agenda01

INTRODUCTION

The United Nations has long recognized that the imagination, ideals and energies of young men and women are vital for the continuing development of the societies in which they live. The call by the UN General Assembly for the observance of the 1985 International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace drew international attention to the important role young people play in the world, and, in particular, their potential contribution to development and the goals of the United Nations Charter.

Recognizing the importance of youth in shaping the world they will live in as adults, the General Assembly adopted an international strategy in 1995 -- the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond. This World Programme focuses in particular on measures to strengthen national capacities regarding youth and to increase the quality and quantity of opportunities available to young people for their full participation in society.

Empowering Youth for Development and Peace

Young people everywhere . . .

Have aspirations and want to participate fully in the lives of their societies.
Are key agents for social change, economic development and technological innovation.
Should live under conditions that encourage their imagination, ideals, energy and vision to flourish to the benefit of their societies.
Are confronted by a paradox: to seek to be integrated into the existing society or to serve as a force to transform it.
Are also a social and demographic group at risk with an uncertain future, even though they represent society's greatest hope.

The World Programme identifies ten priority areas for action aimed at improving the situation and well-being of youth: 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. Of these, the participation of youth is the one issue that cuts across all others.

Youth: A Key Asset for Society

Youth are at the forefront of global social, economic and political developments. In addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize support, young people bring unique perspectives that need to be taken into account. The progress of our societies is based, among other elements, on each society's capacity to involve young women and men in building and designing the future.

Youth Participation: A Critical Priority

What are the problems facing today's youth?

The world has experienced fundamental political, economic and socio-cultural changes during the 1990s which will continue into the twenty-first century. But in many countries, the shifting global situation has created conditions that have made it more difficult for youth to be involved.

The problems facing youth challenge today's societies and future generations as well. They include: limited resources available for funding youth programmes and activities; inequities in social, economic and political conditions; gender discrimination; high levels of youth unemployment; armed conflict and confrontation; continuing deterioration of the global environment; increasing incidence of disease, hunger and malnutrition; changes in the role of the family; and inadequate opportunity for education and training.

The situation of youth worldwide remains precarious. In both developing and developed countries, the needs and aspirations of young people are still largely unmet. Economic difficulties experienced in many developing countries are often more serious for young people. Youth are also affected by a growing incidence of substance abuse and juvenile delinquency. In addition, in many developing countries, unprecedented numbers of young people are migrating from rural areas to urban centres. Although young people in industrialized countries comprise a relatively small proportion of the total population due to generally lower birth rates and higher levels of life expectancy, they comprise a social group that faces particular problems and uncertainties regarding the future -- problems due in part to limited employment opportunities.

Who are the young?

Statistically speaking, the world youth population -- defined by the United Nations as the age group between 15 and 24 years old -- was estimated in 1995 at slightly over 1 billion, or 18 per cent of the world's people. The majority of these young men and women live in developing countries, and their numbers are expected to increase well into the twenty-first century.

A number of organizations and agencies of the United Nations system have youth-related policies, projects and programmes on various issues related to the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.