UNICEF YuWaah hosts dialogue on youth development priorities

Youth Central, the annual flagship event by UNICEF — YuWaah, convened over 100 stakeholders from the Government, private sector, foundations, civil society, and young people for a dynamic dialogue on key youth development issues, exploring key priorities such as — youth centrality, economic opportunities for women, AI and entrepreneurship, internships, disability inclusion, and service-based learning.

Present at the event were Nitesh Kumar Mishra (Additional Secretary Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports), Nadi Albino (Acting CEO, Generation Unlimited), Rashmi Verma (Chief Inclusion and Social Impact Officer, SAP), Jesper Moller (Deputy Representative, Programmes, UNICEF India), Kumar Manish (UNFPA) and Pooja Mahaldar (UNICEF YuWaah Youth Representative).

At the event, UNICEF YuWaah and SAP India unveiled ‘The Road to Yutopia: Youth Centrality at Workplaces Framework’, a practical guide to help businesses build workplaces that are youth-friendly, inclusive, and future-ready. Designed for organisations employing youth, it offers an actionable roadmap for embedding perspectives and insights from early talent or young professionals across workplace systems, from recruitment and culture to governance and innovation.

The framework builds on Yutopia, a Public, Private, Youth alliance jointly led by UNICEF YuWaah and SAP India, which envisages a future where young people are not only participants or employees, but partners, co-creators, and leaders.