The Sustainable Development Goals—officially known as "Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development"—are an intergovernmental set of 17 aspirational goals and 169 targets that now apply to all countries. SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) seek to address primary concerns of youth. Elsewhere, it stands to reason that engaging, energizing, and empowering youth can make them integral part of the solutions we all need.

1. The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian
Development Bank, or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included
in this presentation and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this presentation do not imply any
view on ADB's part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADB's terminology.
Youth and the Global Goals
Olivier Serrat
2016

2. Young People Today
The world is home to the largest group of 10 to 24-year-olds in history: they number
1.8 billion and 90% of them live in developing countries. India has over 350 million such
youth, more than the total population of the United States (324 million).
More than 500 million youth aged 15–24 live on less than $2 a day.
Young people aged 15–24 are three times more likely than older segments of
the population to be unemployed. Some 75 million youth aged 15–24 are
currently unemployed. More than 600 million jobs must be generated by 2030.
About 69 million adolescents of lower secondary school age are out of school.
Some 1.5 billion persons, the majority of them under the age of 30,
live in conflict or fragile situations. In developing countries, one in
three girls is married before her 18th birthday. Across the world, more
than half of all sexual assaults are inflicted on girls younger than 16.
Young people are under-represented in decision-making processes: less
than 2% of parliamentarians are in their 20s; only 12% are in their 30s.

3. Global Youth Population, Millions
Source: United Nations. World Population Projections: The 2010 Revision. New York.
1950 2000 2050 2100
Africa 43 164 391 505
Asia 263 670 631 502
Europe 95 101 75 76
Latin
America
32 101 92 73
North
America
26 44 55 61

4. My World 2015
From January–May 2014, the Office
of the UN Secretary-General's Envoy
on Youth convened a team from
youth-led organizations and United
Nations entities to flesh out concrete
proposals for target areas on youth in
the post-2015 development agenda.
The Global Youth Call: "Prioritizing
Youth in the Post-2015 Development
Agenda" issued on 3 June 2014 was
based on the top five thematic
priorities of over 1.3 million young
people who voted in the My World
2015 survey out of a total 2.1 million
respondents.
Education
Employment and
Entrepreneurship
Health
Governance and
Participation
Peace and Personal
Security
Youth Priorities

5. Transforming Our World:
Statements on Youth
• Unemployment,
particularly YOUTH
unemployment, is a major
concern. (Para. 14)
Our
World
Today
Youth unemployment is caused by the state of the economy; the
structure of the labor market; lack of relevant skills; insufficient
experience; unawareness of job vacancies; constrained opportunities,
e.g., health, location; stigma and discrimination, e.g., age, ethnicity,
gender; and reactive approaches to gaining employment.

6. Transforming Our World:
Statements on Youth
The New Agenda
• Those whose needs are reflected in the Agenda include all children, YOUTH,
persons with disabilities (of whom more than 80% live in poverty), people living
with HIV/AIDS, older persons, indigenous peoples, refugees, and internally
displaced persons and migrants. (Para. 23)
• All people, irrespective of sex, age, race, or ethnicity, and persons with disabilities,
migrants, indigenous peoples, children, and YOUTH, especially those in vulnerable
situations, should have access to life-long learning opportunities that help them to
acquire the knowledge and skills needed to exploit opportunities and to
participate fully in society. (Para. 25)
• We will strive to provide children and YOUTH with a nurturing environment for the
full realization of their rights and capabilities, helping our countries to reap the
demographic dividend, including through safe schools and cohesive communities
and families. (Para. 25)
• We will work to build dynamic, sustainable, innovative and people-centered
economies, promoting YOUTH employment and women's economic
empowerment, in particular, and decent work for all. (Para. 27)

7. The 17 Sustainable Development
Goals

8. "Youth" in the Sustainable
Development Goals
Quality Education—Ensure inclusive
and equitable quality education and
promote lifelong learning opportunities
for all (SDG 4)
• By 2030, substantially increase the number
of YOUTH and adults who have relevant
skills, including technical and vocational
skills, for employment, decent jobs, and
entrepreneurship (Target 4.4)
• By 2030, ensure that all YOUTH and a
substantial proportion of adults, both men
and women, achieve literacy and
numeracy (Target 4.6)
Decent Work and Economic Growth—
Promote sustained, inclusive, and
sustainable economic growth, full and
productive employment, and decent
work for all (SDG 8)
• By 2020, substantially reduce the
proportion of YOUTH not in employment,
education, or training (Target 8.6)
• By 2020, develop and operationalize a
global strategy for YOUTH employment
and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the
International Labor Organization (Target
8.10.b)
Climate Action—Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (SDG 13)
• Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and
management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing
on women, YOUTH, and local and marginalized communities (Target 13.3.b)

9. "Youth" in the Sustainable
Development Goals
Target 4.4 • Percentage of youth/adults with information and
communications technology skills by type of skill
Target 4.6
• Percentage of population in a given age group achieving
at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a)
literacy and (b) numeracy skills.
Target 8.6 • Percentage of youth (aged 15-24) not in education,
employment, or training
Target 8.10.b
• Total government spending in social protection and
employment programs as a percentage of the national
budgets and GDP
Target 13.3.b
• Number of least developed countries and small island
developing States that are receiving specialized support
for mechanisms for raising capacities for effective climate
change-related planning and management, including
focusing on women, youth, local, and marginalized
communities

10. YouthSpeak, a global youth insight survey powered by AIESEC (the
world's largest youth-run organization), has captured 170, 000+
responses from young people in over 100 countries and territories so
far. The results confound stereotypes:
• When asked about their top motivators, Millennials listed family,
purpose in life, and friends—in that order. (These are more
important than, say, financial success, recognition, and personal
achievement.)
• A majority (82%) of Millennials is willing to volunteer time and
energy on purposeful projects abroad but many (52%) claimed that
lack of resources is a main obstacle to doing so.
• Regarding the SDGs, a majority (55%) of Millennials confessed lack
of awareness but most want to contribute to their accomplishment
with a preference for SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 1 (no poverty),
and SDG 3 (good health and well-being)—in that order. Surprisingly,
they showed least interest in SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals).
Millennials are the SDGen!

11. #Youth4SDG
Youth are both beneficiaries of the SDGs and crucial enablers of them.
They must serve as change makers, communicators, critical thinkers,
innovators, and leaders because the "youth bulge" implies they have a
large stake in the present and future of the world. For that, they need
recognition and the space to translate Agenda 2030 at local, national,
regional, and global levels.
How might
youth
contribute to
the
achievement
of the SDGs?
• Engaging with youth is no longer an option: the
"Millennials" are a growing constituency that pushes
an increasingly coherent agenda. The newly adopted
SDGs are an unprecedented opportunity: they
acknowledge youth, address issues that are of
particular concern to young people, and invite
updated approaches to youth engagement. How
might the energy, creativity, and skills of
"Millennials" be leveraged to co-create positive
change?

12. The Kampala Principles on Youth-
Led Development
• Youth define their own development goals and objectives;
• Youth have a social and physical space to participate in
development and to be regularly consulted;
• Adult mentorship and peer-to-peer mentorships are encouraged;
• Youth act as role models to help other youth engage in
development; and
• Youth are integrated into all local and national development
programs and frameworks.
Youth-led development draws on the energy, creativity, and skills of
young people to create positive change at both small and large scale. It
values young people as an asset of society, endowed with individual and
group talents and strengths. The Kampala Principles on Youth-Led
Development of UN-Habitat are that:
Note: To participate is to work with people, not work for them. Participation is the
active, informed, and voluntary involvement of persons in information sharing,
consulting, decision making, and taking action.

13. The Ambit of Youth-Led
Development
• Policy—Youth are integral to policy planning, taking
part in policy design, decisions, monitoring, and
accountability processes.
• Advocacy and Campaigning—Youth advocate and
campaign and collaborate with nongovernment and
civil society organizations to make their voices heard
and influence policy.
• Programming, Implementing, Monitoring, and
Evaluating—Youth participate actively across the
project cycle of programs that promote development
and social transformation, contributing knowhow,
skills, and ideas.
• Communication and Research—Youth search for
answers and solutions, for instance by means of
investigative journalism or action research, to better
understand development issues and explain them to
their peers and society at large.
Four places to
start, not
blueprints;
youth-led
development
can connect
to:

14. Enabling Youth Policy
Youth are a foundation of development effectiveness. If they are engaged,
youth will help tackle the worldwide challenges we all face and link policy to
practice. A commitment to remedying the injustice of ignoring youth in
development and promoting #Youth4SDG will yield fruits: this commitment is
best evidenced by organizational development.
Organizational development is the improvement of structures, systems, and
processes by dint of reflection and learning (and of course negotiating).
To best work with youth externally, organizations
must work with them internally. This means
bringing youth into the organization and its core
networks as volunteers, interns, and staff;
collaborating with them and youth networks to
make subtle adjustments to working culture; and
ensuring their representation on decision-making
bodies with guidance and training as necessary.
Work with young people in
professional roles
Work with youth networks
Work with youth on boards,
committees, and task teams

15. Questions to the YouthSpeak
Forum
GlobalGoals
What are
noteworthy and
replicable
examples of
youth initiatives
for policy,
regulatory, and
institutional
improvements?
What
interventions
best promote
youth
participation in
development
and how might
they be scaled?
Education
What
interventions
are the most
successful in
improving
enrolment,
retention, and
achievement
in secondary
schools?
How can
education and
training for
young people
be made more
effective at
preparing
them for
work?
Employment
What inhibits
employers
from investing
in job creation
and hiring
young
workers?
Where
opportunities
for youth
employment
have
increased,
what have
been the
causes and
what are some
lessons?
Entrepreneurship
Can
entrepreneurship
have scaled
impacts on youth
employment?
How might the
gender gap in
firm start-up and
business
ownership be
bridged?

16. Video #1: Youth Perspectives on
Global Development

17. Video #2: Purpose, Passion, and
Participation

18. Video #3: Examples of
Engagement of Youth

19. Video #4: Social Entrepreneurship

20. Further Reading
• DFID. 2010. Youth Participation in Development: A Guide for
Development Agencies and Policy Makers.
www.ygproject.org/guide
• Overseas Development Institute. 2013. Investing in Youth in
International Development Policy: Making the Case.
www.odi.org/publications/7473-investing-youth-
international-development-policy-making-case
• ——. 2014. Youth Participation in Governance and Monitoring
of the Post-2015 Framework. www.odi.org/publications/8756-
youth-participation-governance-monitoring-post-2015-
framework

21. Further Reading
• United Nations. 2014. The Global Youth Call: "Prioritizing
Youth in the Post-2015 Development Agenda". New York.
www.un.org/youthenvoy/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/The-
Global-Call-on-Youth_3-June-2014.pdf
• ——. 2015. Switched On: Youth at the Heart of Sustainable
Development in Asia and the Pacific. Bangkok.
www.unescap.org/resources/switched-on-youth-heart-
sustainable-development-asia-and-pacific
• ADB. 2016. Sustainable Development Goals. Manila.
www.adb.org/site/sdg/main

22. Further Reading
• AIESEC. 2016. YouthSpeak 2.0: Preliminary Report.
youthspeak.aiesec.org/preliminary-report/
• Business for 2030. 2016. www.businessfor2030.org/
• Restless Development. 2016. restlessdevelopment.org/
• United Nations. 2016. Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy
on Youth. New York. www.un.org/youthenvoy/
• YouthSpeak. 2016. youthspeak.aiesec.org/

23. Videos
• ADB. 1993. The Challenge of Development: A Career at the
ADB. Manila. vimeo.com/121748541
• ——. 2011. ADB and Civil Society—A Historical Overview.
Manila. vimeo.com/92310867
• ——. 2014. ADB's Youth Partners Part One. Manila.
vimeo.com/93379092
• ——. 2014. ADB's Youth Partners Part Two. Manila.
vimeo.com/93379089
• ——. 2014. Youth Debates at the Astana Annual Meeting
2014. Manila. vimeo.com/93379093

24. Videos
• ADB. 2014. Communication with Young People. Manila.
vimeo.com/93379096
• ——. 2014. Social Media. Manila. vimeo.com/93379097
• ——. 2014. ADB Water Youth at Stockholm 2013. Manila.
vimeo.com/93379189
• ——. 2014. Purpose, Passion, and Participation. Manila.
vimeo.com/93379190
• ——. 2014. Social Entrepreneurship. Manila.
vimeo.com/93443196
• ——. 2014. Youth Perspectives on Global Development.
Manila. vimeo.com/93591741

25. Videos
• ADB. 2014. Engagement of Youth in ADB Operations. Manila.
vimeo.com/93594303
• ——. 2014. Examples of Engagement of Youth. Manila.
vimeo.com/93595835
• ——. 2014. ADB's Young Professionals Program. Manila.
vimeo.com/93977080
• ——. 2014. ADB's Young Professionals Program—Overview.
Manila. vimeo.com/96466596
• ——. 2014. ADB's Internship Program. Manila.
vimeo.com/93977081

26. Videos
• ADB. 2014. ADB's Internship Program—Overview. Manila.
vimeo.com/96466597
• ——. 2016. The ADB Sustainable Development Timeline.
Manila. reflections.adb.org/
• ——. 2016. ADB: Reflections and Beyond. Manila.
vimeo.com/user26371068

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