AT A GLANCE Young people in developing countries make up the fastest growing segment of the world population. And they have a big impact on their countries, as can be seen in these statistics: Ensuring that children and young people have a good start in life is at the core of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight internationally-agreed objectives to reduce world poverty by half by 2015. The MDGs guide the Bank's work. The Bank and the international community are increasingly working to incorporate youth views into their work and policies in order to improve their present and their future, as well as to reach the MDGs. Why Invest in Youth? There are compelling reasons why it is wise to invest more in youth: 1. Building human capital and preserving investments in children: Youth is an important stage of life with long-lasting consequences not just for the individual but for society as a whole. Building human capital in this phase of life is critical to growth and poverty reduction and to preserving investments made throughout childhood. 2. A ‘demographic dividend’: At over 1 billion, today’s youth (15-24) represent the largest cohort ever to enter the transition to adulthood, with nearly 9 out of every 10 living in the developing world. The fact that the majority of these young people – tomorrow’s labor force, parents and citizens – are growing up in countries with falling dependency ratios can have added benefits for growth because of the prospects of a ‘demographic dividend’. 3. Growing demand for services – and knowledge: Many countries have made progress with meeting the basic health and education needs of children. Governments are now heavily engaged in addressing second generation services and increasingly seeking advice and information to help shape policies on the issues youth face, such as unemployment, high rates of HIV/AIDS, low skills, risky behaviors, lack of participation, among others Young people are reaching adulthood in a vastly different global context from that of their predecessors because of trade and technology. They are also affecting that environment through labor and capital flows, since young people are a significant portion of international migrants. The successful transition of young people to be the next generation of workers will influence greatly the successful transition of developing countries to developed economies with lower poverty. The World Bank and Youth Since 2000, a sharp increase in Bank analytical and operational work on youth issues demonstrates the Bank’s commitment to deepen its work on youth in response to the growing demand from country clients, partners and youth organizations alike. The total investment in projects with youth components stands at over $1.5 billion, twice the amount of FY00. Importantly, these projects in all regions of the Bank are making more use of cross-sector approaches (e.g. youth components to education, health, urban development, rural development, infrastructure, social development, social protection, and environment projects). The last year has seen substantial developments in moving the youth agenda forward. Some highlights include: World Development Report 2007: Entitled ‘Development and the Next Generation’ this year’s WDR is about ‘youth transitions’ posing both great opportunities and challenges for development policy. The report-writing process was complemented by consultations with more than 3000 young people in over 25 countries and consultations at the global level among civil society organizations, partners and donors. The report will be released on September 16 at the Bank-Fund Annual Meetings in Singapore.
"Children and Youth: A Framework for Action" was launched by the Children and Youth Unit. The publication charts a course to focus the Bank’s work more intensively on improving outcomes for young people, building evidence of what works in the accompanying “Children and Youth: A Resource Guide for World Bank Staff.”
Dominican Republic: Youth Development Project. The 30 Million $ investment combines life skills, technical skills, internships and second chance education opportunities to boost the employability of poor youth.
Youth Innovation Fund: the Bank’s Y2Y network launched a Youth Innovation Fund to catalyze youth-led development in three regions of the Bank: LAC (8 projects for $80,000), SAR (4 projects for $20,000) and ECA (7 projects for $70,000).
In addition, the following teams and external partnerships are working on the youth agenda at the World Bank. Children and Youth Unit (HDN): Improving knowledge of investments in children and youth, and developing, implementing, and monitoring children and youth operational plans together with regional partners, country teams and client counterparts. External Affairs Youth Team: With focal points in Washington, Paris and Tokyo, this team collaborates internally with operational teams and the Children and Youth Unit on the overall youth agenda and across the Bank with regional and country youth focal points. It also works with external youth organizations on youth activities, learning events and consultations. Youth Development and Peace Network, an external network of youth organizations that is formally established and active across all Bank regions. Youth to Youth Community (Y2Y): Bringing together young staff at the World Bank, and connecting with youth in other organizations, such as at the Inter-American Development Bank and Young African Professionals Network. Youth Voices Groups: Consultative youth groups established in country offices to familiarize them with the Bank and to provide feedback on its work. Youthink! – youthink.worldbank.org: Connecting with youth through the Internet, serving as the World Bank's online resource for students, teens and kids on development and social issues, written in age-appropriate language for young people. Updated September 2006 Media Contact:
Maya Brahmam: Tel: 1-202-473-6231, Email: Mbrahmam@worldbank.org
Pierre Girardier: Tel: 33-1-40-69-30-00, Email: pgirardier@worldbank.org
Mika Iwasaki: Tel: 81-3-3597-6663, Email: miwasaki@worldbank.org
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