A short information about UN-Habitat's Youth and Livelihood Unit's work on youth-led development and empowerment, including Youth 21 and Habitat III.

1. InterAgency NetworkYouth Development – Annual meeting

2. UN-Habitat
UrbanYouth Fund innovations
in 2014
One Stop Centres
Research
Habitat III
Youth 21

3. Approach / Strategy
Working with youth-led groups
By 2030, 60% of all urban
dwellers will be under 18
Issues of urban youth are
critical to the sustainability of
cities and countries as a whole
Holistic approach to
sustainable urban development
Urban equity – cities for life

4. Target Beneficiaries
Youth-led groups based in
urban areas are key target
group for operational work.
UN agencies, regional
organizations, member states,
local authorities, academia,
civil society are target groups
for normative work.

5. UrbanYouth Fund
UrbanYouth Fund has three
components:
1) Grant program
2) Training and capacity
building program
3) Alumni and mentor
program
E-learning
Reporting &
monitoring
Mentor
Current programming

6. One Stop Centres
Access to basic services such as
health services, recreation and skills
training in informal settlements
Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam,
Kigali.
The East AfricaCommunity and
SADC are currently working out
modalities with UN- habitat on how
to utilize the model to implement
the regional youth policies and
strategies.
Current programming

7. Research
Enhanced focus on normative
work the last two years.
Key data source: UrbanYouth
Fund projects.
- youth-led projects in 172
cities, in 63 countries
- Database of application
data; >2000 unique
applications from youth-led
grassroots organisations on
the challenges in their
community
- Youth-led, youth-
designed, youth-
implemented
Upcoming projects:
- Youth and the impact of
urban inter-sectionality
- Longitudinal study of
youth-led projects
- Impact of youth
participation in urban
developent
Current programming

8. Habitat III
Third UN conference on
Housing and SustainableUrban
Development (Habitat III).
Habitat III brings together all
interested groups to review the
urban development
agenda, and decide on the
“New UrbanAgenda”, in 2016.
UN-Habitat partners with
ICMYO and NorwegianYouth
Council in this process to
develop frameworks for
participation, and to ensure a
true and meaningful
participation of youth-led
organizations in the
preparatory process.
Current programming

9. Youth 21
UN-Habitat led process
providing a set of
recommendations on
strengthening and reforming
youth participation in the 21st
century.
Key partners includes UN
agencies, youth-led
organizations, governments,
and private sector.
Second and third goal;
revolutionizing youth aid
architecture and establishing a
permanent mechanism for
youth participation in the UN
are in process.
Current programming

10. Impacts and results
First goal ofYouth21 was to
establish an SG Envoy onYouth
and this has been realized.
Increased understanding and
awareness of urban youth’
situation and challenges.
Increased understanding of
success factors of youth-led
development.
An international movement
supporting the establishment
of a permanent mechanism for
youth participation in the UN.

11. Foresight / Next Steps
Harnessing youth’s creativity
and use of ICT in contributing
to sustainable urban
development
Concrete activities to ensure
true and meaningful youth
participation in the Habitat III
process and conference itself.
Increased research and
normative work on youth,
development and urbanization.
Youth21 working group
meeting. Enhanced political
and financial support.