World Youth Report 2005: 515 million young people live on less than $2 a day.

On 6 October 2005, the General Assembly reviewed in two plenary meetings the situation of youth and the achievements attained in the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth, ten years after its adoption in 1995. The World Youth Report 2005 was also discussed, together with a supplementary report entitled "Making Commitments Matter", which provides an overview of inputs received from youth and youth organizations on the Programme's achievements.

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The World Youth Report, prepared every two years by the UN Secretary-General, provides the General Assembly with an overview of the social and economic situation of young people (15 to 24 years old) in 15 priority areas for youth development. To demonstrate their interlinkages, the Report has grouped these priority areas into three clusters: youth in a global economy, which includes issues such as hunger and poverty, education, employment and globalization; youth in civil society, related to concerns on the environment, leisure, participation, information and communication technology (ICT) and intergenerational relations; and youth at risk, encompassing health, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, conflicts and HIV/AIDS. It should be emphasized that in discussing health and gender issues concerning youth, access to medical care and social services, as well as gender equality, are basic human rights, and that policy and programmes should be developed based on that assumption.

Youth in a global economy: Sustainable economic development depends upon the participation of young people in education and employment. Achieving the goals of quality education and decent work for all youth has increasingly been determined by global market forces. The challenge for policymakers is to support youth with programmes and policies that empower them to partake in the benefits of globalization and the spread of ICTs, while protecting them from negative consequences of the globalized economy.

It is estimated that almost 209 million young people, or 18 per cent of all youth, currently live on less than $1 a day, and 515 million or nearly 45 per cent on less than $2 a day. South Asia has the largest number of youth living below these poverty lines, followed by sub-Saharan Africa; both regions are also home to the largest concentration of undernourished young people. There is increased recognition that investing in youth can be beneficial to poverty alleviation efforts. Identified as a major group affected by poverty, youth are increasingly consulted in drafting poverty reduction strategy papers.

Education has always been regarded as the way out of poverty. Since 1995, the number of children completing primary school has continued to increase, and four out of five young people in the eligible age group are now in secondary school. Also, tertiary enrolment has increased and it is estimated that some 100 million youth worldwide are enrolled in university-level education. Looking at these statistics, one can argue that the current generation of youth is the best-educated ever. Yet, 113 million primary-school-age children were not in school in 2000, making them the next generation of illiterate youth, replacing the current group of an estimated 130 million. In rural areas, young people have less access to education, the quality of education is poorer and adult illiteracy rate is higher. The gap between male and female literacy rates in Asia and Africa appears to be widening.

Apart from making education available to all, emphasis should be focused on enhancing its quality. Abolition of school fees has stimulated enrolment, but without additional funding it can have negative implications on the quality of education. Despite the fact that young people are receiving more education, youth unemployment worldwide has increased to record levels; totalling 88 million, it is highest in the Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. High unemployment rates are partly due to a failure in many countries to closely link the educational system to the needs of the labour market, as well as the result of large numbers of youth now reaching the working age. In the absence of opportunities in the formal labour market, young people are also turning to so-called "forced entrepreneurship" and self-employment in the informal sector, working for low pay in often hazardous conditions and with few future prospects.

There has been increasing concern among policymakers that the frustration which accompanies long-term unemployment among young urban men feeds political and ideological unrest and violence. In order to address the problem, Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched the Youth Employment Network in 2001.

Youth are most flexible and perhaps best able to adapt to and make use of new opportunities offered by globalization. However, many of them, especially in developing countries, have been left out of the digitalization and modernization process. They also lack the economic power to benefit from the opportunities that globalization offers and at the same time their cultural identity and local traditions are threatened. As companies move to areas where labour and production costs are cheapest, new technologies have replaced manual labour, mainly affecting low-skilled jobs. Many people decide to migrate to urban areas or abroad. Based on available immigration data, it is estimated that some 15 per cent or 26 million are youth. Every day, thousands of young people, often motivated by unrealistic information and high expectations, illegally pursue a life of fortune in a rich country.

Youth in civil society: Youth are an integral part of civil society, and participation in its activities assures that youth are engaged in shaping their future. They need to be involved in decision-making processes that help to shape their own socio-economic environment. In the past ten years, there have been two distinct developments that have changed the way in which young people's socialization and participation take place. First, the role of youth in society is being influenced by a new, to a large extent media-driven, global youth culture brought about by rapid growth of new ICTs; and second, the ageing of societies has profound consequences for relations between generations.

Young people around the world have a special concern and responsibility for the environment and a sustainable future. They increasingly question the negative consequences of globalization, such as unequal distribution of wealth and environmental degradation. The media and the education system are most crucial to activate young people's involvement. However, there is also a need to increase their involvement in decision-making processes. The past decade has seen a growing recognition of the importance of youth participation in decision-making, which strengthens their commitment to and understanding of human rights and democracy, and leads to better outcomes of policies and programmes. While youth were represented mainly through membership-based youth organizations, today there is a broad arena of structures that tend to be based on networks of collaboration and common interests.

One way to reverse the decline in young people's traditional participation and civic engagement is through Internet activities. ICTs are creating new forms of "cyber-participation" that provide the youth with creative, open, non-committing and non-hierarchal channels of participation. Yet, questions remain as to whether such technologies can empower them and improve their livelihoods, or whether they are deepening the already existing inequalities and divisions in the world. The important concerns of a global digital divide apply as much to youth as to any other age group.

The past decade has also seen a growing recognition of the vital contribution that leisure time can make for young people in terms of promoting social inclusion, access to opportunities and overall development. Today's youth are increasingly seeking and finding new ways to spend their free time both out of necessity and interest. In many industrialized countries, cuts in government subsidies for leisure activities, sport, music and art instructions have negatively affected many valuable extra-curricular activities in and out of schools. The loss of these opportunities leads to greater numbers of "latchkey" children, who either return to empty apartments or houses, or roam the streets.

The ageing of societies has profound consequences for relations between generations. The proportion of youth in the total global population is gradually shrinking. Youth development will increasingly be viewed for the potential benefits it can bring to other generations. The number of people aged 60 years and over is expected to double, rising from 10 to 21 per cent between 2000 and 2050. The youth population will decrease from 18 to 14 per cent of the total population. This ageing of society is already apparent in developed countries, but the process is occurring at a much faster rate in developing countries, and in many cases the necessary infrastructure and policies will not be in place to deal with the consequent developments.

Youth at risk: Most young people manage well the transition from protected childhood to independent adulthood. With support of family, school and peers, the majority of them eventually find a meaningful place in society as young adults, while a minority diverts from this path; some become engaged in risky behaviour that can damage their social position and health status.

HIV/AIDS is the most prevalent cause of mortality among youth, followed by violence and injuries. The spread of the virus has had a devastating impact on the sexual and reproductive health of young people who are particularly vulnerable to contract the disease.

There are 10 million youth currently living with HIV/AIDS, of which 6.2 million live in sub-Saharan Africa and 2.2 million in Asia. In the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa, young women are two to three times more likely than men to be HIV-positive. Young people who are empowered to make informed choices have greater potential and more opportunity to drastically reduce the number of new infections.

Health may be defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Most alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use starts during adolescence. Of all illicit substances listed in the international drug control treaties, cannabis is by far the most widely and frequently used, especially among young people. There has also been an unprecedented emergence of the use of synthetic drugs worldwide, mostly in recreational settings. Partial restrictions on marketing of alcohol and tobacco have not yet prevented higher use in developing countries, where demand of illicit substances among youth has increased to levels typically found in industrialized countries.

In most countries, girls and young women suffer from discrimination and stereotyping, which limit their full participation in society. There has been greater awareness of gender issues among Governments. However, equal access to higher education and labour markets continues to be a concern in some countries. Negative stereotyping of women have continued to persist both in old and new media, and violence is still being perpetrated against girls and young women. Physical and sexual abuse affects millions of girls and women, who are also particularly vulnerable to violence in conflict situations. Yet, such abuse is considered to be seriously under-reported.

The past decade has seen an unprecedented increase in the involvement of young people, both as victims and perpetrators, in armed conflicts-there are an estimated 300,000 child and youth combatants. Despite the international legal framework to protect minors and prevent their engagement in conflict situations, there has not been an improvement on the ground. Furthermore, youth are not protected by this legal framework, even though many were young children during the period of conflict. Due to this "grey legal area", youth remains vulnerable during conflicts and after peace has been established. Trauma and lack of social support and services may seriously affect young people, causing lasting harm to their physical and mental health, and endanger their transition into adulthood.

This article was prepared by the Programme on Youth, of the Division for Social Policy and Development of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which is the focal point within the United Nations system on matters relating to youth issues. Currently working with the Programme are Joop Theunissen, Fred Doulton, Julie Larsen, Charlotte van Hees and Sylvie Pailler. (For more information and to read the full report and its recommendations, visit www.un.org/youth.)