Focus on the Future We Want

Calling all youth!

We want to "see" your view on some of the key issues that affect your life, country and world! Your opinion matters and every individual can make a difference as we look for solutions to issues in society and to boost progress on the sustainable development goals.

How to Participate

Get creative and take a photo relating to one of the three following themes:

• 3R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
• Biodiversity & Nature
• Digital Transformation - Connecting people.

Indicate which Sustainable Development Goal(s) are linked to your theme and photo.

General Rules

The contest is open to two age groups:

• Minors (Ages 14 – 17)
• Youth (Ages 18 – 25)

IMPORTANT: Minors (Aged 14 – 17) eager to participate in the competition will need their parents or guardians to submit on their behalf.

Participants must select only one theme and link it to one or more of the 17 SDG’s. Participants may submit only one photo. Creativity and/or original thinking will improve your chances to win. Participants must submit original copies of their images. Please note no group entries. Participants must include their full name, age and contact information in submissions.

***Please note by entering this competition if your submission is one of the winning photos you are giving the United Nations the right to use the winning photo in the future for non-commercial purposes for exhibitions and in United Nations communications materials.  

Material Specifications - File type should be in JPEG. File sizes must be more than 5 MB and less than 15 MB per photo. Photos will be accepted in both black/white and colour. Participants are free to express their creativity through editing images as long as their photos remain true to the original. No photo collages will be accepted.

Submission forms here

Learn more about the three themes go to the Act Now and Act Now for kids:

3Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Biodiversity & Nature 

Digital Transformation - connecting people

Top 3 entries in each theme for each age category will win prizes with thanks to our generous corporate sponsors: MCB Seychelles, Cable & Wireless and Airtel.

Learn about Photography Basics - We encourage you to use the quality free resources available on the Internet to develop photography skills which will in turn enhance your chances of winning. Irrespective of the technology you will use, applying basic commonly accepted techniques will contribute a lot in taking good photos.

The following links are provided as guidance:

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/discover/photo-composition.html or https://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules or https://digital-photography-school.com/composition-in-photography/

If your photograph includes scenes in busy public places or images of people please consider the following guidelines - https://www.photoethics.org/photography-ethics/

***UN staff members (including interns and consultants) and professional photographers are not eligible to participate. Jury Panel members are not eligible to participate. All entries not respecting the theme, or the technical/authorship requirements set out will not be considered.