SEVENTEEN's Joshua returns to UNESCO headquarters, delivering heartfelt message of support to youth

SEVENTEEN's Joshua once again took the stage at UNESCO Headquarters to deliver a heartfelt message of encouragement to young people around the world.

On June 26 (KST), Joshua attended the 'UNESCO x SEVENTEEN: Celebrating Youth, Creativity and Well-Being Together' commemorative ceremony held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France.

SEVENTEEN was appointed UNESCO's first-ever Youth Goodwill Ambassador in June 2024. Representing all 13 members, Joshua made his third visit to UNESCO Headquarters.

The event was organized to review the achievements of the 'Going Together – For Youth Creativity and Well-Being' program and unveil plans for its next phase of expanded support.

During his speech, Joshua reflected on the inspiring journey of the program. He shared, "Supporting this journey has been deeply valuable to all of us. We are incredibly proud of everything that they have accomplished. Young people already have the answers to change the world."

He also pledged SEVENTEEN's continued commitment to supporting young people. He spoke on behalf of the group and said, "As UNESCO goodwill ambassador for youth, we will continue to do what we do best. We will sing, we will whisper, and sometimes we will shout out to remind you that your dreams matter. They matter to you. They matter to the world, and they matter deeply to us, SEVENTEEN."

The remaining members also shared a video message, expressing their heartfelt message, "Today we celebrate the achievement of going together for youth creativity and well-being, known as the UNESCO x SEVENTEEN global youth grant scheme. Congratulations once again to all 100 teams and the 10 selected Scale-up teams."

When SEVENTEEN was appointed UNESCO Youth Goodwill Ambassador, the group donated 1 million USD (approximately 1.5 billion KRW). They later helped launch the Global Youth Grant Scheme, operating the 'Going Together' initiative to support youth-led projects around the world.

Over the past two years, selected youth initiatives received financial support through the program, directly impacting approximately 21,000 people worldwide while extending its reach to an estimated 1.2 million people online.

The 10 projects demonstrating the strongest results will now receive expanded support, funded in part by additional proceeds donated by SEVENTEEN from the 'Jupiter Presents: Sacai x SEVENTEEN' charity auction.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General Khaled El Enany praised the initiative, saying, "'Going Together' will further strengthen UNESCO's efforts to promote sustainable development and build lasting peace."