In the build-up of the final stage of Baia Mare’s bid for the European Youth Capital title of 2022, PONT Group and The Federation of Youth Organisations from Maramureș were selected to attend the 68th UN Civil Society Conference in the context of the newly developed Urban Youth Circle concept which addressed the topics of urban development, youth and sustainability in the context of Sustainable Development Goals.

Our participation is possible through the support of the Romanian Commercial Bank (Banca Comercială Română) and the Municipality of Baia Mare.

The 68th UN Civil Society Conference will focus on the Sustainable Development Goal No. 11., “to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable by 2030”. The agenda will explore the interlinkages among all 17 SDGs, including critical issues relating to gender.

The three-day conference is co-hosted by the UN Department of Global Communications, Salt Lake City, and the NGO Executive Committee. The meeting will feature opening and closing plenary sessions, interactive thematic sessions, NGO-sponsored workshops, exhibits and a youth hub. Speakers and attendees will include leaders and other representatives from NGOs, UN agencies, academia, faith traditions, the public and private sectors and youth from around the world.

The Urban Youth Circle addresses the circle of human innovation and sustainability in urban development in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals with the core presence and participation of youth. The Urban Youth Circle starts from SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities.

The Urban Youth Circle builds on three main priorities enhanced by three horizontal layers which providing the right setting for the three priorities to be followed. The Urban Youth Circle is about the Human-Self, acting Among-Humans while being influenced by the Human-and-Nature relationship. The Urban Youth Circle happens in a Human-Time (from 2018 to 2025 with a main peak in 2022) and in a specific Human-Space (which is Baia Mare, as the physical space for the European Youth Capital but also other physical spaces, such as the surrounding nature-rich Maramureș, but other cities and regions of Europe, too, completed by a virtual space of interaction through digital tools). All of this is provided by young people supported by a background web of organisations, networks and institutions who together form the Providers-for-Humans.

The Urban Youth Circle will be delivered through a set of STREAMS (Key Initiatives) which will also enable an innovation process regarding some of the key issues we consider relevant from the point of view of sustainability.