Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
September 25, 2025 UN
"I was 18, and I had a dream: to run for parliament at 25. In the stairwell of my student dorm, there was a narrow window overlooking the parliament building. I would often go there and stand, looking at it, rehearsing my speech and imagining myself there someday." This is how Zakira Rasouli from Afghanistan began her speech at the UN High-Level Meeting on Youth.
Three years later, in August 2021, the day the Taliban came to power, Zakira received a message from a friend: "They're combing through every house. Destroy all documents."
"That day, I gathered up and destroyed every fragment of my dreams, every accomplishment I had. I tore up documents and certificates, erased my traces from the internet. I watched all my successes, everything I had been and dreamed of becoming, disappear," Zakira says.
She wasn't alone. That day, millions of young people in Afghanistan – community leaders, organization leaders, activists – watched as their present and future were destroyed.
The high-level meeting on the sidelines of the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly is timed to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption World Programme of Action for YouthIt identified priority areas of action for governments, civil society, and the private sector: education, employment, health care, combating drug abuse and crime, organizing leisure activities, and ensuring the full participation of young people in society.
General Assembly Speaker Annalena Baerbock spoke about her meeting with Zakira. Zakira, now 25, will not be running for parliament in Afghanistan.
“When she [Zakira] was asked what the UN is, she didn’t give a 30-minute speech in response, it was one word: hope,” Baerbock shared.
"She knows from experience what true hope is. As a girl living in a village in Kandahar, she started going to school to make her country a better place. But then, when the Taliban returned to power, she saw everything she had worked for destroyed in just a few days," the General Assembly President continued.
Zakira was able to leave Afghanistan, but she had to interrupt her education, leave behind her family, friends, and all hopes for the future.
Hope is not just a word, but a promise
"Hope isn't just a word, it's a promise to girls and young people like Zakira, in their darkest moments, that we work every day to give them hope. That's why many young people around the world see the UN's blue flag as precisely that—a promise to ensure a better future, a freer future, a future that still matters," Baerbock said.
Today's generation of youth is the largest in history, Guy Ryder, UN Deputy Secretary-General, reminded the audience. He read out a message from the UN chief. Young people play a vital role in combating climate change, implementing digital innovation, developing local solutions, and protecting human rights.
“However, too often they are excluded from the decisions that shape their lives and face barriers to education, decent work, health care and political participation,” Ryder said.
“Let us make every effort to make young people equal partners and equal participants in the decision-making process,” he urged.
This week, Zakira Rasouli rehearsed her speech in front of a much larger window than her dorm room, overlooking the UN General Assembly building. She was able to attend the high-level meeting thanks to the support of the UN Youth Bureau.
Zakira emphasized that young people are not always able to participate in decision-making, even those that directly affect them.
"Despite this, we have proven that young people can spark revolutions, sustain entire movements, and advance ideals of peace when others give up. We put everything on the line and keep moving forward. But we can't do this alone. And neither can you. The world can't afford to leave us behind. We're not asking for permission. We're offering partnership," the girl said.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
.