The best answer to the economic downturn and youth unemployment is to ensure that young people acquire the basic skills and relevant training they need to enter the world of work with confidence.
Irina Bokova
As we celebrate the achievements of young people, it is incumbent on the leaders of today – in politics, civil society, the private sector, academia, and scientific fields – to mentor and to cultivate the next generation. It is only through partnership that we can equip young people with the skills, resources, and networks they need, while also empowering them to be agents of change in their communities.
Hillary Clinton
Young people are each year the largest group of individuals that migrate. They do so mainly in search of decent work and better living conditions, education, family reunification or for humanitarian reasons. In 2010, some 3.6 million young people were enrolled in tertiary education abroad, forming part of the 27 million young migrants around the world.
Protection of migrant workers and improvement of their working conditions have been concerns of the ILO since its establishment in 1919. The emergence of international labour migration as an important global phenomenon calls for an active role of the Organization in this area. The ILO has adopted two major conventions on migrants, No. 97 (1949) and No. 143 (1975), that aim to regulate migration and protect migrants. The Second World War left large numbers of refugees stranded throughout Europe and the 1944 Declaration of Philadelphia’s attention to migration provided for the adoption of Convention No.97 in 1949. This Convention provided a rights-based view of the way societies should deal with migrant workers. Its major provisions include non-discrimination in wages, benefits and social security, and union activities. It also prohibits discrimination in respect of nationality, race, religion, or sex.
Towards the end of the colonial era, South-South migration expanded enormously, and even in long decolonized Latin America and the Caribbean, migrant labour often prevailed under abusive conditions. In 1975 the ILO responded with standard setting when the Migrant Workers Convention (No. 143) was adopted. This Convention deals with "migrations in abusive conditions and the promotion of equality of opportunity and treatment of migrant workers". It opens with call for member States to "seek to determine whether there are illegally employed migrant workers on its territory” and for employer sanctions and penalties on traffickers, but also calls for "equality of treatment" in wages, social security and other benefits for unauthorized migrants who have obtained a job.
C097 entered into force on 22 Jan 1952. It is currently ratified by 49 countries to date.
C143 entered into force on 09 Dec 1948. It is currently ratified by 23 countries to date.
International Youth Day, 12 August
Established by the United Nations in December 1999, International Youth Day is observed annually on 12 August. The official theme in 2013 ‒ "Youth Migration: Moving Development Forward" ‒ aims to raise awareness of the opportunities and risks associated with youth migration, engage young people in discussions on their migration experiences, and attract international support to improve the situation of young migrants.
Each year, many young women and men migrate in search of decent work and better living conditions. Young people make up a significant share of the global number of international migrants. In 2010, there were an estimated 27 million international young migrants. While migration can often offer valuable opportunities and contribute to the development of communities and society at large, it can also pose risks and lead to unacceptable situations, including discrimination and exploitation.
ILO’s work on youth employment and migration has shown that practical steps both on national and international level can be taken to enhance the safety of all migrant workers and respect for their rights and dignity.
