by Mr. William D Angel
Chief of the United Nations Youth Unit
1/I would like first to make a few comments on "the Global Situation of Youth ", particularly in terms of priority youth issues for the twenty -first century, and then give some examples of "the Global Youth Policies and Programs of the United Nations "which have been mandated by the General Assembly to improve the situation of world youth.
1 The Global Situation of Youth
2/ The General Assembly first defined youth in 1985 for the International Youth Year. By endorsing the guidelines for further planning and suitable follow-up the field of youth, the Assembly, for statistical purposes, defined those persons between 15and 24 years of age as youth, without prejudice to other definitions of Member States (A/40/256,para.19). When the General Assembly, in its resolution50/81of 14 December 1995, adopted the world Program of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, it reiterated that the United Nations defined youth as the age cohort 15-24. Yet it further stated that, apart from the statistical definition of the term youth mentioned above, the meaning of the term youth varied in different societies around the world and that definitions of youth had changed continuously in response to fluctuating political, economic and social-cultural circumstances. However, since 1985, all the statistical services of the United Nations system have used the age cohort 15-24 to collect global statistics on youth (namely, the yearbooks on demography, education, employment and health).
3. Since 1973, the United Nations has published a series of studies on the global situation of youth. An updated edition will appear in 1999. In addition, the United Nations published Statistical Charts and Indicators on the Situation of Youth (ISBN 92-1-161409-0).
4. From 199 to 1995, the world's estimated youth population grew by a relatively slow 0.4per cent per year. In 1995, the world's youth population was estimated by the United Nations to be over 1 billion, or 525 million young men and 500 million young women. About 60 per cent of the world 's youth live in the developing countries of Asia alone, while 23 per cent live in the developing regions of Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean.
5. The annual growth rate of the youth population in the 1990s continues to be highest in northern Africa (about 3 per cent) and is also relatively high (more than 2 per cent) in sub-Saharan Africa, south-central Asia and western Asia. Annual growth has slightly increased in Latin America and the Caribbean, south-eastern Asia (where the youth population is decreasing by about 1 per cent per year). From 1980 to 1995, the percentage of the world's population represented by youth declined slightly, from 19 to 18 percent. This decline occurred in all regions except Africa, where youth as a percentage of the total population continue to increase.
6. I would like to give you some statistics on the global situation of youth concerning demographic, education and training, economic activity, health and child -bearing and household and marital status of world youth:
* The ratio of young men to 100 young men to 100 young women is unusually high (over 106) is some countries of eastern Asia and Oceania. Among the reasons are higher mortality among girls than boys, sex preference at birth and migration preference to young men.
* In spite of mass urbanization worldwide, the majority of youth still live in rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa, south-eastern and south -central Asia and Oceania.
* In much of the world, the education of youth and the eradication of illiteracy continued to advance, but significant gaps persist between young men and young women in Africa and much in Asia and in rural compared to urban areas. The highest rates of illiteracy among youth are found in Africa and south -central Asia -over 20 percent among young men and up to 40 per cent among young women.
* The growth of young women's enrolment at the third level of education equals or exceeds men everywhere. However, actual total enrolment of women at both the second and third levels are still well below men in most of Africa and south -central Asia.
* The share of youth in the total labour force worldwide is continuing to decrease s educational enrolments have increased, but young women are still a greater proportion of the female labour force than young men of the male labour force, especially in northern Africa and eastern and western Asia.
* The number of economically active youth is declining or increasing by less than 1 per cent in the developed regions, eastern and south-eastern Asia. It is increasing by 2 per cent or more per year in Africa, south -central and western Asia and Oceania. In all regions, except Eastern Asia, the young female labour force is growing faster than the young male labor force.
* In 1995, more than third of economically active young were in Asia and Pacific, about 15 per cent were in Africa and less than 10 per cent in Latin America and Caribbean. Only about 15 per cent were in the developed regions.
* In 1995, nearly two -thirds of the world's youth lived in countries with per capita GPDs of less than $ 1,000 per year;
* Mortality among young men and women continues to be very high in sub-Saharan Africa where infections and prasitic diseases are still common. In eastern and western Asia, young male mortality is lower than in any other region including the developed regions.
* Female youth mortality is lowest in the developed regions , eastern and western Asia and highest after sub-Saharan Africa in south-central Asia.'
* In many countries and regions around the world, overall fertility rates are falling rapidly and rates among young women are following this trend. Birth rates among young women are lowest in eastern-Asia and somewhat higher in the developed regions and south-eastern Asia. They are highest in south-central Asia.
* In most developing regions, contraceptive practice is lower than 25 per cent for young married women under 20 and lower than 40 per cent for married women aged 20-24.Contraceptive use among young marred women is lowest in sub-Saharan Africa.
* The average age at first marriage is now over 20 years of age in all regions for both women and men ,but women still marry at ages three to four years younger than men. The age difference is highest (four to five years )in Africa and western Asia/
* 25 to 35 per cent out of young men are household heads(including independents ) in the developed regions ,sub-Saharan Africa and south-central Asia, compared to around 15 per cent in eastern and south -eastern Asia. Nearly 15 per cent of women aged 20-24 are household heads in the developing regions, compared to only about two per cent in south-eastern and south-central Asia.
7, Youth, like any other population group, have their particular concerns and problems, which demand specific responses. Those concerns, problems and contributions must be integrated into social and economic policy and political decision-making .But is this happening? Is current experience satisfactory with regard to using political, social and economic policy to deal effectively with youth issues ,such as unemployment, poverty , illiteracy ,disease, lack of leisure-time activities , inadequate sports infrastructure, juvenile delinquency and drug abuse and trafficking?
8/Many countries have formulated strategies, policies, programmes and projects for young people. Despite those efforts, the situation of youth is still characterized by problems that make life difficult for them. In industrialized and developing countries, young people are living at a time when profound economic, political ,social , cultural and environmental changes are occurring , resulting in both opportunities and constraints.
9, Globalization involves both opportunities and threats. More opportunities for trade and development should increase the wealth of all countries, which in turn is supposed to allow increased investment in human and social development. On the other hand, there is intensified evidence of poverty, unemployment and social exclusion. More careful analysis is required to learn how these impact on the lives of young men and women.
10, The problems of youth must be seen in the context of the current state of international cooperation. For example, declining official development assistance undermines the capacity of many countries to meet their development needs. The external debt crisis has a crippling effect on low-income countries. These countries have to use their already scarce resources to pay back their external debt obligations rather than to provide essential service. Structural adjustment programmes in many countries are still inadequately attentive to the importance of social factor. Furthermore, the trade imbalance between developed and developing economies , favoring the more developed economies , place development at risk in many countries, and the current global financial crisis compounds the difficulty of social , economic and political development. Hundreds of millions of people are negatively affected by these factors. Young people are particularly affected, because it means that their transition to adulthood is made more difficult.
11, There are also constructive trends. Many countries are experiencing a deepening of democracy. In all regions of the world, there are signs that countries are introducing or planning steps which can lead to more democracy. In addition, many countries are actually putting in place mechanisms to increase and enhance the participation of citizens. This opens up opportunities for participation by all people. Young people will gain from this move towards more democracy. They have been contributing to the democratic process in many countries, and they have been expressing their desire to be given more opportunities to make constructive contributions. Nevertheless, there is still some distance to travel to make government more effectively accessible to young people.
12, The regional integration processes currently under way have implications for the well-being of young people. Will those processes lead to more productive employment for young people? Will there be more education and training opportunities for young people? Will young people have more access to quality and affordable health care? Will young people have a place at the decision-making levels of major institutions of society? These and other questions point towards the need to reflect on the meaning of both globalization and regional integration for the lives of young people.
Nature of the priority youth issues for the twenty-first century
1/ National youth policies and programmes of an inter-sectoral nature
13. A national youth policy is a major instrument used by many Member States to address the concerns and problems of youth . Since the International Youth Year (1985), the United Nations has been promoting national youth policies that are cross-sectoral and integrated. This type of national youth policy is supposed to facilitate a comprehensive and coordinated approach to youth issues It should serve to integrate youth concern into national development strategies, aiming to end the marginalization of youth concerns.
14. As illustrated in the table below, out of a total of 185 Member States, 153have formulated a national youth policy that is cross-sectoral in nature. Compared with a similar survey conducted in 1996, it shows that nine additional countries have taken this step; thus 83 per cent of Member States now have a national youth policy. There are now 167 countries that have established a youth coordinating mechanism which represents a minor increase compared with the 1996 figure. Furthermore about 114 counties have implemented a national youth programme of action.
15. It would be interesting to see more evaluation of this improvement. What are the outcomes of those policies? What progress have been made? What are the obstacles encountered? What new approaches are needed to better address the concerns of youth in the context of an integrated and cross-sectoral national youth policy? It would be a service to countries and the international community t devote the necessary resources towards a comprehensive analysis of this experience.
16.The indicators used in the table below were also used for similar reviews by the United Nations in 1994 and 1997, and have illustrated significant progress by Member States in both the formulation and implementation of national youth policies and programmes. For example, only 29 per cent of Member States indicated that they had implemented a national youth programme of action in 1994,but the proportion grew to 62 per cent in 1998. Further details on each Member States can be found in the annex.
Summary of actions taken by Governments to implement the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond
Category Number Percentage
Countries that have formulated 153 83
A national youth policy
(cross-sectoral)
Countries that have designated 167 90
A national youth coordinating
Mechanism (such as a ministry ,
Department, council or committee)
Countries that have implemented a 114 62
national youth programme of action
(operational ,voluntary service)
Countries that have taken all 95 51
Three types of action to
Implement the programme
2. Youth Participation for Development and Peace
17. Since the International Youth Year was proclaimed in 1985, the General Assembly has defined youth participation as including four components:
(a) Economic participation ,which relates to work and to development;
(b) Political participation, which relates to decision-making processes and distribution of power;
(c) Social participation , which relates to community involvement and the peer group;
(d) Cultural participation, which relates to the arts , music, cultural values and expression(see A/ 40/256)
18. Youth participation does not only provide opportunities for growth and learning for young parsons; it also contributes in real ways towards the development of the societies in which they live. Countries benefit form ensuring that young women and men have opportunities to offer their ideas, vision and expertise towards the development of society. The General Assembly and the recent United Nations world conferences have therefore further emphasized and elaborated the value of youth participation in community development efforts and in society at large .2
19. Building on the above, youth empowerment includes the participation of young men and women not only indecision-making , but also in society through access to education, employment and health, as well as to resources, such as land or credit. The concept of youth empowerment concentrates on the growing opportunities for young people and their achievements in society ,but recognizes that much of the p0otential of youth is yet to be realized.
20/ As a new millennium approaches, it is widely acknowledged that democratic, tolerant and just societies are only sustained by citizens who can make educated use of opportunities for participation. Young women and men should therefore be involved from childhood in decisions relating to their won lives, and step by step in democratic decisions for their school, their community, in local /national social and cultural organizations as well as at the national , regional and international levels. The active participation of young people in the design , implementation and evaluation of , for example, youth -friendly health services , drug prevention programmes and /or the national youth policy has been proven to add relevance and accessibility for the target group. Such youth participation at the micro-level can be promoted by national youth policy , and further researches needed on appropriate modalities for youth participation at all levels. Special attention should be given to the participation of girls and young women in all such activities for youth empowerment.
21. While there is general agreement on the need for enhanced youth participation, in any parts of the world seniority is valued, and younger persons are often excluded from discussion and decision-making that influence their lives. In traditional societies, the older generation transmitted values and knowledge to the young. With increasing globalization , new communication technologies and the influence of media, the dichotomy between old and new, between the traditional and the modern , is pronounced in the relations between generations . Societies need to develop mechanisms for bridging this gap, and the participation of both young and old people in this endeavour is of crucial importance.
22. In this context , non-governmental youth organizations , youth centers and community youth groups play important roles as vehicles for adolescents and young adults to voice their concerns, often through concrete "learning -by -doing "activities, in non-formal education and leadership training programmes . Millions of young men and women around the world are organized in such youth movements. It has been shown that, with appropriate structures in place, young women and men are capable of electing their own representatives, taking decisions and providing leadership in areas of concern to them and to the communities in which they live. In the context of scarce resources for public programmes for young people, possible partnership between the non-governmental and public sectors should be further explored.
23. In some countries, almost all young people are members of non-governmental youth organizations, while in other countries only a small proportion of the youth population is involved in such bodies. Some non-governmental youth organizations are also coordinated in regional or international networks and can therefore serve as the voice of young people at the international level, including at United Nations meetings.
24. Young people are disproportionately affected by war and violent conflicts , both as victims when homes and communities are broken and as actual participants in the fighting. Therefore, youth organizations have a special role to play in the promotion of peace and in conflict resolution. Many examples exist of efforts undertaken by civil society organizations in preventative and post-conflict peace-building. There is also a general agreement that multicultural understanding, tolerance and knowledge of human rights should be fostered in formal as well as non-formal educational institutions. The possible contributions by non-governmental youth organizations in conflict situations deserve to be further studied, as does the role of the United Nations system in that regard.
25. Poverty is one of the main obstacles to the empowerment and participation of young people. All over the world, young people are adversely influenced by poverty and unemployment, and the juvenilization of poverty is well-documented. Experience shows that poor people themselves can be key agents for poverty eradication and sustainable livelihoods, and that they need to participate in the design and implementation of programmes intended to combat poverty. This is also valid for adolescents and young adults.
26. Processes of marginalization and social exclusion often begin at an early age. Effective youth policies and programmes which promote the full participation of all young women and men, including the more vulnerable groups, can prevent young persons from getting trapped in circles of exclusion. Young women and men who live and /or work in the streets, young people in conflict situations and young people who are affected by drugs or crime are among the many groups who need special attention.
27. There is increasing concern that the young generation shows apathy and a lack of faith in the traditional structures for participation. At the same time , young people have time and again been at the forefront of movements for democracy and social justice. This is a reflection of the challenge that young people face: to seek to be integrated into the existing order or to mobilize for change and development. Rather than voicing their concerns through established channels , many young people choose to exit, and protest the status quo by remaining on the outside. Each generation indeed may need to "reinvent the wheel"; democracy needs to be claimed and owned. Societies that are sensitive to the voice of the young generation, through whatever channel it may be transmitted by citizens, have the opportunity to gain new ideas for how to organize an open and participatory society.
28. The level of young participation in a society is reflected in its legislation. Youth-related legislation should be based on a comprehensive perspective on how young people are best protected and how their contributions to society can best be ensured. An evaluation and analysis of age-related legislation (on issues such as age of majority/right to vote ,age for the right to marry without parental consent)should be an important part of every national youth policy.
3. Youth and core social development issues
29. The World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond addressed 10 core social issues that impact on the lives of all young persons; education ; employment ; hunger and poverty; health; environment, drug abuse; juvenile delinquency; leisure-time activities ;girls and young women ; and the full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and in decision-making.
30.Each of the 10 issues deserve specific attention in the context of a national youth policy, which must be directly linked with national development policies and strategies. They are also interrelated and intrinsically linked. For example, juvenile delinquency and drug abuse are often direct consequences of insufficient opportunities for education, employment, and participation, and also reflect the general situation that countries face. Consequently, investing in youth development has proven to carry long-term socio-economic benefits. Likewise, providing opportunities for young people contributes to social stability and cohesion, and is based on the linkages of education, employment and health in the overall development of youth.
31. In the context of international efforts for social development, most notably the follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development and in the preparations for its five-year review, the situation and participation of young women and men deserves special attention. Action towards poverty eradication, the promotion of full employment and the strengthening of social solidarity is directly linked to be situation of young people. Adolescents and young adults are an important target group for all social development efforts, since they are often disproportionately affected by poverty, unemployment and social exclusion and since the impact of such conditions during young age will most likely influence the entire lifespan. At the same time, young people can also be a major resource in the social mobilization needed to combat these very problems.3
32. When promoting "social service for all", adolescents and young adults need specific measures in the context of and coordinated with the overall national social policy. It is not enough to promote a comprehensive package of "social service for all". Young people have specific needs and are sometimes reluctant to utilize the available service. Peer counselors providing confidential advice have served as excellent mediators between health professional and their teenage target group. The now well-established concept of "youth-friendly, accessible and relevant to the needs of all young people? All efforts for social development and services relating to young people also need to be gender-sensitive."
33. The social development of young people can be seen from a rights perspective. While the Convention on the Rights of the Child provides protection only for the younger part (up to age 13) of the youth population of concern in the present report, the human rights framework at large (ranging from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the Rights to Development to, for example, a large number of International Labour Organization conventions dealing with labour standards related to young persons) contains ample evidence of the concern expressed by the international community of the rights of young people. The rights of young women and men to education , employment and health have been declared in a variety of international instrument and programmes of action, as well as for specific groups of youth , such as urban youth ,rural youth , students, young workers and disabled youth. The rights to development is an essential component of the youth development process and is directly related to the other rights mentioned above . The current challenge is the effective implementation and monitoring of these commitments in the context of broader efforts for social and economic development.
34. An additional factor to consider in the planning of youth policies and programmes is the demographic shift towards older populations and longer life expectancy. In education and training as well as in the provision of health services to young people, this new dimension of the young life period needs to be taken into consideration, especially in the context of the International Year of Older Persons.
II Global Youth Policies and Programmes OF THE United Nations
Global Youth Policies of the UN
35. There are three important global youth policies adopted or endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly:
--the United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond(1995)
--the United Nations Guidelines for Further Planning and Suitable Follow-up in the Field of Youth(1985)
--the United Nations Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding (1965)
36. The most recent mandate, the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, was adopted by the General Assembly for the tenth anniversary of the United Nations International Youth Year(1985-1995). It provides both a policy framework and practical recommendations for national action and international support. A "United Nationals Declaration of Intent on Youth: Problems and Potentials "presented certain aspirations and problems of world youth . he Programmes of Action identified ten priority issues :education , employment, hunger and poverty, health, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure-time activities , girls and young women, and the full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and in decision-making. In each of those sections, the Programme identifies certain problems and needs and makes specific "Proposals for Action". In addition, the programme has a section on "Means of Implementation" which presents proposals for action at the national, regional and international level for follow-up. The unique features of this global youth policy of the UN are the specific proposals made by issue and by geographic levels.
37. The second most important global youth policy of the United Nations is the ""Guidelines for Further Planning and Suitable Follow-up in the Field of Youth" endorsed by the General Assembly in 1985, for the UN's International Youth Year. The unique feature of this global youth policy was for statistical purposes, to define those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years as youth, as well as sub-groups of youth(such s urban and rural youth , students , young workers , etc.), and to outline the scope and content of a national youth policy; and the needs for both continuity and coordination of such a policy as well as the need for continued advocacy on behalf of youth. It also presented guidelines for action at the national , regional and global levels.
38. Finally , the third important global youth policy of the United Nations is contained in the Declaration on the Promotion among youth on the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples. That Declaration was adopted in 1965 and consisted of a statement of six "Principles" regarding different ways and means young people could be encouraged in that regard. One unique feature of this global youth policy is to be found in Principle V regarding the need for national and international associations of young people in conformity with the principle of freedom of association to promote the free exchange of ideas in the spirit of the principles of that Declaration and of the purposes of the UN Charter.
III Global Youth Programmes of the United Nations
THE UNITED NATIONS YOUTH UNIT
39. This Unit is located in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and its Division for Social Policy and Development at United Nations Headquarters, New York. The Youth Unit serves as the focal point for youth matters within the United Nations system. Its objectives are based on the following mandates form the General Assembly:
-United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000and Beyond (1995);
-United Nations Guidelines for Further Planning and Suitable Follow-up in the Field of Youth(1985);
-United Nations Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding (1965).
40. The objectives of the Youth Unit include: a) to enhance awareness of the global situation of youth and to increase recognition of the rights and aspirations of youth) to promote national youth policies, national youth coordination mechanisms, and national youth programmes of action as integral parts of economic and social development; and c)to strengthen the channels of communication and the modes of cooperation with non-governmental youth organizations and to enhance their participation in decision-making processes at all levels so as to increase their impact on national development and international cooperation.
41. Its activities include:
1) International cooperation: promotion of the global standard-setting mandates of the General Assembly on youth among youth-related governmental , non-governmental and intergovernmental or
organizations;
2) Parliamentary service: biennial reports of the Secretary -General on the implementation of the United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth(to the General Assembly 's Third Committee via the Economic and Social Council's Commission for Social Development);
3) Publications: United Nations Youth Information Bulletin(three times year ) and World Youth News(bi-monthly);
4) Research: Global Situation of Youth (research report every four years);
5) Information Data Base on Youth: United Nations Youth Information Network(on the internet at Web site: http:// www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin.htm);
6) 6)Coordination: Inter-agency meetings on Youth (youth-related organizations of the United Nations system, annual )Youth NGO meetings(periodic); meetings with youth-related intergovernmental organizations(annual);and youth meetings of the Regional Commissions of the United Nations (biennial);
7) Mobilization of basic constituencies: World Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth in cooperation with the United Nations and World Youth Forum of the United Nations System to provide a global focus on youth by Youth Ministers of 188 Member States of the UN;
8) Policy access and participation of youth in decision-making :assisting and meeting with youth delegates to the General Assembly(annual) and to its special United Nations conferences, and with youth NGOs which would like to make statements to the ECOSOC Commissions, governing bodies of the United Nations voluntary programmes and funds as well as specialized agencies and organizations of the United Nations system;
9) Training: associate experts on youth policies and programmes in cooperation with bilateral development agencies of Member States and youth interns in cooperation with graduate schools/faculties of universities and youth NGOs and student volunteer programmes in cooperation with undergraduate universities; preparation of youth leadership training manuals as well as the organization of training sessions for youth leaders;
10) Operational activities: United Nations Youth Fund for projects to implement the World Programme of Action for Youth based especially on the follow-up recommendations of the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth and the World Youth Forum of the United Nations System.
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