Youth is the backbone of the nation. As they say, Youth is the spring of life.
In 2019, there are about 1.2 billion youth aged 15 to 24 years in the world, or 16 per cent of the global population. Around 2065, the world’s youth population is projected to reach its peak, at just under 1.4 billion persons (13%).
Central and Southern Asia were home to the largest number of youth (361 million), followed by Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (307 million) and sub-Saharan Africa (211 million).
Young people must be considered as the primary actors with whom to develop such partnerships.
Youth is the stage of innovation and visions. They have the muscle to transform the nation into a better and healthy place. They also have the gift to lead their fellow citizens into the right direction.
Recent years have seen escalating global awareness and acceptance of the need to mobilize the creativity, vision and unique perspectives of young people for the present and future development of our societies.
Today’s young generation experiences widening social gaps and faces manifold challenges: it is the young who – perhaps more so than any other social group – encounter the uncertainties and risks generated by the process of economic and cultural globalisation.
The pronounced difficulties young people experience in terms of their socio-economic, political and cultural inclusion in an ever more volatile world are the subject of wide-spread concern at both the national and international level.
Every country thus needs effective strategies able to help young people to make the right choices, protect them from exploitation and neglect and ensure their participation in all spheres of society.
It is the essential role of governments to ensure that the concerns of young people are taken into account in all areas of government policy and decision-making, and not just those deemed to be ‘youth issues’ and that young people’s views, priorities and desires are encouraged, listened to and acted upon.
