Panel Pledge for 1.8bn Young People for Change

As part of a comprehensive response to the Action Agenda for Adolescents (AAA), developed and launched by PMNCH and its members during the Global Forum for Adolescent, the PMNCH Private Sector Constituency (PSC) has crafted the Business Leadership Guide. This guide serves as a strategic blueprint for businesses to align their actions with the AAA. Within the framework of the AAA, which encompasses seven key items, the Business Leadership Guide highlights the 1.8bn Panel Pledge as a prime example of how private sector organizations can actively contribute to the objectives set out in the AAA. The pledge is particularly relevant in addressing Item 7 of the AAA, demonstrating a concrete way for businesses to engage and make a meaningful impact in support of adolescent and youth empowerment. 

Drawing inspiration from the UN Global Compact's panel pledge on gender, the PMNCH PSC is spearheading an initiative to galvanize private sector organizations into action. As a constituency, we are inviting these organizations to sign a transformative pledge aimed at enhancing the meaningful participation of young people. This pledge is not just a symbolic gesture; it is a commitment to adhere to the principles outlined in the Practical Guide on Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement (MAYE). By doing so, we are not only acknowledging the vital role of young people in shaping their future, but also ensuring their voices are heard and their insights are incorporated into decision-making processes. This initiative represents a significant step towards actualizing  MAYE principles, fostering an environment where the perspectives and contributions of young people are not just welcomed, but actively sought after and valued.

This transformative 1.8bn pledge calls upon organizations to make concrete commitments towards empowering adolescents and youth people. By signing, organizations commit to:

• Provide Opportunities for Youth Engagement: Give adolescents and young people – in all their diversity – the opportunity to set the agenda and become agents of change: A seat at the table – internally and externally – where they can engage with decision makers, speak and be heard, in alignment with the Practical Guide on MAYE 

• Honor the Panel Pledge: When invited to speak at panels, pledge takers should encourage the inclusion of intergenerational perspectives and diversity. This commitment also involves declining speaking roles if efforts to achieve intergenerational balance have not been made. 

• Voice Amplification: Raise the importance of listening to what adolescents and young people want whenever the opportunity arises, and actively encourage their voices in all relevant dialogues. 

• Internal Representation: Reconsider and adjust the internal representation of adolescents and young people within organizations. This could involve recruiting a youth representative on boards or committees. 

• Promote the Pledge Among Peers: Actively encourage other Private Sector organizations to take up the panel pledge, thereby expanding its impact and reach. 

• Accountability in Reporting: Implement an annual reporting mechanism where organizations disclose the proportion of their total panels that included meaningful youth participation. This commitment to transparency and accountability will not only track progress but also reinforce the pledge’s objective of fostering genuine youth engagement in decision-making processes. 

Launch and Mobilization