The year 2025 stands out as a year of projection and maturity for United by schools. With its strong presence at the United Nations and expertise in citizen diplomacy, the association reached a new milestone by combining training, international advocacy, and forward-looking reflection around a single ambition: preparing young generations to understand, analyze, and influence the institutions that shape our shared future.
The year was marked by the organization of the international conference Campus 2045 at the Palais des Nations, the European headquarters of the United Nations. Designed with the centenary of the United Nations in mind, this gathering brought together students, public figures, entrepreneurs, artists, and civil society actors for a unique exercise in collective reflection: anticipating the educational, social, and institutional challenges of 2045. This initiative embodies the social prudence vision promoted by the association: taking the time to understand in order to act more effectively.
Continuing its structural engagement, United by schools submitted six alternative reports to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child concerning Brazil, Indonesia, Iraq, Norway, Qatar, and Romania. Drafted by the human rights advocacy team and thirty students trained through the young defenders program, these reports demonstrate the capacity of youth to contribute meaningfully to international mechanisms monitoring fundamental rights.
The association also pursued its engagement with United Nations bodies by participating in the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna, advocating for better identification of social realities in priority neighborhoods across Europe and for harmonized analytical frameworks to improve the effectiveness of public policies.
On the educational front, 2025 marked the third consecutive year of the young human rights defenders training program. Guided by volunteers and experienced experts, students learned to conduct investigations, structure arguments, draft reports, and engage with international institutions. This citizen diplomacy approach strengthens their sense of responsibility, critical thinking, and capacity for cooperative engagement.
Finally, ten years after helping to establish the French national day against school bullying alongside the association e-Enfance and public authorities, United by schools reinforced its 2025 efforts with new educational tools: a practical guide, an educational comic book, and audiovisual resources aimed at preventing school violence and supporting educational communities.
Thus, 2025 stands as a year of anticipation and structuring: anticipating the challenges of 2045, shaping a youth trained in citizen diplomacy, and affirming a unique positioning at the intersection of education, international advocacy, and social prudence. More than ever, United by schools upholds a simple yet demanding conviction: it is by training students to be aware, responsible, and engaged that the balance of tomorrow’s societies is built.