent effort and longstanding passion to contribute to youth worldwide. We know that our dreams don’t stand alone and now, to give back what we have received from all of you, we are determined to use our voice to create a global youth community made stronger through mutual love and support,” says Joshua, one of the members on behalf of Seventeen.
The statement adds that UNESCO and Seventeen’s Global Youth Grant Scheme will support youth-led initiatives worldwide that address challenges affecting the well-being and development of young people and their communities, in particular through music, the arts and sport. To this end, it will provide project leaders, aged from 18-30 years old, from different backgrounds and regions.
As part of their ambassadorship, Seventeen will also take part in UNESCO’s awareness campaigns and events, and will promote UNESCO’s values and actions during their performances. In November 2023, the group participated in the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum, delivering a speech and performing live for the first-time in France, with an online audience exceeding 40 million video views.
UNESCO supports youth across the world
As part of its mandate for Education, Sciences and Culture, UNESCO has implemented numerous youth-led initiatives and supported youth networks to tackle the major challenges of the current century, such as the fight against climate disruption. The statement adds that the organisation has also created a direct line of communication between young people and the leaders of its 194 Member States through UNESCO Youth Forum.
UNESCO says it dedicates several programmes to involving young people in its mandate. The World Heritage Volunteers Initiative has enabled hundreds of young people to take part in heritage restoration projects, the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents programme awards some 30 fellowships each year to young women researchers, while UNESCO’s Transcultura programme, financed by the European Union, has supported 1,700 young artists and creative industry professionals in the Caribbean.
UNESCO says it also supports young people in situations of crisis or recovery. In Yemen, UNESCO has trained and financed over 4,000 young people over the past six years to restore traditional houses and supported 200 young artists in their creative projects. UNESCO has also dedicated a large part of its Revive the Spirit of Mosul initiative to the training of young people and to their participation in the revival of local cultural life.
