Youth in Asia-Pacific: An age of opportunity

“Regional perspectives on Youth and Development”ECOSOC 2012 Coordination Segment

10 July 2012

Noeleen HeyzerUnder-Secretary General & Executive Secretary

Content

I. Situation of youth in Asia-Pacific

II. Good practicesIII. Youth policies: the way

forward

I. Situation of youth in Asia-Pacific

Distribution of youth by subregion, Asia-Pacific, 2010(UNDESA, World Population Prospects: the 2010 Revision)

Over 60% of the world’s youth live in Asia-Pacific = 750+ million

347,200,000

253,200,000

109,700,000

South & South-West Asia

South-East AsiaEast & North-East Asia

North & Central

Pacific

5,700,000

36,900,000

Asia-Pacific will achieve the MDGs on education• The region is on track to meet the MDG targets on

education• The MDG target on gender parity in education will be

achieved

• However, barriers remain for vulnerable youth to access education

Gross Enrolment Ratios (GER, in %), 2010 (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, UIS Data Centre)

Completing secondary & tertiary education remains a challenge

95

24

110

80

29

59

17

101106

Primary GER Secondary GER Tertiary GER

Central Asia

East Asia andthe Pacific

South andSouth-WestAsia

Youth unemployment rates by Asia-Pacific subregion(ESCAP, 2011 Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific)

Youth unemployment in Asia-Pacific is relatively low compared to other regions

14.010.9

18.5

10.9

South-EastAsia South & South-West Asia

North &Central Asia

Pacific

Some countries have tapped the demographic dividend

• Parts of East Asia & SE Asia have tapped the demographic dividend

• This requires a mix of social & economic policies to:Promote more investment in human capital

Foster a climate of

research & development

openness to trade

macroeconomic stability

• Such services are frequently not available to unmarried persons

• The adolescent birth rate is still alarmingly high in some countries

Many young people lack access to sexual & reproductive health services

Youth are vulnerable to health risks

• 95% of new HIV infections are among young key affected populations

• In some countries, over 60% of women & girls reported physical & sexual violence by an intimate partner

• In many parts of Asia-Pacific, methamphetamine abuse is rising among young people

• Over half of the region’s population is active online• Nearly 60% of the world’s mobile phone-owning youth live

in Asia • Republic of Korea: world leader in e-connectivity• China: 84% youth use mobile phones to access Internet• Japan: 60% youth access social networks through mobile

phones

Asia-Pacific youth are highly “e-connected”

• Youth are calling for greater accountability & social justice• Philippines: well-developed youth civil society, with youth

participation in local governance• Pakistan: Young Parliamentarian Forum & on-the-job

training for young people in Parliament

Young people are promoting good governance

II. Good practices in Asia-Pacific

Youth are participating in national development•Timor-Leste: Youth Parliament influencing national decision-making

•Sri Lanka: National Youth Services Council established multiple platforms for youth engagement in national development processes

Youth are a force for economic development

• Bangladesh: national policy to increase employability

• Viet Nam: national strategy to generate jobs & reduce unemployment

• China: national initiative to promote entrepreneurship

• India: youth volunteers promote water, sanitation & hygiene

• Pacific: youth leaders address climate change

• Central Asia: youth-led initiatives preserve biodiversity

Youth are defining the future sustainable development agenda

III. Youth policies: the way forward

Invest in youth: it makes economic sense

• Link education & training programmes to labour market demands

• Increase government spending on quality education & training

• Strengthen education & employment support for out-of-school youth

• Generate decent jobs for youth in the formal sector

• Create a sustainable tax benefit system

• Promote universal social protection through a life-cycle approach

Enhance inter-generational contracts

• Integrate information on healthy lifestyles in educational curricula

• Support effective peer education programmes

• Engage young men in programmes & services

Provide youth-friendly information & services to promote healthy lifestyles

• Support evidence-informed policies through knowledge sharing & data collection

• Promote multisectoral cooperation• Engage young people in policy processes• Build leadership, mutual understanding & respect

among youth throughout Asia-Pacific

Enhance regional cooperation to strengthen the youth agenda

Let us invest in youthfor a more

inclusive, resilient & sustainable future!