What is or should be the role of youth in international affairs? Are the interests of the younger generation different from or the same as those of older generations?

The definition of 'youth' according to the UN is roughly 15-24 years old.

https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/youth

https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/youth/fact-sheets/youth-definition.pdf

Here are some links and notes to get you started on research for an essay. 

Some of the challenges regarding young Italians:

https://alleyoop.ilsole24ore.com/2022/06/09/preoccupazioni-giovani/?refresh_ce=1

https://formiche.net/2022/03/giovani-italiani-mastrapasqua/

https://www.oasiscenter.eu/it/rapporto-giovani-2022-il-futuro-comincia-ora-istituto-toniolo

https://www.linkiesta.it/2018/03/perche-solo-in-italia-e-un-problema-essere-giovani-nellera-dei-giovani/

https://www.regioni.it/newsletter/n-4526/del-07-07-2023/istat-rapporto-annuale-2023-la-situazione-del-paese-25716/#:~:text=Secondo%20l'Istat%2C%20la%20dimensione,formazione%20(i%20cosiddetti%20Neet).

https://tg24.sky.it/economia/2023/10/12/istat-giovani-lavoro-italia

https://www.istat.it/it/files/2014/10/focus-giovani.pdf

https://alleyoop.ilsole24ore.com/2022/04/11/giovani-mercato-lavoro/?refresh_ce=1

https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/topic/neets

https://am.pictet/it/blog/articoli/mercati-e-investimenti/neet-il-rapporto-tra-giovani-e-lavoro

https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/en/resources/article/2023/minimum-wage-debate-italy

Now examine some current and recent events connected with youth, e.g.in Iran, China or Peru, or Fridays for Future

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/sep/18/we-never-stopped-protesting-irans-youth-take-freedom-fight-underground

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/08/we-just-want-to-live-in-a-normal-world-chinas-young-protesters-speak-out-and-disappear

https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/peru-youth-indigenous-protests-dina-boluarte/

https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/08/21/from-solo-protest-to-global-movement-five-years-of-fridays-for-future-in-pictures

Have a look at the activities, initiatives and positions or statements by international relations organizations, governments and public figures, e.g. or a public position or statement by an international relations figure, e.g.the President of the European Commission, Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address in September 2023

https://www.alda-europe.eu/library/state-of-the-union-2023/

or  Greta Thunberg's impassioned speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit on 23 September 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9KxE4Kv9A8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAJsdgTPJpU

at the Youth4Climate Pre-COP26 on 29 set 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiwRQnNlNGU

and during the COP26 in November2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0FzWOBY-Yc

or her warning at the 2023 COP 28 preparatory conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMyLBhznULM

or Boyan Slat’s Ocean Cleanup project

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ocean_Cleanup

 https://theoceancleanup.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Es1LxkSScq8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyan_Slat
https://www.readersdigest.ca/culture/european-year-boyan-slatan-wants-clean-oceans/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROW9F-c0kIQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBaTeXZNk9c

https://www.greenme.it/informarsi/ambiente/ocean-cleanup-funziona/

https://www.cleanocean.org/news/who-is-boyan-slat#

https://theoceancleanup.com/

https://theoceancleanup.com/updates/the-ocean-cleanup-unveils-plan-to-address-the-main-source-of-ocean-plastic-pollution-rivers/

https://www.corriere.it/esteri/18_giugno_14/boyan-slat-ocean-cleanup-pulizia-oceano-d294d190-6f46-11e8-a02e-ff9bef420dad.shtml?refresh_ce-cp

Youth and the Covid-19 pandemic

https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/documents/publication/wcms_753057.pdf

https://www.coe.int/en/web/youth/-/youth-and-covid-19-survey-report

https://rm.coe.int/youth-and-covid-19-survey-report-english/16809feb26

https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/topic/neets

https://www.eurofound.europa.eu/topic/youth

http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/ca9531en/ and the links it includes

https://www.unicef.org/media/66761/file/Practical-Tips-on-Engaging-Adolescents-and-Youth-in-the-COVID-19-Response-2020.pdf

https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---europe/---ro-geneva/---ilo-ankara/documents/publication/wcms_771428.pdf

You should have a look on Google at: Emma González, Gitanjali Rao, Sophie Cruz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Gonz%C3%A1lez

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gitanjali_Rao_(inventor)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Cruz

and also at https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/the-top-10-young-leaders-of-europe-poised-to-transform-the-world/

And at the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran and other young female protesters

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/sep/16/iranian-woman-dies-after-being-beaten-by-morality-police-over-hijab-law

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/oct/07/another-teenage-girl-dead-at-hands-of-irans-security-forces-reports-claim

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahsa_Amini_protests

Talk online  to an Italian UN Youth Delegate about his/her experience and look at:

https://www.facebook.com/UNYouthDelegateItaly

https://www.sioi.org/attivita/eventi-speciali/unydp/unydp-2324/

https://comunicazioneinform.it/sioiun-youth-delegate-programme-italy-2023-24-si-apre-il-mandato-dei-nuovi-giovani-delegati-ditalia-alle-nazioni-unite-annarita-napolitano-e-giacomo-di-capua/

https://www.sioi.org/attivita/eventi-speciali/unydp/?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/unyditaly/

https://twitter.com/UNYDItaly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lVTLs6aTLc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aHINt2IrxE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6wGeJi3vcg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHnC6GzCAIk

https://www.sioi.org/attivita/eventi-speciali/unydp/whatisunydp/

https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/youth/fact-sheets/youth-participation.pdf

https://www.onuitalia.com/2020/12/14/italys-youth-delegates-how-we-changed-the-covid-challenge-into-an-opportunity/

https://press.un.org/en/2022/gashc4343.doc.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A8au53W5Dg

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N19/422/54/PDF/N1942254.pdf?OpenElement

https://www.un.org/ecosoc/en/ecosoc-youth-forum

https://www.instagram.com/unyd_italy/

https://www.facebook.com/UNYouthDelegateItaly/

https://www.sioi.org/attivita/focus-on/unydp-2/

https://twitter.com/unyditaly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4Faz7CNT8k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwT1QrWaj60

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJWx2pXcgPQ

https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/what-we-do/youth-delegate-programme.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoxprhVAZKM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbShXrsFmOA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4Faz7CNT8k

at the UN

https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/

https://social.desa.un.org/issues/youth/events/international-youth-day-2023

https://www.un.org/en/observances/youth-day

https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/issue-briefs.html

https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/what-we-do/faq.html

https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/what-we-do.html

https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/world-youth-report.html

EU Youth Delegates and youth and the EU

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/un-new-york/meet-eu-youth-delegates-un-78th-general-assembly-session_en?s=63

https://youth.europa.eu/home_en

at the Y7 and y20

https://www.esteri.it/en/sala_stampa/archivionotizie/approfondimenti/2022/11/g7-e-g20-youth-engagement-group-la-young-ambassadors-society-sta-selezionando-la-delegazione-italiana-per-y7-e-y20/

Africa

https://www.un.org/ohrlls/news/young-people%E2%80%99s-potential-key-africa%E2%80%99s-sustainable-development

https://ilostat.ilo.org/african-youth-face-pressing-challenges-in-the-transition-from-school-to-work/#:~:text=More%20than%2072%20million%20youth,work%20for%20all%20by%202030.

https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2023-05/undp-africa-youth-in-africa-2023-EN.pdf

https://bmr.co.za/2023/08/17/the-impact-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-on-the-wellbeing-of-south-african-youth/