Global March welcomes launch of the International Year of Youth

On 12 August 2010, International Youth Day, the UN is launching the International Year of Youth (IYY) which will run from August 2010 to August 2011. Under the theme ‘Dialogue and Mutual Understanding,’ the Year aims to encourage dialogue and understanding across generations and promote the ideals of peace, respect for human rights and freedoms, and solidarity. The IYY 2010 coincides with the 25th anniversary of the first International Youth Year in 1985 on the theme “Participation, Development and Peace”.

Global March welcomes the launch and its focus on the participation of youth in all aspects of society. Speaking on International Youth Day, Global March Chair Kailash Satyarthi said: “This initiative is very important for young people today. In many countries, as highlighted by the new ILO report on youth employment, they face an uncertain future as the economic crisis strengthens its grip in many countries, increasing youth unemployment and negatively affecting youth training schemes and even available places for third-level education. The situation is worse for youth in developing countries where they find themselves in hazardous and exploitative work environments and are denied fundamental rights, such as education. Therefore, we are particularly encouraged to see the UN calling on all sectors of society to work in partnership with youth and youth organisations to better understand their needs and concerns and to recognise the contribution they can make to society.”

The IYY can generate much needed attention for youth participation and youth development and can provide an impetus to partnerships among youth organisations around the world. It is being coordinated by the UN Programme on Youth and has a dedicated web site with details of the programme activities (World Programme of Action for Youth), calendar of events, links to related web sites, contact points and details of how to participate. The web site address is as follows: http://social.un.org/youthyear/background.html

In addition, there is a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/UNyouth

The UN is encouraging organisations and individuals to organise activities that promote an increased understanding of the importance and benefits of youth participation in all aspects of society, as well as those that support youth to devote their energy, enthusiasm and creativity to development and the promotion of mutual understanding. These activities should also be developed within the broader framework of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), urging young people to dedicate themselves to fostering progress to achieve the MDGs.

The UN General Assembly resolution proclaiming the IYY also calls for a World Youth Conference under the auspices of the UN as the highlight of the Year. The conference date and place are yet to be determined, but it is likely to take place around mid-2011 before the IYY ends in August.

Global March will be following the progress of the IYY throughout the 12 months and urges member and partner organisations to do the same and to plan and implement activities to promote youth participation under the auspices of the IYY, with a specific focus on action for child labour elimination and prevention. These could include involving young people in activities to tackle child labour, for example, awareness-raising, advocacy and providing educational and other forms of support to at-risk or affected children. They could also involve targeting young people between the ages of 15 to 17 working in hazardous or worst forms of child labour, supporting their withdrawal and rehabilitation.

The ILO’s 2010 Global Report on Child Labour highlights the need to focus greater attention on the 15 to 17 year old age group who can be found in hazardous work and worst forms of child labour. ILO Convention No 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour clearly establishes the age of a child as 18 in terms of hazardous work, even if they are over the minimum age of employment. Targeting this age group can be challenging but it is vital that they are afforded the protection to which they are entitled under law and that they can benefit from their fundamental rights. Young people can be powerful advocates against child labour and as agents of social change. Therefore, it is vital that we find ways to help them direct their energy, emotions and creativity, reaching out to their peers and mobilising other social actors and government authorities to end the exploitation of all children.

Global March calls on members and partners to take whatever action they can to support the UN IYY 2010 and to share information of their experiences to provide inspiration to others and ensure that the voice of youth is heard throughout our global movement.

Please submit your news and stories of activities around the IYY 2010 to info@globalmarch.org and we will publish these on our web site.