Regional Perspective on Youth and Development in the UNECE

Mr. Sven AlkalajMr. Sven AlkalajUnited Nations Under-Secretary-GeneralUnited Nations Under-Secretary-General

Executive SecretaryExecutive SecretaryEconomic Commission for EuropeEconomic Commission for Europe

United Nations, New York United Nations, New York July 10, 2012July 10, 2012

The future of the region’s youth: unemployment is the most immediate problem

‒ The region’s youth unemployment rate is approximately 20%, and almost 50% in Greece and Spain.

– Youth unemployment is 2 to 2.5 times higher than overall unemployment throughout the business cycle.

– Highest in the world except for the Middle East and North Africa.

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Regional youth unemployment

The future of the region’s youth: unemployment is the most immediate problem

‒ Higher for men in the European advanced economies and higher for women in the transition economies.

‒ The cause is a combination of both cyclical and structural factors, and the solution must address both.

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Regional youth unemployment

Enhancing the future of the region’s youth: reducing unemployment

– Additional regionally coordinated fiscal stimulus is the only tool for significantly lowering unemployment over the next year or two.

– Structural unemployment can be lowered over the medium term with improved education and training programs and active labor market policies.

– The European Union’s New Skills for New Jobs Initiative is a best practice.

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Policy actions needed to reduce unemployment

Enhancing the future of the region’s youth: reducing unemployment

‒ However, austerity programs are resulting in large cuts to programs developing human capital and will lower future growth.

‒ Transition economies’ school systems and training programs have yet to fully adapt to the needs of a market economy.

‒ Scandinavian flexicurity programs appear reasonably successful in providing income support for workers while still keeping labor markets flexible.

‒ Many previously tried policies to enhance youth employment (lower minimum wages, short-term contracts, etc.) usually did not work.

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Policy actions needed to reduce unemployment

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Bulgaria Hungary Romania

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Majority Roma

The region needs to better integrate the youth from disadvantaged groups into the educational system and labor markets

Proportion of young men (25-34) with at least upper secondary education, in mid-2000s

Educating the youth for the future

– More students completing the secondary and tertiary levels throughout the region.

– Programs are needed to counteract gender stereotyping regarding educational and occupational choices.

– Family planning and child care facilities to reduce the economic costs of motherhood.

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The region desires to create innovative, dynamic and green economies, which requires

Educating the youth for the future

‒ Universal access to primary school for both boys and girls; additional primary school teachers are needed in some of the transition economies.

‒ Linking industry with universities and research centers and creating an enabling environment for young researchers.

‒ Educational systems should provide a broad curriculum that fully addresses mankind’s environmental, social and economic challenges.

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The region desires to create innovative, dynamic and green economies, which requires

Additional challenges facing the region’s youth

Health– Malnutrition:10% of the children in the transition

economies are moderately or severely stunted.– HIV-Aids: significant progress but still a major problem in

eastern Europe.– Traffic deaths: very high in east Europe.

Ageing– Europe has the lowest birth rates and the oldest

populations of any world region: young people will have to pay the bill.

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Additional challenges facing the region’s youth

Peace and Security

‒Europe has a history of conflicts; south-east Europe in the 1990s.‒European integration efforts were not established solely for economic purposes, but also for advancing peace and cooperation.

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Thank you!

For more information www.unece.org