CDWD Youth Make Historic Mark at UNGA Third Committee Youth Event 2025

New York: The participation of youth representatives from the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee Youth Event marked a historic stride toward structural inclusion in global governance.

Convened under the theme “Building Solutions Together for an Inclusive Future,” the event represented the first-ever youth-led convening under the UNGA's Third Committee, which addresses social, cultural, and humanitarian issues — including youth, equality, justice, and human rights.

The Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) was represented by Naveen Gautam, Global Focal Point (SGCDWD) for the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY), and SLR (GFoD), who jointly brought forward the perspectives of historically excluded communities to the UN stage.

For the CDWD, this event was momentous — marking only the second time that a youth from the community moderated a formal UN session, reaffirming the political and symbolic importance of representation from descent-based communities within multilateral processes.

Naveen Gautam co-moderated the high-level panel, “Building Shared Pathways to Progress — Youth Engagement and the Future of Multilateralism,” alongside Ms. Shannon Lisa, Global Focal Point for the Chemicals and Waste Youth Platform. The session underscored the importance of equitable youth participation in shaping multilateral systems and future global social justice frameworks.

Placing CDWD in the Global Human Rights Discourse

From the CDWD perspective, this engagement firmly established caste- and descent-based discrimination within the UNGA's social development and human rights discourse. In his intervention, Gautam highlighted that over 270 million people worldwide continue to face systemic discrimination based on work and descent — including Dalits in South Asia, Haratin in Mauritania, Osu in Nigeria, and Roma communities in Europe, among others across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

He called for global multilateral institutions to centre justice and inclusion as rights-based imperatives, not as acts of benevolence. Emphasising the agency and leadership of CDWD and Indigenous youth, he urged Member States and UN agencies to treat these groups as equal partners in shaping the global equality and social justice agenda.

Gautam also cited the UN Women Policy Brief on CDWD, developed through the leadership of young CDWD women, as a milestone toward institutional recognition within the UN system. He further appealed for the forthcoming World Social Summit (WSSD-2) to integrate descent-based discrimination and CDWD realities into its commitments on equality, social protection, and justice.
In solidarity, the Global Chemicals and Waste Hazard Youth Constituency voiced support for CDWD communities, underscoring the need to extend inter-sectoral cooperation in tackling environmental and social inequalities.

This engagement also reaffirmed the Meaningful Youth Engagement Core Principles, co-led by MGCY, as a framework to ensure that youth participation within the UN system moves from tokenism to shared power and co-decision-making.

Strategic Engagements and Partnerships

On the sidelines of the event, the CDWD delegation held several significant bilateral and informal discussions that opened new avenues for collaboration.

Mr. Ziad, Secretary of the UNGA Third Committee, commended the CDWD contributions and expressed a strong interest in maintaining collaboration to ensure social inclusion remains a priority within upcoming Committee deliberations. He also conveyed his willingness to remain in contact regarding follow-up engagements with the CDWD community.

Discussions with representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN Youth Office explored possibilities for joint initiatives focusing on youth inclusion, decent work, and social protection for marginalised groups.

A particularly encouraging meeting took place with H.E. Ambassador Cherdchai Chaivaivid, Chair of the UNGA Third Committee and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN. Ambassador Chaivaivid expressed enthusiasm about participating in the upcoming CDWD Solution Session and Youth Dialogue at WSSD-2, scheduled for November 2025.

Although discussions with the French Youth Delegate representing the Prime Minister were less positive, they provided an important opportunity to highlight the global dimensions of caste and descent-based discrimination. A separate meeting was also held with the UN Youth Office to explore deeper CDWD engagement in upcoming WSSD-2 side events.

Key Outcomes

The participation of CDWD youth in the UNGA Third Committee Youth Event resulted in multiple strategic outcomes:

Visibility and Recognition: Caste and descent-based discrimination entered formal UNGA Third Committee youth deliberations for the first time, facilitated by the active involvement of UN MGCY and recognition by Mr. Ziad.

Inclusive Leadership: CDWD youth co-moderating a high-level UN panel set a precedent for meaningful inclusion within global policy spaces.

Partnership Prospects: Positive engagements with the ILO, UN Youth Office, and the Chair of the Third Committee laid the groundwork for institutional partnerships at the World Social Summit.

Policy Momentum: The event advanced momentum toward integrating CDWD perspectives within major global frameworks such as the Pact for the Future and WSSD-2 outcomes.

Next Steps: Towards the World Social Summit (WSSD-2)

Building on this momentum, the GFoD delegation will continue its engagement with the UNGA Third Committee and other UN bodies to ensure CDWD inclusion within multilateral frameworks.

Immediate next steps include:

Extending an invitation to the Chair of the Third Committee to participate in both the featured and side events of the upcoming CDWD Solution Session at WSSD-2, alongside a proposed follow-up meeting with the GFoD Secretariat.

Contributing to the WSSD-2 Youth Policy Paper and outcome documents with a dedicated section on CDWD, focusing on social inclusion, access to justice, and decent work.

Formalising partnerships with the UN Youth Office and ILO for a joint youth-led initiative on social inclusion, while ensuring that the forthcoming UN Youth Office Report on Meaningful Youth Engagement prominently reflects CDWD experiences and perspectives.



The engagement of CDWD youth at the UNGA Third Committee Youth Event 2025 signifies more than participation — it represents a structural shift toward recognising historically marginalised communities as co-architects of global development. As the world prepares for the World Social Summit (WSSD-2), the call for justice, equality, and inclusion from CDWD youth stands as a powerful reminder: no future can be inclusive until all communities are seen, heard, and empowered within it.

Also Read: Why the Second World Summit for Social Development in November can be a pivotal moment for CDWD