Youth in Asia-Pacific: An age of opportunity

“Regional perspectives on Youth and Development” ECOSOC 2012 Coordination Segment 10 July 2012 Noeleen Heyzer Under-Secretary General & Executive Secretary

Content

I.

Situation of youth in Asia Pacific II. Good practices III. Youth policies: the way forward

I. Situation of youth in Asia-Pacific

Over 60% of the world’s youth live in Asia-Pacific = 750+ million Distribution of youth by subregion, Asia-Pacific, 2010

(UNDESA, World Population Prospects: the 2010 Revision) Pacific 5,700,000 South-East Asia 109,700,000 East & North East Asia 253,200,000 South & South West Asia 347,200,000 North & Central 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

Completing secondary & tertiary education remains a challenge Gross Enrolment Ratios (GER, in %), 2010

(UNESCO Institute for Statistics, UIS Data Centre) 101 110 106 95 80 Central Asia 59 24 29 17 East Asia and the Pacific South and South-West Asia Primary GER Secondary GER Tertiary GER

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

(ESCAP, 2011 Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific) 18.5

14.0

10.9

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

Many young people lack access to sexual & reproductive health services

• • Such services are frequently not available to unmarried persons The adolescent birth rate is still alarmingly high in some countries

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

Asia-Pacific youth are highly “e-connected”

• • • • • 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

Young people are promoting good governance

• • • 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

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

Youth are defining the future sustainable development agenda

• India: youth volunteers promote water, sanitation & hygiene • Pacific: youth leaders address climate change • Central Asia: youth-led initiatives preserve biodiversity

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

Enhance inter-generational contracts

• Generate decent jobs for youth in the formal sector • Create a sustainable tax benefit system • Promote universal social protection through a life-cycle approach

Provide youth-friendly information & services to promote healthy lifestyles

• Integrate information on healthy lifestyles in educational curricula • Support effective peer education programmes • Engage young men in programmes & services

Enhance regional cooperation to strengthen the youth agenda

• • • • 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

Let us invest in youth for a more inclusive, resilient & sustainable future!