Governments, social partners, the UN System, youth and civil society, the private sector and key youth employment stakeholders launched global engagement platform for joint action on decent jobs for youth in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

GENEVA (News) – Partners of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth met in Geneva to launch its digital engagement platform, an open space for joint action and collaboration to intensify effective investments in youth employment.

Decent Jobs for Youth: Scaling up action and impact

In 2017, an estimated 70.9 million youth are unemployed and 160.6 million youth are working, yet living in poverty. Furthermore, youth employment investments remain small and fragmented, despite increased policy attention.

In response to this ongoing youth employment challenge, Decent Jobs for Youth was launched in 2016 as the global initiative to scale up action and impact on youth employment in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development .

Decent Jobs for Youth is a multi-stakeholder alliance of committed partners taking coordinated action across a variety of thematic priorities, sharing knowledge and leveraging resources for more and better jobs for young women and men. Ms. Azita Berar Awad, Director of the ILO Employment Policy Department, highlighted the guiding principles of the Global Initiative and emphasized the need for investments in both demand and supply side interventions, coherence and complementarity between public policies and private investments, and the promotion of human rights, gender equality and youth engagement.

Launching the engagement platform for joint effective and innovative actions on youth employment

The engagement platform of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth was launched by the ILO Director-General, Mr. Guy Ryder. "The Platform is centred on the commitments of partners to promote youth employment” said Mr. Ryder in the presence of senior representatives from member States, social partners, the UN system, business, youth and civil society. He issued an open invitation to join committed partners and world youth employment leaders and experts through this new engagement platform. "Let’s work together to make a difference in the lives of young people everywhere."

The engagement platform provides an inclusive space to scale up existing efforts, catalyze partnerships and strengthen coherence in youth employment action national, regional and global levels. Commitments pledged to Decent Jobs for Youth feed directly into the UN Partnerships for SDGs Platform and inform the follow-up to the 2030 Agenda including the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

Partners across sectors asserted their alliance and pledged support to the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth. The governments of Spain and Luxembourg reaffirmed their contributions and the strong value they attach to the partnership. "In an interconnected and ever-changing world, success can only be achieved by joining efforts and working together" said H.E. Mr. Gonzalez-Aller Jurado, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations.

During the launch the panel was completed by the following keynote speakers:

Mr. Guy Ryder, Director General, International Labour Organization

Ms. Isabelle Durant, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Ms. Dorothy Ng’ambi Tembo, Deputy Executive Director of the International Trade Centre

Mr. François Rancy, Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau, International Telecommunications Union

Mrs. Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Geneva, Food and Agriculture Organization

H.E. Mr. Gonzalez-Aller Jurado, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Kingdom of Spain

Mrs. Azita Berar Awad, Director of the Employment Policy Department, International Labour Organization

Mr. Francis Kim Upgi, Senior Officer, Research and Information, International Trade Union Confederation

Ms. Thannaletchimy Housset, Youth Specialist, International Organisation of Employers

Mr. Christian Frutiger, Head of Global Public Affairs, Nestle

Mr. Philippe Wealer, Attaché from the Permanent mission of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Mr. Aashish Khullar, Board Member- Organising Partner, Children and Youth International, UN Major Group for Children and Youth.