Monitoring commitments for adolescent well-being: bridging the gaps between promise, implementation and impact

This paper presents a timely and critical analysis of the translation of global commitments made at the landmark 2023 Global Forum for Adolescents into national action to prioritize adolescent well-being. The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health is monitoring implementation of these commitments. Employing a mixed methods approach, the paper examines the nature of these multi-stakeholder commitments and their early implementation in four diverse country contexts, specifically Bulgaria, Colombia, Malawi, and Nigeria. Key findings highlight the critical role of multi-sectoral coordination, the imperative of fostering genuine adolescent and youth engagement, and the complexities inherent in managing policy synergies and trade-offs within varied national realities. The analysis reveals that while the Global Forum for Adolescents successfully catalyzed unprecedented attention and pledges for adolescents, effective and sustainable realization of these commitments at the national and local level is an urgent imperative contingent upon overcoming persistent structural barriers and adopting adaptive, systems-informed policy responses. The paper examines the roles of various actors including governments, civil society, and young people, and concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at supporting systemic, long-term change through enhanced cross-sectoral collaboration and integrated policies and programs; and underscores the importance of a continued focus on accountability for adolescent well-being.