Having studied Engineering, I never believed I would have the incredible honour of representing the UK and the voice of youth through policymaking on the international stage. In 1955, the historic Bandung declaration of non-aligned Asian and African countries was signed in the Asia-Africa Conference Building, in Indonesia, building a movement of international solidarity and co-operation. I was honoured recently to be a part of the second-ever international agreement signed at this historic venue – the Y20 Communiqué.

The Communiqué we adopted is a testament to the courage, passion and inspiring spirit that each and every delegate brought to the table. We embraced our differences to reach consensus on the critical themes of Global Health, SLP, Youth Employment, Digital Transformation, and Diversity and Inclusion. As the UK representative to the SLP thematic track – which addressed the six key systems of Global Commons, Food Systems, Sustainable Production and Consumption, Energy Transition, Built Environment, and Sustainable Finance – I am particularly proud of the following proposals we raised:

• Less than a week before the UN General Assembly, we adopted a historic resolution declaring access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment a human right. We called on G20 members to enshrine this intergenerational right into national constitutions and international law, and operationalise the ‘One Health’ approach in public health protocols.
• We called on G20 members to advance multilateral collaboration in seeking solutions to our common crises by ensuring that all technologies for global challenges – including climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity loss, and epidemic preparedness and response – are open source and open data.
• As a fundamental principle underlying all proposals, the Y20 Communiqué reaffirms Education for Sustainable Development for all, including political and economic leaders, with robust knowledge exchange and capacity building as prerequisites for joint action on planetary wellbeing.

President Sukarno of Indonesia once said: “Give me 1,000 adults and I will pull out the roots of Mount Semeru. Give me 10 youth and I will conquer the world.” My fellow youth delegates and I recognise that in the wake of the urgent crises we face today, only by recovering together will we recover stronger, and we will continue to advocate for a truly sustainable and liveable planet for all.