The 2014 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration

The 2014 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration outlines youth-led recommendations for the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on economic inclusivity, environmental protection, and social equity in South Africa and globally.

• The youth recommend combining proposed SDGs 1 and 2 to create a more cohesive approach to poverty eradication and food security.
• Regarding economic infrastructure, the declaration suggests merging proposed SDGs 7, 9, 12, and 13 to be targeted together.
• The document advocates for an intersectional approach to economic oppression, calling for affirmative action to benefit all disadvantaged communities rather than a small elite, equal remuneration regardless of gender identity, and improved workplace accessibility for people with disabilities.
• The youth call for the international community to balance the economic advancement of emerging economies with environmental sustainability.
• In the energy sector, the declaration supports government investment in nuclear power but urges increased funding for alternative, renewable, and sustainable energy research, alongside the safe disposal of nuclear waste.
• The document recommends strengthening the National Environmental Management Act by introducing harsher penalties for deforestation, poaching, water pollution, and over-fishing, and by increasing the number of environmental management inspectors.
• To address land degradation and biodiversity loss, the youth call for the rehabilitation of damaged ecosystems and the implementation of land and ocean rehabilitation in areas of mineral extraction.
• The declaration proposes narrowing the gap between government and youth by establishing local and national youth advisory boards and a UN child and youth delegation to participate in global political institutions.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2014). The 2014 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/SAIIA-2014-Young-Leaders-Declaration.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The 2014 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration. 2014. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/SAIIA-2014-Young-Leaders-Declaration.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The 2014 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration |date=2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/SAIIA-2014-Young-Leaders-Declaration.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs20142014, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The 2014 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/SAIIA-2014-Young-Leaders-Declaration.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }