UK silent on UN youth strategy

The central message of the United Nations Youth Strategy 2030, launched last September, is that young people are "an essential asset worth investing in".

Young people want and can contribute to their societies, but at the same time they are facing hardship, unemployment and are often stigmatised.

The strategy aims to act as an "umbrella framework" to guide the work of the UN across the three pillars of peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.

Its vision is about "making sure every young person is empowered to achieve their full potential", but that cannot be achieved without young people being understood, empowered and fully involved in the decisions that impact them.

With the right leadership, funding and co-ordination, the strategy priority areas (see box) could have a positive impact on the lives of young people in the UK.

However, there is currently no information from the UK government regarding the strategy and what its impact may be for young people here.

Commitment needed

In the UK, responsibility for youth policy sits with minister for civil society Mims Davies. But if the government were to appoint a dedicated youth minister to facilitate the alignment of the strategy to youth policy and practice in the UK, it would show a strong commitment to young people.

Many countries are actively working on applying the UN strategy in their national agendas.

For example, the youth minister in the United Arab Emirates makes sure that youth voice and concerns are incorporated in government plans and the national development agenda. The minister provides a platform for discussion via youth councils that operate at national, regional and local levels.

Youth councils provide young people with a safe space to discuss all aspects that impact on their lives, which gives the minister an evidence-based approach to inform government policies.

Elsewhere, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has recently appointed himself the minister of inter-governmental affairs and youth, a position that leads the National Youth Council.

It includes 21 members from a diverse set of communities within Canada. Only 28 per cent of the Canadian population is aged under 24, but the focus on youth speaks to the importance of young people's views on community decisions.

Malaysia has recently appointed its youngest government member in history, 26-year-old Syed Rahman, as minister of youth and sports. This underpins the impactful work of the Malaysian Youth Council, which is a member of the World Assembly of Youth.

No impact in the UK

These countries are three of the 68 participants in the UN Youth Delegate Programme. As of now, there are no UN youth representatives from the UK, perhaps one of the reasons the UN strategy has had no acknowledgement or impact in the UK.

Around 30 per cent of the UK's overall population are young people. This is a significant number and they should be represented through an official avenue, in alignment with the UN Youth Strategy 2030.

A UK youth minister could help raise the status of young people and would establish an official platform for their engagement, participation and advocacy. Having someone in this role, would also place the young people's voice at the centre of government rather than one of a number of responsibilities that Mims Davis has. It may even provide a powerful voice to offset further cuts to government funding.

A youth minister could support and endorse the UN strategy and align UK actions to projects for young people's economic empowerment and employment-related initiatives - the result of which could be the government's active involvement to ensure their decisions have a positive impact on the lived experiences of young people in the UK.

• By Ally Dunhill, non-resident fellow, and Emina Osmandzikovic, researcher, at Trends Research and Advisory, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  
  

FIVE KEY PRIORITIES OF THE UN YOUTH STRATEGY 2030

All United Nations members, including the UK, are expected to ensure the strategy is implemented. The strategy consists of five priority areas, these are:

• Engagement, participation and advocacy - to amplify young people's voices and have meaningful participation for the promotion of a peaceful, just and sustainable world. To improve partnerships and set standards with youth organisations, supporting them to identify and engage with marginalised groups.
• Access to quality education and health services - to ensure all young people have access to these essential services. Ensuring lifelong learning approaches are prioritised and that services meet the health and wellbeing needs of young people.
• Economic empowerment through work - to support young people's access to decent work, productive employment and fair pay. To reduce the numbers of young people not in education or employment, particularly targeting the most disadvantaged.
• Youth and human rights and civic participation - to protect and promote the rights of young people and support their civic and political engagement. Raising awareness of young people's rights through education and ensuring they have access to justice.
• Peace and resilience building - to support young people as catalysts for peace, security, humanitarian and climate action. Encouraging and facilitating meaningful participation, providing inclusive safe spaces to do this and developing the capacity of organisations to support young people.