Empowering youth

The way we engage young people today will determine the prospects for sustainable development and peace. Young people, who represent a majority of the population in most developing countries, are today visibly contributing as political actors, innovators, entrepreneurs and peacebuilders. At the same time, youth face disproportionate social, economic and political barriers which prevents them from unleashing their full potential.

To utilize young people’s potential as agents of change, requires involving and empowering them in development, policies and supporting their participation at all levels. UNDP partners with young people, youth organizations and actors from civil society and private sector to governments, and members of the UN family to promote youth-focused and youth-led development. With the 2030 Agenda as a guiding thread, we work to advance young people’s participation in civic and political life, their economic empowerment and their role as peace- and resilience-builders.

Read about Youth-GPS, our global programme for youth empowerment.