UPDATE (May 2024) – Download and read their winning essays here.
On 19 February 2024, the SDG Lab together with Rethinking Economics International and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched a joint call for essays aimed at young people, aged 30 and under, inviting them to share their perspective on the values that should be emphasized in a framework moving beyond GDP.
The question for the competition was as follows:
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measure of the economic output of a country, has become one of the most powerful statistics of our time. It has, however, been used in unintended ways, including as a proxy for wealth creation, wellbeing, and development. Developing metrics to complement GDP could enhance decision-making in the best interest of people and the planet, and could fundamentally change our priorities and the future. What values and principles would you like to see in a Framework to Value What Counts beyond GDP and what are the challenges to be addressed as a priority?
630 essays were submitted from 50 different countries, offering insights and perspectives on the values and principles that young people would like to see in a framework moving beyond GDP. All essays were carefully reviewed by a committee composed of experts from the three organizing partners, and the values expressed were noted and integrated into a summary document (forthcoming June 2024). In the gallery you can find a glimpse of the values and principles highlighted.
On the 17th of April five of the essay winners, from Brazil, Denmark, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe, will be joining us in Geneva. They will share their perspectives on moving beyond GDP with leaders and experts from the UN, Member States, academia, and civil society. The meeting titled “What Counts in the Future? A Youth Perspective on Measuring What We Value” is organized in collaboration with UNCTAD and Rethinking Economics. Stay tuned, as the ten essays will be published in the coming weeks, ahead of the meeting on the 17th of April.
If you are interested in joining this meeting in-person, please reach out to the SDG Lab.
This blog was initially published on the SDG Lab website.
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SDG Lab at UN Geneva is a multi-stakeholder innovation space for long-term sustainability.
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