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Youth Employment Network and the ILO’s role

Youth Employment Network and the ILO’s role. Takafumi Ueda Technical Coordinator on Youth Employment International Labour Office (ILO). Content. Background to the Youth Employment Network Policy orientations which underpin the Network Strategic Importance to the ILO. Some statistics.

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Youth Employment Network and the ILO’s role

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  1. Youth Employment Networkand the ILO’s role Takafumi Ueda Technical Coordinator on Youth Employment International Labour Office (ILO)

  2. Content • Background to the Youth Employment Network • Policy orientations which underpin the Network • Strategic Importance to the ILO

  3. Some statistics • More than 1 billion people today are between 15 and 25 years of age • Nearly 40 % of the world’s population is below the age of 20 • 85 % of young people live in developing countries • 1.2 billion people live on less than $1 per day

  4. Youth unemployment • 66 million youth - 41% of the global total of 160 million - are classified as unemployed • Youth are two to three times more likely to be unemployed than adults • Many more are underemployed, working long hours with little income in the informal economy

  5. Youth unemployment in Asia & Pacific • Little data but follows the global pattern • Ratio of youth unemployment to adult unemployment: 2 to 3 times • HK SAR, Korea, Philippines • Young women’s higher than young men’s • HK SAR, Korea, Philippines • Share of youth unemployment to total unemployed: more than 70 percent • Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka (young men)

  6. Kofi Annan’s report to the Millennium Summit • Title: We the Peoples: the Role of the United Nations in the Twenty-first Century • First proposed the Youth Employment Network

  7. Secretary-General’sYouth Employment Network (YEN) “Together with the heads of the World Bank and the International Labour Organization, I am convening a high‑level policy network on youth employment drawing on the most creative leaders in private industry, civil society and economic policy to explore imaginative approaches to this difficult challenge. I will ask this policy network to propose a set of recommendations that I can convey to world leaders within a year.” Kofi Annan, “We the Peoples: the role of the United Naions in the Twenty-first Century”

  8. At the Millennium Summit • Heads of State & Government committed themselves to … “develop and implement strategies that give young people everywhere a real chance to find decent and productive work”

  9. Millennium Development Goals Decent and productive work for young men and women

  10. YEN High-Level Panel • 12-member panel met July 2001 in Geneva with Annan, Somavia & Wolfensohn; • SG emphasized need for immediate & long-term commitment; • Requested the ILO to take the lead.

  11. Recommendations: A global alliance for youth employment • Encouraged world leaders to take personal responsibility; • Heads of State and Gov’ts invited to develop national action plans; • … based on review of past nat’l policies; • 10 Gov’ts invited to volunteer to be champions to show the way to others.

  12. Recommendations’ messages • Process should involve employers’ and workers’ organizations, businesses, youth organizations and other NGOs; • Employment policy not a sectoral policy but to be integrated into all policies;

  13. More messages • “Youth as an asset” (best educated & trained ever); • A diverse group; • A creative force today – not only tomorrow: “partners for development”.

  14. The Four “E”s • Employability: invest in education and vocational training • Equal opportunities: give young women the same opportunities as young men • Entrepreneurship: make it easier to start and run enterprises • Employment creation: place employment at the center of macroeconomic policy.

  15. Implications of the Policy Recommendations • Youth Employment as an Entry Point into broader employment issues • Political Commitment of Governments provides a space for action by non-governmental actors • A New Way of Working for the UN system

  16. UN General Assembly Resolution • SG transmitted to the GA, discussed Nov. 2001, favourably received. • Dec. 2002, the GA passed a special resolution on “Promoting Youth Employment” • 106 countries co-sponsored.

  17. So far … • Lead countries: • Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Senegal, Namibia, Egypt • YEN Secretariat hosted by the ILO • Support to countries organized; • Panel members in advocacy and policy development

  18. What next? • Country initiatives • Involve young people • Agencies ready to support • Expand YEN Network (other UN agencies, etc.) • Next HL Panel meeting • Actions! • Innovations?

  19. ILO’s Roles • Youth employment is not a new item. • ILO has the right infrastructure: • Tripartite structure • Standards and technical activities

  20. But new environment … • YEN & the MDGs • Crisis & trust • Globalization & equity • Accountability & transparency • Networking & partnership

  21. ILO Governing Body 03-2003 • Committee on Economic and Social Policy • UN initiative on youth employment • Agenda of the 2005 International Labour Conference • “Promoting youth employment” is among 7 proposals.

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