Thammasat University students interested in education, human rights, political science, sociology, development studies, economics, and related issues may note that each 12 August is celebrated as United Nations (UN) International Youth Day.

The Thammasat University Library collection includes many books about subjects affecting youth, including youth social entrepreneurship and youth engagement.

As the UN website explains,

• Half of the people on our planet are 30 or younger, and this is expected to reach 57% by the end of 2030.
• Survey shows that 67% of people believe in a better future, with 15 to 17 year-olds being the most optimistic about this.
• The majority of people agree that the age balance in politics is wrong. More than two thirds (69%) of people across all age groups agree that more opportunities for younger people to have a say in policy development/change would make political systems better.
• Globally, only 2.6% of parliamentarians are under 30 years old, and less than 1% of these young MPs are women.

2024 Theme: From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development

Digitalization is transforming our world, offering unprecedented opportunities to accelerate sustainable development. Digital technologies such as mobile devices, services, and artificial intelligence are instrumental in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data generated from digital interactions supports evidence-based decision-making. With profound impact across economic, social and environmental dimensions, digital technologies and data contribute to at least 70 per cent of the 169 SDG targets while potentially reducing the cost of achieving these goals by up to USD 55 trillion.

Young people are leading the charge in digital adoption and innovation, with three-quarters of those aged 15 to 24 using the internet in 2022, a rate higher than other age groups. However, disparities persist, particularly in low-income countries and among young women, who often have less access to the internet and digital skills compared to their male counterparts. While there is an urgent need to enhance digital inclusion, youth are largely recognized as “digital natives,” using technology to drive change and create solutions. As the 2030 deadline for the SDGs approaches, the role of young people in digital innovation is essential for addressing global issues.

By celebrating the digital contributions of youth, we can inspire further innovation and collaboration towards achieving sustainable development.

The UN also notes that

The Focal Point on Youth, UN Programme on Youth, falls within the Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). Within the United Nations system, the Focal Point on Youth aims to build an awareness of the global situation of young people, as well as promote their rights and aspirations. The Focal Point also works towards greater participation of young people in decision-making as a means of achieving peace and development.

We are part of the Social Inclusion and Participation Branch of DISD. You can reach us by email at youth@un.org.

Mission Statement

Our mandate is mainly based on the World Programme of Action for Youth. The fifteen fields of action identified by the international community are: education, employment, hunger and poverty, health, environment, substance abuse, juvenile justice, leisure-time activities, girls and young women and the full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and in decision-making, as well as globalization, information and communication technologies, HIV/AIDS, armed conflict, and inter-generational issues.

The Focal Point on Youth works to:

Enhance awareness of the global situation of youth and increase recognition of the rights and aspirations of youth;

Promote national youth policies, national youth coordinating mechanisms and national youth programmes of action as integral parts of social and economic development, in cooperation with both governmental and non-governmental organizations; and

Strengthen the participation of youth in decision-making processes at all levels in order to increase their impact on national development and international cooperation.

Last year, the UN published Policies and programmes involving youth – 2023 Resolution.

Excerpts:

• Recognizing the important and positive contribution of young people in efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security, and reaffirming the commitment to the full implementation of the youth, peace and security agenda,
• Emphasizing that fulfilling the needs and well-being of youth is critical to achieving inclusive and sustainable development, and underlining the important role that youth can play in the promotion of development,
• Emphasizing also the importance of the full, meaningful, effective and inclusive participation of young people in decision-making, taking into account their diverse situations and conditions, which includes involving youth, youth-led and youthfocused organizations and movements at the national, regional and international levels, as appropriate, including in the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,
• Emphasizing further the importance of empowering youth, including young women and girls, in order to address global challenges, including but not limited to fully eradicating poverty, ending hunger and malnutrition, tackling food insecurity, structural inequalities, climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss as well as the effects of technological change, and reducing the widening gap between developed and developing countries across all spheres, promoting sustainable growth and full and productive employment and decent work for all young people,
• Recognizing that the young generations will be most affected by today’s decision-making, and therefore underlining that public policies should prioritize and ensure long-term sustainability, foster intergenerational solidarity and exchange of experiences, and consider impacts on future generations,
• Deeply concerned with all forms of violence, discrimination, stigmatization and exclusion of young people, notably in schools and in the digital sphere, particularly in social media platforms, reiterating the need to tackle the spread of disinformation and misinformation and the rise in racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, stereotyping, and religious hatred, and emphasizing the importance of preventing and combating violations and abuses of human rights, and violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, as well as violence that occurs through or is amplified by the use of technology, sexual harassment and bullying, both online and offline,
• Recognizing that, while young people represent a significant part of the online population, they may lack essential digital literacy and skills required for labour market access and future employability, and acknowledging the significance of providing them with digital educational resources, including online, and necessary digital tools, Acknowledging the need to address juvenile crime and delinquency by giving priority to preventative approaches and measures as well as to rehabilitation services and programmes,
• Stressing the importance of taking effective measures, in conformity with international law, to protect all young people from radicalization to violence, and acknowledging the important role that youth can play in preventing its occurrence, […]
• Reaffirming that generating decent work and quality employment for youth is one of the biggest challenges that needs to be tackled, emphasizing the need to develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment, with a focus on promoting quality education and lifelong learning, the acquisition of relevant skills, including literacy and numeracy, digital, technical and vocational skills and entrepreneurship, and the promotion of apprenticeships and internships, and taking note of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth as well as the launch of the Green Jobs for Youth Pact,
• Recognizing the need to invest in human capital development for youth by promoting entrepreneurship, education, vocational training and skills development programmes and partnerships, productive employment creation, in line with labour market needs, as well as in cooperation with the private sector and trade unions, with a view to reducing youth unemployment, avoiding brain drain and optimizing brain gain and harnessing the demographic dividend,

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)