Hosted by the United Nations Foundation, the Unlock the Future coalition is more than an alliance – it’s a powerhouse of ambition and hope, gathering the world’s largest youth and child-focused organizations under one banner to unlock a better future for next and future generations.

We’re On A Mission

In 2015, world leaders set a bold vision, the 2030 Agenda, with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, a global plan designed to create a future where humanity and our planet coexist in harmony.

However, the journey has been arduous, with only 15% of these goals currently on track.

Formally launched in 2022, the Unlock the Future coalition brings together 25 of the world’s largest youth and child-focused organizations, reaching almost one billion people worldwide.

As set out in the Unlock Declaration II, we are steadfast in our mission to expedite progress towards the SDGs, leveraging young people’s potential, talent, and leadership, especially from young countries predominantly in Asia and Africa – where over 50% of the population is under 30 – to deliver impact for next and future generations.

Guided by our 5-year Action Plan The Road to 2100, Unlock the Future works through engaging leading experts, policymakers, and young changemakers to advance shared goals to reimagine the UN system, create opportunities for joint action, and amplify young voices to influence the global agenda.

Unlock Declaration
Road to 2100

%

of the world's population is under the age of 30

%

of young people live in ‘young countries’ where the majority of the population is under 30.

%

of the world's young people will be calling Africa home by 2100

%

of the SDGs are on track, bold and audacious action is more vital than ever before

We Are Unified in Our Advocacy

Let young people lead the way

Half of the world’s population is under 30, and they are not just waiting around. They are ready to lead and come up with solutions to the challenges we face in the 21st century. The UN is the perfect platform for this generation to turn their ideas into our shared future.

Political champions must fight for every generation

Now is humanity’s moment to rise and redefine what is possible. With the Summit on the horizon, our world needs its heroes to fight for every generation, armed with the political ambition to champion real change and renew faith in what we can achieve together.

Act now for the future

We need heroes to fight for every generation and bring about real change, especially as we approach the Summit. This is our moment to redefine what is possible and renew our faith in achieving great things together.

Ditch the pessimism, embrace the courage

It is a race against time to prove that our global efforts are making a real difference in people’s lives. By working to achieve the SDGs, we can transform people’s skepticism and frustration into hope and trust in a better future.

Securing the future for all generations

Our choices today shape tomorrow. This Summit is our opportunity to set a new standard for uplifting every voice, young and old, crafting a thriving future for everyone who comes after us.

“At a time when children and young people face challenges and crises not of their making, we – leaders and partners of the world’s most far-reaching youth-focused and youth-led movements, networks, and organizations – are committed to unlocking a better future with and for young people and future generations.”

Unlock Declaration

Unlock in Action

The Engine Room for the Future

Launched in 2023, the Engine Room, which mobilized more than 44,000 young people in its first year, is a digital, intergenerational platform led by young people to reimagine how the United Nations thinks, plans, and acts for the future. In 2024, the Engine Room and its Action Groups, with the support of the Unlock the Future coalition, will craft a Learning Agenda for 2100.

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Intergenerational Town Halls

The Intergenerational Town Halls are a series of locally led events designed by the United Nations Foundation, hosted by global partners, and supported by the Unlock the Future coalition.

These national Town Halls are designed to engage, empower, and elevate the voices of young people and future generations. Each one is uniquely designed to address the challenges and opportunities specific to its host country, fostering local solutions that contribute to global goals by focusing on generating ideas and commitments from the ground up.

Through engaging leaders, experts and policymakers from diverse communities and across generations, these events aim to ensure that the vision for the future of global governance and the United Nations resonates with the realities of people worldwide.

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The Funders Collective

Part of realizing our vision for unlocking the power of a generation of changemakers is the Unlock Funders Collective set to launch at the United Nations’ Summit of the Future.

The Unlock Funders Collective aims to unlock increased and improved financing for youth-led initiatives that align with the SDGs to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, supporting the call from the UN Secretary-General to reinvest in global cooperation for our shared future.

The Unlock Funders Collective will harness the power of collective action to address funding challenges within the sector that are too difficult for any one actor to achieve alone, driving innovative and transformational shifts in sector culture, practice and outcomes.

The Story Lab

The Story Lab will harness the creativity and imagination of young people to disrupt traditional thinking, explore new mediums for storytelling, and create inspiring content that fosters multilateral action and uplifts young voices worldwide. By providing a space for their stories, we aim to illuminate their experiences and insights and motivate others to join the collective movement for change.