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.
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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!