UN Launches Youth Innovation Challenge to Mark 80 Years of Global Impact

As the United Nations celebrates 80 years of global cooperation and development, its Ghana office has launched a bold, future-focused initiative to empower the country’s youth. The UN@80 Youth Innovation Challenge, officially unveiled in Accra, calls on young Ghanaians to lead with creative ideas that can drive social transformation both locally and globally.
The Challenge, themed “Shaping Tomorrow Together: Youth-Led Innovations in Multilateralism — Celebrating UN @ 80,” invites Ghanaian youth aged 15 to 35 to submit innovative, technology-based or policy-driven solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing their communities. These include areas like food systems, climate change, energy access, education, jobs and digital connectivity.
Hosted on the Unite Ideas Platform, the UN’s open innovation portal for developing real-world, open-source solutions, the competition underscores the organization’s belief in youth as essential partners in shaping the future of multilateralism, governance and inclusive development.
“Young people are not just the future , they are the present,” said Cynthia Prah, United Nations National Information Officer. “This challenge is a testament to the UN’s commitment to listen to their voices, invest in their ideas, and work together towards a fairer, more sustainable world.”
Participants may enter as individuals or teams of up to five, and can propose mobile apps, digital tools, policy briefs, community projects, or social campaigns, so long as they aim to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promote meaningful youth participation in governance.
The UN@80 Youth Innovation Challenge forms part of Ghana’s broader activities to commemorate eight decades of the United Nations’ existence and its ongoing transformation. By focusing on youth-driven solutions, the UN in Ghana hopes to inspire the next wave of changemakers who will lead the charge for justice, peace, climate action, and equality.
Submissions open. The most promising ideas will receive recognition, mentorship, and possible support for implementation, reinforcing the UN’s ongoing commitment to empowering youth as co-creators of a better world.