UN stresses importance of youth

500 delegates gathered in New York earlier this week for the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-level Segment. Speaking on behalf of the European Union, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance of Cyprus George Papageorgiou urged delegates to consider youth in their discussions: “We must increase and actively support opportunities for young people to gain access to productive employment and decent work, including investment in education and vocational training and youth employment programmes,” said Papageorgiou.

The deputy’s call to action seems to have been heard: youth received notable mention in the segment’s ministerial declaration, a self-styled road map to global solutions for the future. The declaration stresses the importance of youth employment and non-formal education, calling for stronger partnerships with and for youth.