During my time with the UNICEF MENA Regional Office this summer, made possible thanks to the generous support of the UNA NY Summer Scholars Program, I had the chance to be a part of and learn from the Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) section team. The ADAP section focuses on projects for the engagement and positive development of adolescents and young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
In the world, 408 million youth aged 15-24 or 23% of the global youth presentation are affected by violence or armed conflict, 175 million children will be affected by natural hazards attributed to climate change and 68.5 million people have been forced from home, among them nearly 25.4 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. In the MENA, 26% of the population in MENA is youth. The youth population will double by 2050, growing from 338 million people in 2000 to 724 million people in 2050. One in five people is an adolescent; yet, adolescents and youth continue to be economically, socially and politically marginalized by unfriendly policies and practices. The region holds the highest youth unemployment rate in the world combined with the lowest labor force participation rate. 225 million (20%) youth in the developing world are not in employment, education or training (NEET) against 34% in the MENA. Even in non-emergency settings, youth are up to four times more likely to be unemployed than adults over 25 years. Political instability, conflict and climate change have further increased the vulnerabilities of young people, exposing them to violence, exploitation and abuse. Despite some improvement, the MENA region remains the least peaceful in the world for the fifth year in a row according to the Global Peace Index 2019. MENA also is the world’s most water scarce region. While hosting 6% of the world’s population, it only has access to 2% of the world’s renewable fresh water. (World Resources Institute, 2015. World Resources Report: Creating a Sustainable Food Future). It has now become urgent to implement solid and scaled action for adolescents and youth with regards to health, education, protection as well as civic and economic participation policies. Such action comes at a critical time as an unprecedently large proportion of the population in the MENA will transition into their most productive years, opening-up the potential for a more prosperous and stable future in which young people can reap the benefits of this demographic dividend. According to the UNICEF MENA Generation 2030 report[1], about 25 million children, adolescents and youth were added by 2015 and a further 34 million will be added by 2030. This relatively slow growth presents a historic opportunity to invest in human capital by improving access to health and education and enhancing the prospects for productive employment. Countries in the region should pursue this opportunity both for the intrinsic value in fulfilling the rights of children, adolescents and youth and as an investment in future economic growth and stability. According to the same report, for the first time in the region, the proportion of the dependent population will be half the proportion of people of working age. The main advantage of such a dividend for the prospects of MENA's children and youth is increased shared wealth and the resulting fiscal space that can be used to further the realization of their rights. Though a favorable age structure is essential, additional pre-requisites for reaping the demographic include: political and social stability; inclusive and equitable economic and social policies (ensuring labor market entrants are healthy, well-nourished and well-equipped in terms of skill and competencies) and expanded employment opportunities. The idea of participation as a constitutive right is reinforced and informed by related rights guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights conventions. The expression of the right to participation is present in the Convention of the Rights of the Child, n.66, art 12.1, which assures to every child, the right to freely express his or her views “in all matters affecting the child”, and requires that the child’s views be given “due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child”.[2] Fundamentally, participation rights are also derived from the principle of inherent human dignity, which entails “an entitlement to partake in decisions that affect one’s life and contribute to the realization of one’s own rights, rather than depending solely on others for the fulfilment of one's rights”. Despite these binding international obligations, few governments or organizations have made the required commitments related to financial, legal, social and policy frameworks to support young people’s right to participation. Structural obstacles such as discrimination, marginalization and social exclusion restrict their access to productive activities and decision-making processes, while socio-cultural norms create further barriers that refrain young people from enjoying their full rights. Recognizing the right to participation for young people implies accepting that they have real possibilities for exercising their citizenship as a basic requirement of their development and for influencing their environment and society. The objective of adolescent and youth engagement is to give voice and choice for young people to work with government and non-governmental organization to develop positive environments. Evidence[3] show that successful adolescent and youth engagement programmes can help develop self-confidence, influence decisions at local and national levels, and contribute to addressing socio-economic challenges in their communities. When young people are supported and encouraged with policies attentive to their needs and capabilities, they have the potential to break long-standing cycles of inequality, poverty, discrimination and violence. As they gain more of these skills, youth begin to think of themselves as stakeholders in society, acquire a sense of responsibility for the common good and internalize a positive attitude toward active citizenship.[4] Investing in adolescents today means shaping tomorrow’s adults for decision-making, for leadership and for acting; in a nutshell, shaping what tomorrow looks like, especially in countries where their roles are too often dismissed.
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