The 2018 Youth 20 Summit began on the 13th in the city of Córdoba in central Argentina, under the slogan “Shaking the present, building the future.” The Youth 20 or Y20 is the engagement group that brings together young leaders from G20 member countries. Over 80 delegates aged between 18 and 30 are taking part in the packed event that runs until Saturday.
“A young person has all the cognitive skills that an adult has, but is at their peak in terms of creativity and innovation, and has the unique feature of questioning the status quo,” said Agustín Batto Carol, social entrepreneur, founder of EIDOS and Y20 chair, in his opening remarks at the Universidad Siglo XXI, the summit’s venue. “If we want to change the world, we need to include young people in decision-making processes,” he added.
In a recorded message, Argentine G20 sherpa, Pedro Villagra Delgado, welcomed the summit’s participants and said: “You are the future of the G20. We want to hear about the ideas, comments and recommendations you will be presenting at the G20 Leaders’ Summit.”
With a focus on the future of work, one of the priorities of the Argentine G20 presidency, the week’s agenda includes discussions on education, entrepreneurship and the skills required for the twenty-first century, among other issues, as well as debates featuring international experts and cultural activities such as “The Night of Museums” and a tour to the former secret detection centre “La Perla”.
Over the course of the Y20 Summit, the 46 official representatives from G20 countries will work on a document containing public policy recommendations that will be submitted for consideration by G20 leaders on 30 November and 1 December in Buenos Aires.
Delegates will also work on the Social Innovation Warehouse, an international bank of scalable and replicable projects designed by young people that will serve as input for governments and organizations seeking to innovate in public policies for young people.
In addition, the Argentine Y20 presidency, together with Japan and Saudi Arabia, will organize the first Y20 troika to ensure that the work of the delegates and the organizing committee is continued in the medium and long term.
Participants
The list of summit speakers includes Brett Schilke, Professor and Director of Impact at Singularity University; Margherita Pagani, Founder and CEO at ImpactOn; Guy Levin, Senior Public Policy Partner at Uber; Philip Auerswald, author, economist and Leader at the Global Entrepreneurship Research Network; and Kieren Gera, Coordinator of the Gender, Sexuality and Identity Programme at Amnesty International.
About the Y20
Created in 2010 under the Canadian G20 presidency, the Youth 20, known as Y20, brings together young leaders from all G20 member countries, with a view to helping them develop skills to identify the most pressing economic challenges and opportunities for young people across the world.
It is a forum for the cooperation of future generations and provides a platform for young people to share their voices and interests with the G20.
During the Argentine G20 presidency, the Y20 is chaired by Fundación EIDOS and AIESEC Argentina.