Young people have always been at the forefront of social change – from driving climate action and advocating for gender equality to pushing for peace, innovation and a resilient future.

Recognized as powerful agents of change, youth bring unmatched energy, creativity and urgency to the world’s biggest challenges. As the ones who will inherit the outcomes of today’s decisions, their voices are essential in shaping the solutions of tomorrow.

The UNOPS Youth Engagement Platform (YEP) was created to harness this momentum. Operating under the motto “30 below 30, to get to 2030,” the platform has brought together 30 inspiring young leaders – all under the age of 30 – who serve in an advisory capacity to UNOPS. They offer critical insights on how global challenges and emerging trends could shape UNOPS priorities and impact.

Throughout its inaugural year, the platform will champion youth voices from historically underrepresented communities and emphasize the need for inter-generational dialogue.

"In my home state of Rio Grande do Sul, we have experienced some of the worst flooding in history over the past couple of years. It’s affecting the most vulnerable communities and is getting worse every year,” says Henrique San Martin Borges, who co-chairs the platform from his home country Brazil.

“I am a transgender woman from a small community in Bangladesh. I lost my family’s support just for being myself. Life has been a hard fight every single day. People like me are pushed aside, and we don’t even have legal identity to prove we exist,” says Manisha Meem Nipun, YEP member from Bangladesh.