UNDP India youth champions and advocates Sanjana Sanghi, Prajakta Koli, and Bhumi Pednekar represented India's voice at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, participating in high-level dialogues, climate advocacy sessions, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action Awards. Their engagements, spanning September 2026, collectively underscored the role of public figures — particularly younger ones — in advancing sustainable development on the global stage.

Sanjana Sanghi on Youth Agency and Climate

On 16 September, Sanjana Sanghi, UNDP India's youth champion, joined UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo, UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Kanni Wignaraja, and Permanent Representatives from across Asia and the Pacific at a high-level dialogue titled 'A Generation at the Crossroads: Dynamics Facing Youth in Asia and the Pacific'. Drawing on her engagement with young changemakers through Youth Co:Lab, Sanghi pressed for greater access and genuine decision-making roles for young people — not merely as beneficiaries of development, but as partners shaping it.

On 21 September, the International Day of Peace, Sanghi spoke at the UN Peace Circle at UN Headquarters, participating in the UN's 'Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World' campaign alongside UN Under-Secretary-General Melissa Fleming, UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Mary Maker, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Muzoon Almellehan. She stressed the importance of investing in young people through education and health, reiterating that youth inclusion in decisions — not merely in outcomes — is essential.

Sanghi also joined the session 'Powering the Transition: India's Climate Economy and What it Means for the Global South', where discussions centred on green growth, decarbonisation, mobilising capital, and equitable transition pathways. She additionally held a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to discuss climate action and the role of youth in shaping a sustainable future.

Prajakta Koli Makes History on SDG Awards Jury

Prajakta Koli, UNDP India's Youth Climate Champion, became the first Indian to serve on the high-level judging panel for the 2026 UN SDG Action Awards. The awards, which celebrate changemakers leveraging creativity, innovation, and collective action to advance the 2030 Agenda, recognised people and initiatives translating the SDGs from policy into practice. Koli's inclusion on the jury marks a notable institutional first for India's representation in multilateral sustainability recognition.

Bhumi Pednekar on Climate Urgency

Through her engagements on the margins of UNGA81, Bhumi Pednekar, UNDP India's Advocate for the SDGs, spotlighted the urgency of climate action and the responsibility individuals bear in protecting the planet. Her participation added a third distinct public voice to India's UNDP-led presence at the Assembly.

The Common Thread: People-Centred Development

In a statement, UNDP India said the engagements of the three champions 'reflected different ways in which public voices can help bring development issues closer to people. From youth agency and participation to climate action and the SDGs, their engagements carried a common message: achieving sustainable development will require more people, especially young people, to have the opportunity, platforms and agency to help shape the decisions that determine their future.'

This comes amid growing international debate about the meaningful inclusion of young people — who make up more than half of India's population — in multilateral forums traditionally dominated by state actors. All three champions are expected to continue their advocacy into the lead-up to the 2030 SDG deadline.