Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director to Contribute Youth Perspectives, Evidence, and Recommendations to Bangladesh’s Development Priorities
Young Climate Action Network (YOUCAN) is proud to share that its Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director have been selected as Youth As Researchers under the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF). This recognition represents an important opportunity for youth leadership to contribute to evidence-based research and recommendations that can inform Bangladesh’s development priorities.
The selection highlights the importance of recognising young people not only as beneficiaries of development initiatives but also as active contributors to research, policy discussions, and decision-making. By bringing youth perspectives into the research process, the initiative aims to help ensure that the experiences, concerns, and aspirations of young people are reflected in conversations about the country’s development future.
Turning Youth Perspectives into Evidence
Young people possess valuable insights into the social, economic, environmental, and developmental challenges affecting their communities. However, these perspectives need meaningful opportunities to inform research, policy development, and institutional decision-making.
The Youth As Researchers initiative provides an opportunity to connect youth experiences and perspectives with evidence-based analysis and practical recommendations. Through this approach, young people can contribute to a deeper understanding of development challenges while helping identify priorities that respond to the realities of communities across Bangladesh.
The inclusion of youth voices in research is particularly important for building development approaches that are inclusive, responsive, and grounded in lived experiences.
Supporting Bangladesh’s Sustainable Development Priorities
The UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework provides a framework for cooperation between the United Nations and national stakeholders in supporting Bangladesh’s development priorities. Within this broader context, research and evidence can help identify challenges, strengthen understanding of community needs, and inform development approaches.
The participation of youth researchers creates an opportunity to bring fresh perspectives to these discussions and highlight issues that matter to younger generations. Meaningful youth engagement can help strengthen the connection between development priorities and the needs, experiences, and aspirations of the people those priorities are intended to serve.
By contributing youth-informed evidence and recommendations, the selected representatives will have an opportunity to support discussions on a more inclusive and sustainable development future for Bangladesh.
YOUCAN’s Commitment to Youth Leadership and Evidence-Based Change
As a youth-led organisation, YOUCAN believes young people should have meaningful opportunities to shape the decisions that affect their present and future. Youth participation must extend beyond consultation and awareness-raising to include research, policy engagement, advocacy, and the development of practical recommendations.
The selection of YOUCAN’s Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director as Youth As Researchers reflects this commitment to strengthening youth participation in development processes. It also reinforces the importance of creating pathways through which young people can contribute their knowledge, experiences, and ideas to wider policy discussions.
YOUCAN remains committed to empowering young people, supporting evidence-based advocacy, and promoting inclusive approaches to sustainable development.
We believe that when young people are recognised as researchers, knowledge contributors, and partners in decision-making, their perspectives can help shape more responsive and sustainable development outcomes. This is another step towards ensuring that youth voices are not only heard but also meaningfully reflected in Bangladesh’s development journey.
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