OUR PRIORITIES

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND REPRESENTATION

Empowering youth is not only about inviting youth to the decision-making table, it is about creating the right conditions so that young people feel confident and capable to share their ideas. The Task Force is focused on enhancing the capacities of its members to be informed on the issues they would like to include in policy-making, but also to capture the ideas of the people they work within their programmes so that the community is well represented.

In addition, understanding the critical importance of representation to achieve social inclusion and equality, we strive to ensure diverse representation from different groups across the regions within which we work.

CAPACITY BUILDING

The Task Force aims to build the capacity of its members and support the transfer of knowledge to the communities through the individual members’ programs.

We are always looking for new partners to support this process, either through sponsoring virtual or in-person workshops: our signature 'Sport & the SDG Funshops' hosted by UNESCO, or providing specific technical expertise to the members.

LOCAL LEVEL ACTION

The Task Force supports community-based activities that make a positive behavioural, social and/or environmental impact through sport. All the programs represented in the network are context-based, designed to respond to the real needs of the community. Because of this, the Members’ programs are diverse, from supporting youth in post-conflict areas, national reconciliation, human trafficking prevention, female empowerment, and many more.

While the Task Force programs broadly align to the UN Agenda 2030 / SDG framework, they are adapted to emerging crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the Non-Communicable Disease crisis.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL IMPACT

Linking with policymakers and international platforms: the Task Force considers the youth members as experts, representing their environments, the communities they work with and their individual programs. Partnering with UNESCO is mutually beneficial for both the members who can benefit from capacity building workshops (such as the Funshop) and direct financial support (the 2020 Small Grants) and for UNESCO which has the opportunity to test institutional frameworks in real situations and solicit the expertise of the Task Force members. Through the Task Force, the Members have the opportunity to speak at international events and participate in policy-making.