UNITED NATIONS

NATIONS UNIES

THE SEC CRETARY Y-GENERA AL -M MESSAGE FOR ON INTERNA E N ATIONAL YOUTH D DAY 12 1 August 2 2011

hange Our W World is m more than the theme of t years I e this Internationa Youth Da it is al ay; Ch an injunction th should i hat inspire youn people at all times. ng t Far too many of th worlds m he more than on billion yo ne oung people lack the e pportunities they deserv Yet des s ve. spite these c constraints and in education, freedom and op me cause of them young people are m mobilizing in growing numbers to build o som cases bec a be etter future. Over the p year, th have ach past hey hieved stunn ning results, overturnin ng dict tatorships an sending waves of ho across r nd ope regions and around the world. Young people are g gifted with open minds and a keen awareness of emergin s n s ng nds, heir courage to some of the most complex and tren and are bringing th energy, ideas and c imp portant chall lenges facin the huma family. T ng an They often u understand better than older generations tha we can tra at anscend our religious a cultural differences in order to reach r and s o ls. up ights of opp pressed peop ples, includi ing our shared goal They are standing u for the ri se fer nation based on gender race and s d r, sexual orien ntation. The are ey thos who suffe discrimin confronting sen nsitive issue in order t stop the s es to spread of HI And they are often the IV. n lead ding propon nents of sust tainability a green lif and fe-styles The inte ernational c community must contin to work together to expand the nue k o e izons of opp portunity fo these you women and men an answer th legitima or ung nd heir ate hori dem mands for di ignity, development an decent wo nd ork. Failing to invest in our youth is a g h false economy. Investmen in young people wil pay great dividends i a better fu . nts g ll in future for a all. ay e nal milestone in global This Da marks the end of the Internation Year of Youth, a m nd worlds youn people. M hope is that this ex ng My xperience will now advocacy by an for the w prov a found vide dation to go even furth in harnes o her ssing the tal lents and en nergies of yo oung peop To the I say: yo have the opportunity to change our world. Seize it. ple. em ou o y