Youth must be active global citizens
The hundreds of young people assembled for this year's Youth Forum received a strong message that the UN's emerging development agenda must be inspired by and inspiring for the world’s young people.
24 February 2015
In his opening remarks to the Youth Forum, organised by the Economic and Social Council, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on participants to get involved in helping to shape a new development vision. “Ours is the first generation with the potential to end poverty – and the last to act to avoid worst effects of climate change” Mr. Ban said.
In the lead up to a new development agenda to be adopted later this year, the fourth annual Youth Forum was held on 2-3 February in New York and focussed on the engagement from young people in the transition from the MDGs to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
During the two-day event, young people from all over the world engaged in interactive sessions, panel discussions and expert briefings on issues of relevance for a transformative post-2015 development agenda – and their involvement therein.
To set the stage, a video by 15 year old Clara Edmonds was show that explains the background and scope of the SDGs and makes a strong case for sustainable development.
Following an introduction by Mr. David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN, and Mr. Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN, who are jointly facilitating the intergovernmental negotiations on the new agenda, participants had the chance to discuss and develop recommendations on accountability, measurement, partnerships and capacity building in a post-2015 era.
Mr. Alvaro José de Mendonça e Moura, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN, highlighted that the World Programme of Action for Youth, which was adopted twenty years ago, was still a serious response to the challenges faced by young people and that it remained relevant for youth development. The implementation of this Programme required the full enjoyment by young people of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
A recurring theme was the issue of youth unemployment. The Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said: “I am going to be honest. It is rough out there. We are in the middle of a global unemployment crisis. Young people are hit hardest. They are three times more likely than adults to be jobless.” Mr. Erion Veliaj, Minister of Youth and Social Welfare of Albania, even noted that “finding a job should not look like an episode of the Hunger Games”.
Many speakers referred to high levels of youth unemployment, youth not in education, employment and training (NEETs) or the working poor. Mr. Veliaj referred to the challenge of finding that first job: without experience, young people could not find a job, and without a job, they could not gain experience.
To address this situation, youth representatives and experts shared best practices and proposed possible measures. Among others, participants suggested skills and vocational training, apprenticeships systems, dual education systems, paid internships, volunteering, entrepreneurship promotion and incentives for companies that hire young people without work experience or give permanent contracts to young workers.
UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President, Martin Sajdik,, stressed that it was about time to think about the post-2015 era, in which young people should contribute to sustainable development and be involved in the implementation and monitoring of the new development framework.
In her statement, Gabriela Rivadeneira, President of the National Assembly of Ecuador, said that in her country “youth are playing a role in public life and we are ensuring the political participation of persons as of 16 years of age in the democratic system.” She emphasized that youth must help ensure that the UN and the international community’s focus should be on two great threats to our world today: the eradication of poverty and environmental protection.
In the lead up to a new development agenda to be adopted later this year, the fourth annual Youth Forum was held on 2-3 February in New York and focussed on the engagement from young people in the transition from the MDGs to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
During the two-day event, young people from all over the world engaged in interactive sessions, panel discussions and expert briefings on issues of relevance for a transformative post-2015 development agenda – and their involvement therein.
To set the stage, a video by 15 year old Clara Edmonds was show that explains the background and scope of the SDGs and makes a strong case for sustainable development.
Following an introduction by Mr. David Donoghue, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the UN, and Mr. Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN, who are jointly facilitating the intergovernmental negotiations on the new agenda, participants had the chance to discuss and develop recommendations on accountability, measurement, partnerships and capacity building in a post-2015 era.
Mr. Alvaro José de Mendonça e Moura, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN, highlighted that the World Programme of Action for Youth, which was adopted twenty years ago, was still a serious response to the challenges faced by young people and that it remained relevant for youth development. The implementation of this Programme required the full enjoyment by young people of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
A recurring theme was the issue of youth unemployment. The Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said: “I am going to be honest. It is rough out there. We are in the middle of a global unemployment crisis. Young people are hit hardest. They are three times more likely than adults to be jobless.” Mr. Erion Veliaj, Minister of Youth and Social Welfare of Albania, even noted that “finding a job should not look like an episode of the Hunger Games”.
Many speakers referred to high levels of youth unemployment, youth not in education, employment and training (NEETs) or the working poor. Mr. Veliaj referred to the challenge of finding that first job: without experience, young people could not find a job, and without a job, they could not gain experience.
To address this situation, youth representatives and experts shared best practices and proposed possible measures. Among others, participants suggested skills and vocational training, apprenticeships systems, dual education systems, paid internships, volunteering, entrepreneurship promotion and incentives for companies that hire young people without work experience or give permanent contracts to young workers.
UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President, Martin Sajdik,, stressed that it was about time to think about the post-2015 era, in which young people should contribute to sustainable development and be involved in the implementation and monitoring of the new development framework.
In her statement, Gabriela Rivadeneira, President of the National Assembly of Ecuador, said that in her country “youth are playing a role in public life and we are ensuring the political participation of persons as of 16 years of age in the democratic system.” She emphasized that youth must help ensure that the UN and the international community’s focus should be on two great threats to our world today: the eradication of poverty and environmental protection.