Virtual Side Event to CSocD64: "Beyond GDP: The Voice of Youth in Advancing Social Development"

Описание: This Virtual Side Event to CSocD64 was organized and facilitated by AlterContacts, NGO in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC.

To shape the future in a sustainable, inclusive and fair manner, people who will be directly affected by it – youth – should be closely involved in its design and implementation. In line with the CSocD64 priority theme “Advancing Social Development and Social Justice through Coordinated, Equitable, and Inclusive Policies”, this Virtual Side Event – hosted and facilitated by Think Tank AlterContacts, NGO in Special Consultative Status with the ECOSOC – aims to engage young people in defining their future and the new framework Beyond GDP.

PANELISTS
Julia K. Skupchenko (facilitator) is an award-winning entrepreneur in the field of sustainability. She is co-founder of the Think Tank AlterContacts, leading SDG Acceleration Actions recognized by the United Nations and awarded by the European Parliament. She is also a Guest Lecturer on Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Amsterdam.
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Dana Patricia Novăcescu is a Youth Representative in the European Sustainable Development Network and was a founding member of UNICEF Romania’s Children’s Board. She co-authored the Bucharest EU Children’s Declaration, the first document of its kind, which was awarded with the European Charlemagne Youth Prize 2020. Her background is in youth advocacy and policy engagement, with a focus on future-oriented policymaking for a just and sustainable Europe.
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Sophia Beiter is a Research Associate at the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM) in Vienna. In 2024/25, she was a Fellow of the Charlemagne Prize Academy. Within the framework of her fellowship project, she gathered public opinion on the future of EU enlargement and developed recommendations for a citizen-oriented, reformed EU enlargement strategy.
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Hala Al Naamani is a social entrepreneur and Co-Founder & COO of Paltic, bringing +10 years of experience in interior architecture and supply chain across the GCC. She combines design leadership with operational execution to translate sustainable materials into real-world applications and scalable circular solutions.
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SPECIAL GUEST
Bora Muzhaqi is a Member of the Albanian Parliament and Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Europe and Foreign Affairs. She previously served as Minister of State for Youth and Children (2021–2025), where she led the drafting of the National Youth Strategy 2022–2029, established 21 multifunctional youth centers across the country, launched the National Internship Program, and introduced coding from the first grade for over 35,000 students. These reforms directly impacted more than 230,000 young people, creating new opportunities in education, employment, and civic participation. She holds a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and an MSc in International Business from HULT, and is also a certified statutory auditor in both Albania and the United Kingdom. Her professional background includes tax and financial advisory with PwC, EY, and the EBRD, combining technical expertise with strategic vision. As a member of the International Strategy Forum and the European Young Leaders networks, Muzhaqi is committed to linking innovation, transparency, and policymaking for a more integrated and inclusive Albania in the European Union.