Doğan Holding becomes the first signatory to the Youth Business Compact endorsed by UNICEF

12 August 2024, İstanbul – Today, Doğan Holding became the first signatory to the Youth Business Compact, prepared by the Youth Leadership Council, endorsed by UNICEF to represent the voices of all young people. By signing the Compact on World Youth Day, Doğan Holding committed to and adopted the "Youth Principles for Business", adhering to the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and UNICEF’s vision to support young people’s participation in decision making processes.

The Youth Business Compact is composed of four fundamental pillars - meaningful youth engagement, green skills, promotion of sustainability and being responsible to our communities and society. Compact invites the private sector to be signatories to become the pioneers of a youth centered movement to accelerate solutions together, embracing young people as active partners rather than spectators.

As part of this new journey, Doğan Holding decided to establish a Youth Advisory Board to work closely with their high-level officials. These young people will come together with relevant teams to inform them about the youth situation in Türkiye, global trends and suggestions for the company’s vision.

We must listen to the voices of the youth to create a better world.

Doğan Holding Chairwoman Begüm Doğan Faralyalı said: “At Doğan Holding, we take pride in being the first organization to sign the Youth Business Compact. In addition to the commitments we've made by signing the Compact, we will be partnering with UNICEF to establish the 'Doğan Holding Youth Advisory Board’. We believe that it is crucial to shift from thinking for young people, to thinking with young people. How can we forge a better future? How can we better serve children, youth and our planet? These are conversations we wish to initiate, design and actualize together. As heirs to the legacy of our Great Leader who famously said, "All my hope is in youth", it is our duty to uphold this sentiment. World Youth Day is an opportunity to celebrate the importance of young people in shaping the future of our world. Hearing the voices of young people, supporting them, and providing them with opportunities are important steps towards creating a better world.

Following the Value Wheel Game partnership, the long-standing October 11 World Girls’ Conferences and the Business Advisory Board, together now with the Youth Business Compact UNICEF Doğan Holding will continue their collaboration to work together with young people to foster a better and greener future for all children and young people in Türkiye and beyond.

UNICEF Representative to Türkiye Paolo Marchi said: “Young people can bring immense value to the table of decisions made by business leaders through their fresh ideas and robust perspectives. This is the underlying principle of the Compact. Doğan Holding is taking an important step today, pioneering a business movement to work together to ensure strengthened and meaningful youth engagement in sectoral decisions. We are looking forward to other private sector partners joining us and scaling it up”.

UNICEF Youth Foresight Fellow Selin Özgürsoy said: “Youth Business Compact has become both a light and a beacon of hope for us as the youth. The private sector in our country has immense potential, but only if the sector spares room for youth policies and decisions can this potential be reached to its fullest. Together with facilitating youth to raise their voice, harnessing these powerful words should become the norm. Embracing the multi-faceted perspective and adaptation ability young people hold is not only a sustainable and foresighted strategy, but a game-changing move. We have no doubt that every sector leader who signs the YBC will witness progress and positive change within their workplaces.”

About Youth Leadership Council:

The GenU Youth Leadership Council (YLC) Türkiye is formed to promote the voices of youth, ensuring their systematic and meaningful engagement in the decision-making processes of the GenU Advisory Board. The Council is representative, reflecting the diversity and status of young people in Türkiye. YLC consists of 14 young people, 50% female and 50% male, selected among hundreds of people from 7 regions of Türkiye.

YLC has 4 youth representatives on the GenU Advisory Board, representing and championing their ideas and issues for consideration, and being part of the Advisory Board decision-making processes. Members of the YLC represent young people’s views on GenU objectives, are part of the solutions proposals and engage and share their own expertise at the GenU Advisory Board.

About UNICEF:

UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

For more information about UNICEF and its work, visit: www.unicef.org

Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

International World Youth Day:

The UN celebrated the first World Youth Day on August 12, 1985. Today, World Youth Day draws attention to various cultural and legal issues and problems that concern young people. It provides a forum for discussing topics such as how national capacity in youth-focused areas can be strengthened, and how opportunities for complete, effective, and constructive participation in society can be increased.

About Doğan Holding:

Adding value to the Turkish economy for 65 years, Doğan Şirketler Grubu Holding A.Ş. entered the business world when Honorary Chairperson Aydın Doğan registered with the Mecidiyeköy Tax Office in 1959 and founded his first automotive company in 1961. Today, Doğan Group companies play a pioneering role with their innovative vision in the fields of electricity generation, industry & trade, automotive trade & marketing, finance & investment, internet & entertainment, and real estate. Doğan Group's corporate and ethical values, which are implemented by all of its companies, set an example for other organizations in the business world. Aiming for global success in its production and commercial activities, Doğan Group closely monitors developments in Türkiye and abroad and conducts its operations efficiently through strategic collaborations with international groups. www.doganholding.com.tr

You can find the Youth Business Compact here.

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