Y20 Engagement Group advocates for youth participation in global governance issues

Led for the first time by Brasil, Y20 also discusses the creation of a youth fund.

The Y20, that is, Youth 20 (Juventude 20 in Portuguese) is formed by people between 18 and 30 years old and aims to insert young people into international debates, establishing urgent themes of the world conjuncture among those who are considered future global leaders. 

Ingrid Siss, the co-chair of Y20 Brasil, emphasized during an event at the G20 Social that one of the critical topics of discussion this year, introduced by Brasil at the G20, is the taxation of the wealthiest individuals, proposing a minimum tax rate of 2% on the income of billionaires. "Within this year, I think that a very important milestone of our Communiqué, among all the proposals that have been prepared, is the understanding that we need to rethink tax rates and how we use them as well," said Ingrid.

The co-chair also presented the Y20 priority agenda, which includes creating a useful youth fund. "We want an international fund for youth that can be used with a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Thinking about promoting the inclusion of young people in professions linked to mathematics, engineering, and technology," she said. 

Youth social participation

During the panel, Bruna Brelaz, president of the National Youth Council, stressed the importance of youth mobilization and participation in the country's future. "I believe that we managed to extract a certain popularization of the Y20. Making young Brazilians reflect on how these international agendas converge with our lives, both in terms of the debate in the world and in the fight against hunger, access to employment, opportunities," adds Bruna. 

For Caroline Gaia, Secretary of Methodology Development at Y20, hunger is one of the main global challenges. She also points out the need for youth social participation in dialogue processes and the development of public policies. "We want to talk about Brasil, so whatever is written about Brasil needs to have our people's voices and faces," Gaia said. According to the secretary, "Brasil no longer wants to be the country of the future, we want to be the country of now," she concluded.

Abigail, a social educator, praised the panel's diversity and the opportunities created by Y20 to foster interactions. "Being in this space, building these dialogues, having these exchanges, greatly enriches our repertoire and strengthens not only collective relations but also our identity." Abigail concluded by celebrating the construction of a space to discuss her demands and other fundamental issues for youth, such as gender issues. 

For the first time, Brasil is leading the Y20 in 2024 and has led the G20. 

By Julia Guimarães - Article produced by the ESPM-Rio Journalism Portal team in a content partnership with G20 Brasil Communication

*Translated by PGET-UFSC

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