Young UN works on the basis of constant questioning, creating, experimenting, testing and improving. We take a solutions- and action-oriented approach, forming fluid teams that gather and disperse according to the initiative underway. Projects can be initiated by any member of the network and rely on the the commitment of members to drive them forward. As a basic guide, projects should be solutions-oriented, cross-UN and in the interests of the charter and principles the UN stands for.

As part of Young UN’s efforts advocating for change, the network has created channels to bring ideas and constructive solutions to top leadership of the UN on policy and internal issues. The Young UN Policy Lab has crowdsourced input from the network at the request of UN senior management – from the Deputy Secretary-General, the Secretary-General’s Executive Committee, and the High-level Committees on Programmes and Management. Topics have ranged from attracting and retaining young talent, to skillsets for the SDGs and ‘frontier issues’ (artificial intelligence etc). 

We have also initiated a wide range of activities for positive change: from workshops on integrity at the UN and values-based leadership to starting a bike advocacy group to constructively engage management on practical sustainability concerns.