New Delhi: International Youth Day is celebrated across the globe on August 12 annually to create awareness about youth-related issues and the contributions of young people in their fields shaping the world’s future.
According to the United Nations website, International Youth Day is commemorated every year on August 12, bringing youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrating the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.
2024 theme: From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development
United Nations explains the 2024 theme for International Youth Day: Digitalization is transforming our world, offering unprecedented opportunities to accelerate sustainable development. Digital technologies such as mobile devices, services, and artificial intelligence are instrumental in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data generated from digital interactions supports evidence-based decision-making. With profound impact across economic, social and environmental dimensions, digital technologies and data contribute to at least 70 per cent of the 169 SDG targets while potentially reducing the cost of achieving these goals by up to USD 55 trillion.
Young people are leading the charge in digital adoption and innovation, with three-quarters of those aged 15 to 24 using the internet in 2022, a rate higher than other age groups. However, disparities persist, particularly in low-income countries and among young women, who often have less access to the internet and digital skills compared to their male counterparts. While there is an urgent need to enhance digital inclusion, youth are largely recognized as “digital natives,” using technology to drive change and create solutions. As the 2030 deadline for the SDGs approaches, the role of young people in digital innovation is essential for addressing global issues.
History
The idea for International Youth Day was proposed in 1991 by the young people who were gathered in Vienna, Austria, for the first session of the World Youth Forum of the United Nations System. The Forum recommended that an International Youth Day be declared, especially for fund-raising and promotional purposes, to support the United Nations Youth Fund in partnership with youth organizations.
“In 1998, a resolution proclaiming August 12 as International Youth Day was adopted by the first session of the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, which was hosted by the Government of Portugal in cooperation with the United Nations (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998). That recommendation was subsequently endorsed by the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/54/120 entitled “Policies and programmes involving youth” (17 December 1999),” the United Nations website states.
The Assembly recommended that public information activities be organized to support the Day as a way to promote better awareness of the World Programme of Action for Youth, adopted by the General Assembly in 1996, it states.
'Young People Are Not Just The Future, They Are The Present'
On International Youth Day, UNFPA shared a detailed blog on how crucial the day was and what it entailed. On its X handle, UNFPA shared the link to the blogpost as it wrote: "Young people are not just the future. They are the present, and their voices are crucial in shaping a safer, more inclusive world for all."
"Born into a digital world, young people are embracing the opportunities that technology brings, including access to education, jobs, and quality information on sexual and reproductive health. At the same time, technology can fuel harmful digital divides, perpetuating racism and misogyny and exposing young people – especially adolescent girls – to increased risks of gender-based violence. As we mark International Youth Day this year, this future is at the fingertips of young people. They have the power to make our digital and physical world more equal, just, peaceful and safe," the UNFPA said in its blogpost.
The UG agency said as it marks International Youth Day this year, the "future is at the fingertips of young people". "They have the power to make our digital and physical world more equal, just, peaceful and safe. "As content creators, digital activists and global citizens, young people are using technology to expose injustice, debunk misinformation and stand up to oppression. They are also leading the charge on the front of digital rights and bodily autonomy: They’re claiming their body right, denouncing the lack of regulation that allows for technology-facilitated gender-based violence to flourish," the UNFPA explained the global scenario as far as youth and digital spaces are concerned.
Technology, it said, is a tremendous tool to lessen inequality as it can promote gender equity and peace through innovation and the exchange of ideas, and raise awareness of issues with ramifications for generations to come, such as climate change. It has galvanized young people to act and enabled grassroots movements to become global.
"But to ensure young people’s right to exist safely online, societies must equip them with the skills, services and information necessary to benefit from the best of technology, while mitigating the risk of harm," the UNFPA said.
"There is much to be done. About two thirds of young people and children below the age of 25 have no Internet access at home. Adolescent girls, particularly those from the poorest households, are among those least able to connect. These gaps mean millions of young people are unlikely to get the education and digital literacy they need to succeed and fulfill their potential. Further, digital spaces are rife with hate speech and misogynistic abuse, which can have devastating consequences for the physical and mental well-being of young people," the UN agency added.
"UNFPA champions the rights of young people around the world and works to enable them to fulfill their potential. We will always stand with young people,” Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem said at the recent Global Youth Dialogue. “We put young people first.”
