Joshua UNESCO Speech Highlights Youth Creativity and Scale-Up Support in Paris

JOSHUA of SEVENTEEN delivered a UNESCO speech in Paris on June 25, 2026, representing the group at a high-level event focused on youth creativity and well-being. The Joshua UNESCO Speech was part of UNESCO and SEVENTEEN’s “Going Together – For Youth Creativity and Well-Being” initiative, which marked support for 100 youth-led projects and launched a new scale-up phase for 10 selected initiatives.¹

The event was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, where JOSHUA attended as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Youth. UNESCO said the partnership has supported projects in 64 countries, reaching more than 21,000 direct beneficiaries and more than 1.2 million people online.¹

Joshua UNESCO Speech Focused on Youth Trust and Support

JOSHUA’s remarks centered on the role of young people in shaping responses to problems in their own communities. Yonhap News reported that he spoke in English for about six minutes on behalf of SEVENTEEN at the June 25 event, referring to the group’s own experience with uncertainty and emphasizing trust, solidarity and moving forward together.²

In one quoted line from the speech, JOSHUA said young people “only need someone who believes in them,” a message tied to the broader theme of support for youth-led ideas and creative initiatives.² Asia Economy reported that he also referred to the United Nations Youth 2030 strategy and said young people understand the problems in their communities and can create answers to them.³

UNESCO’s release quoted JOSHUA as saying, “It is a great honor to return to UNESCO Headquarters for the third time on behalf of SEVENTEEN.”¹ The appearance followed SEVENTEEN’s ongoing role with UNESCO youth programming and placed the group’s public message within a formal institutional setting rather than a concert or entertainment event.

The ceremony also included participation from other SEVENTEEN members through pre-recorded video messages, as they were not present at the venue.³ Their participation kept the focus on the group’s collective role in the youth initiative while JOSHUA delivered the in-person remarks.

Event Details and Scale-Up Phase

UNESCO’s event notice listed the ceremony for June 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon in Room I at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The programme included opening remarks by the UNESCO Director-General and JOSHUA, a celebration of 100 youth-led projects supported in 2025, and the launch of the Scale-Up Phase.⁴

UNESCO said 10 outstanding youth-led initiatives would receive additional funding and tailored support through the new phase.⁴ The organization described the broader programme as one centered on creativity and well-being, with youth-led projects selected across countries and communities.

The Straits Times reported that the grant initiative was established through SEVENTEEN’s US$1 million donation after the group became UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Youth. It also reported that proceeds from the “Joopiter presents: sacai x Seventeen” charity auction helped provide additional support for the 10 selected projects.⁵

Khaled El-Enany, identified in UNESCO materials as Director-General, was quoted in the UNESCO release saying, “Young people are shaping our world today through their creativity and innovation.”¹ His remarks aligned with the event’s official framing: youth were presented not only as beneficiaries of institutional support, but also as project leaders and problem-solvers.

SEVENTEEN’s UNESCO Youth Initiative Context

The June 25 ceremony followed earlier reporting that JOSHUA would speak at the Paris event to introduce and support the global youth programme. Yonhap News reported on June 16, citing Pledis Entertainment, that the event would spotlight SEVENTEEN and UNESCO’s “Going Together – For Youth Creativity & Well-Being” programme and would be livestreamed through UNESCO’s official YouTube channel.⁶

By the time of the June 25 event, the focus had shifted from advance notice to results and expansion. UNESCO’s materials emphasized the completed support for 100 youth-led projects in 2025, while the ceremony introduced a deeper phase for selected groups.⁴

The Joshua UNESCO Speech therefore formed part of a broader institutional update: SEVENTEEN’s youth partnership with UNESCO has moved from initial support for 100 projects to a scale-up phase for 10 initiatives, with JOSHUA using the Paris platform to underline trust, collaboration and continued support for young people’s ideas.

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Cloi Lee

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