September 2017

Feature Article

UN Entities Highlighted News

ILO: High-Level Conference on Youth and Employment in North Africa

The first Youth and Employment in North Africa (YENA) conference, organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), was held from 26 to 27 September 2017 at ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The YENA conference brought together senior government, employer and worker representatives from seven African countries, as well as development partners. The two-day conference addressed the most pressing issues related to youth and decent work and agreed on a new “Roadmap for Youth Employment in North Africa” for the next five years. The interactive platform also provided an opportunity to share latest initiatives, results, and priorities for each country. More.

ILO and UNDP: High-level Event on Youth Employment for Peace and Resilience

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) co-organized a high-level event in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Social Security of Spain and the Permanent Mission of Tunisia to the United Nations. Under the aegis of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, the event brought together ministers and other high-level representatives of governments, social partners, UN entities, business, youth organizations and other key stakeholders to raise awareness about Recommendation 205 (2017) on Employment and Decent Work for Peace and Resilience, which highlights good practices and advance joint work on youth employment in fragile situations. More.

UNCDF: How Access to Financial Services and Financial Education Affects Young People

ILO: Creating Decent Jobs for a Rapidly Expanding Young African Labour Force

ILO conducted an interview with Bruno Losch, the co-Director of the Center for the Study of Governance Innovation at the University of Western Cape in South Africa, to explore youth employment challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. Youth unemployment rates remain relatively low in sub-Saharan Africa, as the vast majority of employable active youth cannot afford not to work. Yet within the next 15 years, some 375 million young people will become of working age in the region. Bruno Losch is also a lead political economist at the Agricultural Research for Development (Cirad). Read about the interview here.

 

UNDESA: “Youth Policies and Inequalities in Latin America” International Meeting

PBSO: Young Peacebuilders Come Together to Discuss Peace and Security Challenges and Opportunities in Africa

The Peace Building Support Office (PBSO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), through the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security, brought together young peacebuilders from East and Southern Africa. The young leaders shared the work they are doing with their peers and discussed the peace and security challenges they encounter in their communities. The participants also worked together to identify innovative solutions that address both context-specific and common, overarching challenges that they experience across the region. The event was held in two separate consultations in August and September 2017. More.

UNDP: #ACTon2250 – First Anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace & Security

UNEP: UN Environment Reveals World Finalists for Young Champions of the Earth Prize

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s  Young Champions of the Earth is a forward-looking prize designed to breathe life into the ambitions of brilliant young environmentalists who offer novel solutions to pressing environmental challenges. In this inaugural year, thousands of applications were received and following a multi-stage selection process including an online public vote, 12 world finalists were selected. The next stage is for a global jury to pick six young champions who will be selected for having the most innovative, scalable and impactful ideas. Winners will represent diverse geographical regions and are to be announced in November 2017. Each winner will receive USD 15,000 in seed funding, needs-based training, technical support, expert mentoring and global publicity. More.

PBSO: Youth, Peace and Security Regional Consultation and High-Level Dialogue in Amman, Jordan

UNESCO: Training Laboratory for Digital Creation

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD), which is the operational arm of the 2005 Convention for the protection and the promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, financed a project to create a laboratory specialized in various aspects of digital creation. Implemented by Kër Thiossane, a Senegalese NGO, the project supported the incorporation of multimedia work across artistic expressions by improving the level of professional skills of 150 artists. The impact of the project has been key for the emergence of the digital creation sector in Senegal. Young artists gained skills and have become competitive in the creative sector and job market in Senegal. More.

Watch the video of an IFCD funded project by Kër Thiossane here.

UNDP: Innovation for Violence Prevention in Panama

UNESCO: Youth Violence Vulnerability Index Will Guide Public Policies on Violence in Brazil

In celebration of International Youth Day which was held on the 11 August 2017, the UNESCO Office in Brazil in partnership with the National Youth Secretariat relaunched the Plano Juventude Viva (Youth Alive Plan). The event marked the beginning of the update of the Youth Violence and Racial Inequality Vulnerability Index. The index was  originally published in 2014 to highlight how young afro descendants are the main victims and are most vulnerable to violence in Brazil.  All new data collected will contribute to the implementation of the plan and and its aim to update the index by 2018. In addition, young men and women launched a steering committee to implement the plan. More.  

UNDP: Join the Arab States Space on the Youth4Peace Global Knowledge Portal!

UNESCO: Ensuring Creative and Innovative Spaces for Youth Engagement in Ethiopia

The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ethiopia organized a joint youth forum under the theme: “Ensuring  creative and innovative and creative spaces for youth engagement in Ethiopia” on 29 August 2017 held at the UN Conference Centre. The Forum assembled about 200 young Ethiopians from different fields. Participants engaged with their peers and stakeholders and used the opportunity to discuss current challenges of youth development in the country. The objective was also in view of recommending innovative creative solutions for ensuring the incorporation of the youth voice in a more constructive and meaningful way. The highlight of the day was three inspiring young “Technopreneurs”, who live in towns with less exposure to technology and where internet affordability remains a challenge. Against all odds, the Technopreneurs taught themselves to build simple machines from recycling materials such as paper, plastic, etc. More

World Bank Group: Launch of The Ideas for Action Competition

UNESCO: Youth Empowered to Create Technological Solutions for Violence Prevention in Honduras

Honduras first ever Hackathon with a social perspective took place aiming to empower young people to develop technological solutions for the benefit of groups exposed to situations of violence such as youth, women and the LGBTI community. Young people were called to participate using their knowledge on technology, government, human rights, gender equality, and education. The multidisciplinary teams participating in the Hackathon were composed of five young people from different fields such as social sciences, health sciences, engineering, and human rights, among others. More.


World Bank Group: Launch of The Ideas for Action Competition

UNESCO: Young Leaders from Indonesia are Trained on Climate Change in UNESCO Sites

In February 2017,the UNESCO Office in Jakarta, together with its partners (The One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), UNITAR, The Climate Reality Project Indonesia (TCRPI) and Youth for Climate Change (YFCC), held a series of the Youth Leadership Camp on Climate Change programme for 150 young leaders in three UNESCO’s designated sites in Indonesia. Upon completion of the trainings, the young leaders conducted climate awareness campaigns and actions targeting their peers and community. As a follow-up to the activities, participants used their networks and resources and held talk shows at Universities, educated school children, and reached out to local radios and public gatherings. The camps provided participants with training materials to improve their communication and confidence skills and covered communication and social media strategies including a movie-making workshop, an outbound training programme, and a workshop on peer education skills to raise awareness on climate change issues in the community. More.

World Bank Group: Launch of The Ideas for Action Competition

UNFPA: Y-PEER Girls Empowerment Campaign Volume 4

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)  and the Youth Peer Education Network (Y-PEER) Girls' empowerment and The National Council of Women’s awareness campaign (Taa Marbouta) were started in 2014 through interactive activities focusing on  women’s issues. In the process, the campaign enabled girls to access basic services and raised awareness on Gender Based Violence. In 2016, Y-PEER reached a total of 17,681 young people in 18 governorates in one month. In parallel, Taa Marbouta reached more than 23 million people using social media platforms. By September 2017, Y-PEER Egypt continues to reach more girls and young women from 23 different governorates through edutainment activities which focus on issues ranging from sexual harassment, domestic violence and early marriage within the context of peace building. More.

World Bank Group: Launch of The Ideas for Action Competition

UNFPA: Y-PEER Enhancing the Role of Youth Centres

UNFPA and the Youth Peer Education Network (Y -PEER) Egypt and Ministry of Youth and Sports, held the first Training of Trainers (ToT) on peer education techniques addressing population issues, adolescent heath, gender based violence and female genital mutilation under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national population strategy context. The training targeted the building capacity of 30 trainers to deliver high quality peer education programmes in clubs at local youth centres. A total of 30 trainees from 11 governorates in Egypt drafted short term plans and applied what they learnt with their peers in youth centres to raise community awareness on population issues. More.

World Bank Group: Launch of The Ideas for Action Competition

UNAOC PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival & Awards

The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)’s initiative, PLURAL+ youth video festival on migration, diversity, social inclusion, and prevention of xenophobia, will have the 2017 Awards ceremony on November 9 and 10, at the United Nations Headquarters and the Paley Center for Media in New York. Organized by UNAOC & International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with a wide network of partners, PLURAL+ supports the global, multi-platform, outreach and distribution of youth-produced videos on these urgent topics. A total of 27 of the 320 videos received from around the world have been selected for awards. More.

 

Youth in Action

World Bank Group: Launch of The Ideas for Action Competition

YALI (NGO) Entrepreneurship and Management Training

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) brought together students, entrepreneurs, universities professors who were trained by the YALI Regional Leadership Centre in The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Alumni Chapter in partnership with the  Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). For about 3 months ,68 participants were trained to better understand business management from the conception of an idea, the implementation and the achievement or success of the business. Participants were challenged to think about solutions to address critical problems that the DRC is facing such as education and environmental issues.

Publications

ILO, UNDP and UNHCR: Launch of Report on Youth Employment in Fragile Situations

The International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), under the aegis of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, produced a joint report  bearing examples of good practices from around the world that showcase innovative approaches to youth employment that help to build peace and resilience in fragile and conflict affected situations. The report was launched at a high-level event on Youth Employment for Peace and Resilience and highlighted how  empowered young women and men can play a vital role in preventing conflicts and ensuring sustainable peace. More.

 

FAO: The Nutrition Challenge Badge is here!

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) booklet: The Nutrition Challenge Badge is part of the United Nations agencies and other stakeholders from the civil society’s “Challenge Series” which aim to raise awareness, educate and motivate young people for behavior change and to encourage them to be agents of change in their local communities. The Nutrition Challenge Badge aims to help children and young people learn about the importance of a balanced, varied diet to ensure that the human body’s nutritional needs for a happy and healthy life are met. It includes information about how to make healthy food choices and understand the importance of food safety and provides guidance on how adopting a sustainable diet reduces impacts on our environment. It is packed with activities to stimulate learning and help lead healthy lifestyles that are not only good for themselves but alsothe planet.The Nutrition Challenge Badge specifically supports the Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero hunger), 3 (Good health and wellbeing) and 12 (Responsible consumption and production patterns).

World Bank Group: Launch of The Ideas for Action Competition

ILO: Today's Latin American Dream: A Decent Job

ILO and the Citi Foundation worked on a joint article that focuses on the challenges faced by young people in Latin America and the Caribbean. Of the 108 million young people in the region, 20 percent neither study nor work. In addition, many young people have stopped looking for work altogether. The article highlights the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, the first comprehensive United Nations system-wide effort to scale up action and impact on youth employment worldwide. More.


Disclaimer

Reference herein to any organization, view, or event is intended for explicit description only and does not constitute or imply endorsement or recommendation by the United Nations, or anyone else.

© 2017 Copyright, UNDESA DSPD Focal Point on Youth