Youth

Who Are the Youth?

There is no universally agreed international definition of the youth age group. For statistical
purposes, however, the United Nations—without prejudice to any other definitions made by
Member States—defines ‘youth’ as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years.
This definition, which arose in the context of preparations for the International Youth
Year (1985) (see A/36/215), was endorsed by the General Assembly in its
resolution 36/28 of 1981. All UN statistics on youth are based on this definition, as is
reflected in the annual yearbooks of statistics published by the UN system on demography,
education, employment and health.

This statistically oriented definition of youth, in turn, entails that children are considered
those persons under the age of 14. Worthy of note, however, is that Article 1 of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines ‘children’ as persons up to the age of
18. At the time, it was hoped that the Convention would provide protection and rights to as
large an age-group as possible, especially as there was no similar document on the rights of
youth.

Many countries also draw the line on youth with regard to the age at which a person is given
equal treatment under the law—often referred to as the ‘age of majority.’ This age is
commonly 18 in many countries; so that once a person attains this age, he or she is
considered to be an adult. Nonetheless, the operational definition and nuances of the term
‘youth’ vary from country to country, depending on relative sociocultural, institutional,
economic and political factors.

State of the World’s Youth

Today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 per cent of
the global population. By 2030—the target date for the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) that make up the 2030 Agenda—the number of youth is projected to have
grown by 7 per cent, to nearly 1.3 billion.

As youth are increasingly demanding more just, equitable and progressive opportunities and
solutions in their societies, the need to address the multifaceted challenges faced by young
people (such as access to education, health, employment and gender equality) have
become more pressing than ever.

Youth can be a positive force for development when provided with the knowledge and
opportunities they need to thrive. In particular, young people should acquire the education
and skills needed to contribute in a productive economy; and they need access to a job
market that can absorb them into the labour force.

Learn more about the situation of young people around the world.

The United Nations youth agenda is guided by the World Programme of Action for Youth.
The Programme of Action covers fifteen youth priority areas and contains proposals for
action in each of these areas. Adopted by the General Assembly in 1995, it provides a
policy framework and practical guidelines for national action and international support to
improve the situation of young people around the world. Learn more about the Programme
of Action.

History of Youth at the UN

The United Nations has long recognized that the imagination, ideals and energy of young
people are vital for the continuing development of the societies in which they live. Member
States of the United Nations acknowledged this in 1965 when they endorsed
the Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and
Understanding between Peoples.

Two decades later, the United Nations General Assembly observed 1985 as
the International Youth Year: Participation, Development and Peace. Celebration of the
Year drew international attention to the important role that young people play in the world,
and, in particular, to their potential contribution to development.

In 1995, on the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year, the United Nations
strengthened its commitment to young people. It adopted an international strategy:
the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, which directed the
international community’s attention and channeled its response to the challenges that would
be faced by youth in the next millennium.

In December 1999, in its resolution 54/120, the General Assembly endorsed the

recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for
Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day. With
a different focus each year, International Youth Day helps bring youth issues to the attention
of the international community and celebrates the potential of youth as partners in today’s
global society.

To coincide with the 25th anniversary of the first International Youth Year, the United
Nations General Assembly, in December 2009, adopted resolution 64/134 proclaiming the
year commencing 12 August 2010 as the International Year of Youth. The Assembly called
on governments, civil society, individuals and communities worldwide to support activities at
local and international levels marking the Year.

In 2015, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2250, which encouraged

States to consider setting up mechanisms that would enable young people to participate
meaningfully as peacebuilders to prevent violence and generate peace around the world. As
the first Security Council resolution wholly dedicated to the vital and positive role of young
people in promoting international peace and security, this resolution clearly positions youth
as important partners in global efforts in promoting peace and countering extremism.

In 2018, in resolution 2419, the Council reaffirmed the need to fully implement resolution
2250 and called on all relevant actors to consider ways to increase the representation of
young people when negotiating and implementing peace agreements.

Youth and the SDGs

A central principle of the 2030 Agenda is the assurance that “no one will be left behind.”
The Sustainable Development Goals are meant for all nations, all peoples of all ages and all
societies. The universal nature of the 2030 Agenda entails that youth should be considered
across all Goals and targets. Youth are specifically mentioned in four areas: youth
employment, adolescent girls, education and sports for peace. Moreover, young people are
recognized as agents of change, entrusted with fulfilling their own potential and ensuring a
world fit for future generations.

While all the Sustainable Development Goals are critical to youth development, the

realization of targets in areas of education and employment are underlined by the latest
edition of the World Youth Report as fundamental to overall youth development.

Youth and SDG 4: Quality Education

Education is a fundamental right for youth everywhere. Sustainable Development Goal

4 calls for inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning
opportunities for all. To achieve this, there is a need for concerted efforts to ensure that
young women and men have access to free, equitable and quality education, as well as
targeted training opportunities. The most recent statistics suggest that there are profound
global disparities in education, leaving universal secondary education a tenuous aspiration
for many, especially those in poorer nations.
Ensuring access to inclusive and equitable quality education is essential for successful
transition into the labour force and attaining decent work, and is key to the achievement of
many Sustainable Development Goals. Quality primary and secondary education should be
complemented by affordable technical, vocational and tertiary education that provides youth
with relevant skills for employment and entrepreneurship.

Youth and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Sustainable Development Goal 8 contextualizes the call for decent work. For young people,
the issues of unemployment, underemployment and poor job quality have proven to be
persistent and daunting. Youth are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults,
with the global youth unemployment rate at 13 per cent in 2017. Many young people are
engaged in low-paying, precarious or informal work. The challenges of securing and
retaining decent work are even more serious and complex for vulnerable and marginalized
youth, including young women, those living in humanitarian settings, youth with disabilities,
migrant youth, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

Youth in architecting and implementing the 2030 Agenda

Young people may be called the ‘torchbearers’ of the 2030 Agenda, since they have a
pivotal role to play not just as beneficiaries of actions and policies under the Agenda, but
rather as partners and participants in its implementation. Indeed, young people have
been architects in the development of the 2030 Agenda, and remain engaged in the
frameworks and processes that support its implementation, follow-up and review.

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda represented the culmination of an extensive three-year
process involving Member States and civil society, including youth organizations, in the
development of specific goals and targets.

Youth well-being, participation and empowerment are key drivers of sustainable

development and peace around the world. Achieving the 2030 Agenda requires strong and
inclusive partnerships between young people and all stakeholders, so that the
development challenges facing youth (such as unemployment, political
exclusion, marginalization, problematic access to education and health etc.) are addressed
and the positive role of youth as partners in promoting development and sustaining peace is
recognized.

Young people have been at the forefront of activities and initiatives aimed at furthering
the 2030 Agenda and meeting the Goals. Youth are engaged in a myriad of ways including
awareness-raising, data collection and use, grass-roots and national initiatives, monitoring
and accountability efforts, and shadow reporting on progress.

United Nations for Youth

On the basis of its global convening role, the United Nations is uniquely placed to act as a
source of protection and support for young people, and to provide a platform through which
their needs can be addressed, their voice can be amplified, and their engagement can be
advanced.

The UN Programme on Youth of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs

(DESA), which serves as the focal point on youth in the United Nations, builds awareness of
the global situation of young people; promotes their rights and aspirations; and helps
increase their participation in decision-making as a means of achieving peace and
development. DESA coordinates the participation of youth delegates in the General
Assembly and ECOSOC system, where Governments regularly include young people in
their official delegations.

The Secretary-General appointed his Envoy on Youth in January 2013 and a Special Envoy
on Youth Unemployment in September 2016. Together the youth envoys work to increase
youth accessibility to the United Nations.

DESA prepares the World Youth Report, a biennial publication shining a spotlight on key
areas of youth development.

The ECOSOC Youth Forum is a yearly event that provides a platform for young people to
voice their needs and concerns through informal dialogue with other stakeholders—in
particular Member States—and to explore ways to promote youth development at all levels.
The Forum represents the most institutionalized venue for youth participation in UN
deliberations and is an important vehicle to mobilize support among young people for
implementing the 2030 Agenda.

Youth and the UN System

In 2012, the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) discussed the
topic of youth and sustainable development in light of the confluence of events during the
Arab spring and in preparation for the Rio+20 conference. Executive Heads exchanged
views on the various dimensions of programmatic issues affecting youth, including youth
employment, political inclusion, health and education. The Board emphasized the
importance of greater UN system coordination in support of youth development.

Subsequently, UN-DESA and UN-HABITAT led the Inter-Agency Network on Youth and

Development (IANYD)  in preparing the System-wide Action Plan on Youth (Youth-SWAP).
Endorsed by the CEB in April 2013, Youth-SWAP focuses on joint action by the UN system
on the issues of employment and entrepreneurship, political inclusion, civic engagement and
protection of rights, education (including sexuality education), and health.

In November 2015 the CEB endorsed the strategy for the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs
for Youth, a UN system-wide effort to promote youth employment worldwide.