Introduction
"Youth participation is about developing
partnerships between young people and adults in
all areas of life so young people can take a valued
position in our society and the community as a whole
can benefit from their contribution, ideas and energies."
[1]
The United Nations has long recognized the important
role youth play in the continuing development of the
world in which they live. The United Nations drew
worldwide attention to the importance of youth in
observing the 1985 International Youth Year: Participation,
Development and Peace. Acknowledging the need to expand
the opportunities for young people to participate
fully in their society, the General Assembly adopted
in 1995 the World Programme of Action for Youth to
the Year 2000 and Beyond as a framework for nations
to increase their capacities to address youth needs
and issues.
Youth are at the forefront of global, social, economic
and political developments. In addition to their
intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize
support, young people bring unique perspectives
that need to be taken into account. The progress
of our societies is based, among other elements,
on each society's capacity to involve young women
and men in building and designing the future. [2]
Youth in the Asia-Pacific region constitute a significant
proportion of the population, highlighting the importance
of fully integrating youth into society through youth
participation. Youth, according to the United Nations
definition, is the age group between 15 and 24 years
old, which represents approximately one-fifth of the
total population of the UNESCAP region. The underlying
premise of youth participation is that in encouraging
youth to participate more fully in society, youth
are essentially encouraged to be more knowledgeable
on their rights and become more responsible citizens.
It is envisaged that once young people have the opportunity
to realize their potential, be respected by society
and fully participate in their community, consistent
with their human rights and responsibilities, society
at large will benefit. Youth is therefore the key
to the future that thus places them at the core of
human resources development (HRD).
UNESCAP recognized the importance of youth participation
as a priority in adopting resolution 52/4[3] on "Promoting
human resources development among youth in Asia and
the Pacific" in April 1996. This was in response
to the United Nations General Assembly adoption of
the World Programme Action for Youth, which highlighted
ten priority areas including "the full and effective
participation of youth in society and decision-making."
The capacity of each society to progress is based,
among other elements, on its capacity to incorporate
the contribution and responsibility of youth in
the building and designing of its future. In addition
to their intellectual contribution and ability to
mobilize support, young people bring unique perspectives
that need to be taken into account. Youth organizations
can be important forums for helping young people
to develop the skills necessary for effective youth
participation in society. [4]
UNESCAP notes that there are three key issues in
providing a voice for youth in society: access and
benefit, ability to influence and equity. These three
principles are ultimately the pillars of youth participation.
These foundations refer to the rights of all youth
to have access to opportunities and to play an active
role in all spheres of society. This applies to all
youth including girls and young women, rural youth,
youth with special needs, and other marginalized youth.
In many situations, youth tend to be the first group
to be denied certain opportunities. An apparent example
is in employment where youth are often the first to
lose their jobs in any restructuring effort. The recent
economic crisis has highlighted that young people
have a disproportionately high record of unemployment.
In addition, young people often do not have easy access
to information. In the Asia-Pacific region, this is
especially true for information on sexual and reproductive
health as well as access to appropriate services.
UNESCAP is also advocating that there be a genuine
shift in thought and that youth be recognized as active
participants and agents of change, capable of making
decisions, which affect their lives and society as
a whole. Indeed, youth are capable of shaping the
world today, not just tomorrow.
The problems facing youth challenge today's societies
and future generations as well. They include: limited
resources available for funding youth programmes
and activities; inequities in social, economic and
political conditions; gender discrimination; high
levels of youth unemployment; armed conflict and
confrontation; continuing deterioration of the global
environment; increasing incidence of disease, hunger
and malnutrition; changes in the role of the family;
and inadequate opportunity for education and training.
[5]
It is critical that youth concerns and issues are
understood and addressed. The best vehicle to genuinely
understand youth is by giving them a voice through
facilitation of their active participation, and hence
empowerment, in society. UNESCAP's commitment to fully
integrate youth in society is highlighted in its decision
to develop youth participation indicators (YPIs),
as called for by the Asia-Pacific Meeting on Human
Resources Development for Youth and the Pacific in
1996. At that meeting, the governments of the Asia-Pacific
region urged UNESCAP "to develop a series of
youth participation indicators to facilitate the analysis
of, and thereby promote youth participation in the
planning, implementation and evaluation of national
youth and related policies.[6] These YPIs are intended
to address the problems that impede effective programmes
and policies that encourage youth participation, namely
[7]:
1. Lack of standardized data on youth development
and participation to serve as a basis for policy-making
and planning; and
2. Inadequate analytical basis for national policy-making
and planning for youth.
Bearing in mind the goal to effectively promote youth
participation, this Manual contains four chapters
and two annexes. Chapter 1 introduces the framework
behind the principle of youth participation and the
value of youth participation indicators. Chapter 2
provides the foundation and rationale behind the importance
of youth participation, which stems from the need
to facilitate young persons to fulfill their responsibilities
to society and to realize their rights at citizens.
In Chapter 3, indicators are introduced to help measure
the existence and levels of youth participation. Their
value is highlighted through a case study on adolescent
reproductive health. Chapter 4 supplies recommendations
for policy makers and programmes managers at the local
and national level. Next, Annex 1 provides examples
of best practices in the Asia-Pacific region in promoting
youth participation. Lastly, in Annex 2 references
for further study are given, including suggested publications
and web sites.
This Youth Participation Manual, together with its
counterpart Youth Policy Formulation Manual, provides
guidelines to those involved in formulating and executing
youth-related policy and programmes at all levels.
By proposing a set of youth participation indicators,
this Manual attempts to both ensure youth participation
and measure its effectiveness. In addition, this Manual
aims to encourage, at the local, national and regional
levels, the inclusion of young people in ongoing decision-making
processes, thus ensuring a genuine partnership between
young people and adults. It is hoped that it will
inspire means of improving access and benefit, ability
to influence and equity of young people.
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[1] Australia Youth Foundation, www.ayf.org.au/resources/participation
[2] Youth Unit, Division of Social Policy and Development,
Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United
Nations, New York
[3] UNESCAP resolution 52/4
[4] World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year
2000 and Beyond, Priority 10
[5]Youth Unit, Division of Social Policy and Development,
Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United
Nations, New York
[6] Beijing Statement on HRD for Youth in Asia and
the Pacific, Beijing, China, 22-26 October 1996, pg.
20.
[7] Ibid.
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