Youth 2030: Empowering young people for peace, security, and sustainable development

The United Nations put forth the Youth 2030 strategy, a program dedicated to empowering young people and facilitating their involvement in peace, security, and sustainable development. The background of this strategic initiative highlights the growing need to include youth voices in global decision-making processes. At the time, the world population aged 10-24 years was estimated to be 1.8 billion, representing a substantial segment that was often underrepresented in critical areas of governance and development. Youth 2030 was framed to address various challenges faced by young people, including unemployment, education inequities, and limited access to participatory mechanisms. The initiative aimed to integrate youth perspectives into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, recognizing their potential as change agents. The strategy focused on five priority areas: engaging youth actively in civic and political processes, enhancing their access to quality education and training, improving youth health and well-being, promoting economic empowerment through job creation and entrepreneurship, and ensuring the protection of their rights. The implementation of Youth 2030 was meant to create more inclusive policies at both national and international levels. It aimed to break down barriers that prevented young people from contributing to peacebuilding efforts and sustainable development. By fostering collaboration between UN entities, governments, civil society, and private sectors, the strategy sought to create an enabling environment for youth empowerment. Key statistics highlight that prior to this strategy, youth unemployment was a global issue, with rates significantly higher than those of adults. Furthermore, many young individuals faced educational discrepancies and lacked access to platforms that could amplify their voices in policy discussions. The introduction of Youth 2030 represented a concerted effort to ensure that young people could meaningfully participate in and benefit from global development processes. It marked a step towards acknowledging the importance of youth in achieving sustainable peace and development. #Youth2030 #UNYouthStrategy #SustainableDevelopment #YouthEmpowerment #GlobalYouth #MoofLife