On 17 December 1999, in its resolution 54/120, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day.

This year’s International Youth Day is a particularly important day for youth around the world. In December 2009, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/64/134 proclaiming the Year commencing this International Youth Day (12 August 2010) as the International Year of Youth.

In line with the theme for the International Year, the theme for this year’s International Youth Day is “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”. The choice of theme reflects the General Assembly’s appreciation of the value of dialogue among youth from different cultures as well as among different generations.

In 1985, the UN celebrated the first International Year of Youth. On its 10th anniversary, the General Assembly adopted the World Programme of Action for Youth, setting a policy framework and guidelines for national action and international support to improve the situation of young people.

15 Priority Areas adopted by the General Assembly:

• Education
• Employment
• Hunger and poverty
• Health
• Environment
• Drug abuse
• Juvenile delinquency
• Leisure-time activities
• Girls and young women
• Participation
• Globalization
• Information and communication technologies
• HIV/AIDS
• Youth and conflict
• Intergenerational relations

Today, the World Programme of Action for Youth plays a prominent role in youth development. It focuses on measures to strengthen national capacities in the field of youth and to increase the quality and quantity of opportunities available to young people for full, effective and constructive participation in society.

The United Nations Programme on Youth serves as the Focal Point on Youth at the UN. It undertakes a range of activities to promote youth development including supporting intergovernmental policy-making, conducting analytical research and increasing the effectiveness of the UN’s work in youth development by strengthening collaboration and exchange among UN entities through the Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development.

This year’s commemoration of International Youth Day also marks the launch of the International Year of Youth, under the theme “Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”.

Today’s challenging social and economic environment warrant a special focus on youth. Eighty-seven per cent of people aged 15 to 24 live in developing countries. The global economic crisis has had a disproportionate impact on young people; they have lost jobs, struggled to find even low-wage employment and seen access to education curtailed. As economies slowly begin to stabilize, the needs of young people should be paramount.

This is a moral imperative and a developmental necessity. But it is also an opportunity: the energy of youth can ignite faltering economies. I am regularly inspired by the good will, talent and idealism of the young people I meet across the world. They are making important contributions to our work to eradicate poverty, contain the spread of disease, combat climate change and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. I call on Member States to increase their investments in young people so they can do even more.

During the International Year, the United Nations and its youth organization partners will focus on the need to encourage dialogue and understanding across generations, cultures and religions. In a world in which different peoples and traditions are coming into closer, more frequent contact than ever before, it is crucial that young people learn how to listen intently, empathize with others, acknowledge divergent opinions, and be able to resolve conflicts. Few endeavors are more important than nurturing these skills, and educating young people about human rights, for in them we not only see the next generation of leaders, but also crucial stakeholders of today. Let us also recognize that older generations themselves stand to learn a great deal from the experiences and examples of young people as they come of age in a world of accelerating interconnectedness.

As we launch this International Year, let us acknowledge and celebrate what youth can do to build a safer, more just world. Let us strengthen our efforts to include young people in policies, programmes and decision-making processes that benefit their futures and ours.

Today marks the launch of the UN International Year of Youth centred on the theme of dialogue and mutual understanding. It has been 25 years – more than one generation – since the UN dedicated a special year to youth. A force of 1.2 billion between ages 15 and 24, young people have the energy and motivation to propose innovative solutions to today’s global challenges and the aspiration and tools to build bridges of dialogue across cultures.

This Year aims to raise awareness about young people’s contribution to society, to help them address the challenges they face and encourage them to participate in development initiatives, from community to global level.

We have to open more spaces and opportunities to nurture civic engagement and enable youth to participate in shaping their future. Five years away from the 2015 target date for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, it is more important than ever to encourage young people to dedicate themselves to achieving a more just and sustainable world.

Our goal is to harness the potential of youth as partners for development and peace. The UNESCO Youth Forum, held since 1999, is now an integral part of all sessions of the UNESCO General Conference, the Organization’s highest decisionmaking body. The Forum gives young people from all Member States the opportunity to learn about UNESCO’s programmes and be more actively engaged in tangible action in their respective countries. The 2011 UNESCO Youth Forum will provide space for all UN agencies and other partners to report on their activities carried out during International Youth Year and chart a future course of action.

Public investment in youth provides lasting dividends for all society. The global economic and financial crisis has made the world more insecure for young people, especially for those from vulnerable or marginalized groups. Youth policies that promote equity and directly engage with young people must be strengthened. Development assistance policies should be better geared to address youth’s needs and concerns.

UNESCO is committed to empowering youth and ensuring that their voices are heard. We are currently co-chairing the United Nations Interagency Network on Youth Development, which was formally set up in February 2010 at UNESCO Headquarters. The establishment of this network marks an important step towards better coordinating our knowledge, reflections and actions on youth, in order to improve the impact of our work. The Organization will reinforce support to Member- States in developing effective policies and programmes affecting youth, running from access to quality educational opportunities, the empowerment of young women and partnerships for HIV and AIDS prevention to the promotion of cultural diversity, measures to address youth violence, and sports for development and peace.

By recognizing the manifold contributions that youth can make in promoting mutual understanding, the International Year of Youth embraces UNESCO’s vision of “building peace in the minds of people” and aligns with the objective of the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, which UNESCO is leading. Young people must be given opportunities to participate as respected partners in decision-making and action at all levels. It is in everyone’s interest to empower youth with the skills they need to build more sustainable future. I call upon governments and the international community to act hand in hand with youth, and encourage young people from across the world to seize the opportunity this Year offers to network, share ideas and launch initiatives that promote peace, mutual understanding and development for all.

A special event on the occasion of the launch of the International Year of Youth on the themeDialogue and Mutual Understanding, will be held on Thursday, 12 August 2010, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the General Assembly Hall.

The event is co-organized by the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development and the United Nations Programme on Youth, Division for Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

International Youth Day will be celebrated at United Nations headquarters in New York with the global launch event of the International Year of Youth. The event will be a celebration of young peoples’ energy, imagination and initiatives and will recognize their crucial contributions to enhancing peace and development. The event is an opportunity for the international community and the UN system to demonstrate their commitment to young people. But it will also be a fun occasion with musical guests and performances. A photo exhibit entitled “Visual Voices – Youth perspectives on Global Issues” will be inaugurated in the UN visitors lobby. The exhibit will be open to the public until early September. 

In addition to the global launch event at UN Headquarters, there will be celebrations all over the world, which will highlight opportunities and challenges for youth throughout the International Year of Youth in different regions and countries. 

International Conventions and Declarations

United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of Their Liberty  (14 December 1990) 

United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules) (29 November 1985) 

Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples (7 December 1965) 

UN Documents

General Assembly Resolutions

Secretary-General’s Reports

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Resolutions

Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Reports