The ECOSOC President just congratulated us on our Global work: Will you help us continue it?

At the 4th meeting of the 2025 United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, held on 15th June, Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) youth leader Naveen Gautam delivered a powerful and deeply moving intervention as the Lead Discussant during a session focused on accelerating SDG achievement in African countries, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), and middle-income countries.

Representing the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD) Youth Group within the Major Group for Children and Youth, Gautam spoke boldly about the persistent and systemic exclusion faced by marginalized communities across the world, particularly those discriminated against based on work and descent — a global phenomenon often locally identified as caste-based discrimination.

“As a Dalit youth myself from a middle-income country, I have lived the harsh realities of structural discrimination based on work and descent,” Gautam declared. “The exclusion we face is not unique. It echoes across communities around the globe that are discriminated [against], such as Burakumin from Japan, Roma from Europe, Quilombola from Latin America, and Haratin and Osu from Africa.”

His remarks drew attention to the intergenerational, systemic, and deeply entrenched nature of this discrimination. He emphasized that youth and children from these communities continue to be denied access to quality education, decent work, healthcare, and digital inclusion — “not because it’s their fault, but because of where we have come from and the descent we belong to.”

Despite these challenges, Gautam highlighted that youth from CDWD communities are not waiting to be saved. “We are mobilizing our communities. We are collecting and providing data, pushing policy, creating platforms for digital inclusion, and demanding dignity,” he said. “Trust me, we are not passive recipients of development. We are already building alternatives from the ground.”

In a striking moment, he asserted, “This is not just a regional or a cultural issue — it’s global. Discrimination based on work and descent is connected to the histories of casteism, and until it is recognized globally as such — and until we are visible and equal — we will continue to be left behind.”

Gautam then laid out clear demands to the international community and the UN system. Among them were calls for dedicated funding for youth from marginalized communities, greater visibility of discrimination based on work and descent in formal UN discussions, and more representation instead of tokenism. “More spaces need to talk about these forms of discrimination openly — at the UN, in national parliaments, and in global development spaces,” he urged. “And it’s us who needs to change this — me and you.”

His powerful intervention received immediate and heartfelt recognition from His Excellency Bob Rae, the President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Responding directly after Gautam’s remarks, Rae said:

“So I think it’s been a very positive discussion and I want to particularly pay tribute to the discussant Mr. Gautam for his comments. I think they’re very, very helpful, important, significant.”

Rae went on to reflect on ECOSOC’s ongoing commitment to addressing discrimination based on work and descent. “I can say, as President of ECOSOC, I’ve been proud to work with the groups that have been discriminated against on the grounds of work, on the grounds of their descent. And I think it’s been, for me, an education and a good ongoing discussion about what more we need to do to keep crossing these barriers of discrimination that still are built into too much of what goes on.”

Gautam’s speech, ending with the rallying words “Jai Bhim, Opre Roma, Lenthei, Salve, Uhuru”, was not just a moment of visibility — it was a bold call for transformation. His presence on the HLPF stage represented a landmark in global recognition for CDWD youth, reinforcing that sustainable development cannot be achieved without dignity, equity, and justice for all.

Let’s not just admire their courage. Support the movement. Share their stories. Invite them into rooms of power. And most of all—follow their leadership.