World Youth Skills Day 2024; July 15th.

FORUM: “Youth Skills for Peace and Development.“ World Youth Skills Day 2024. Reflecting on progress made and setting directions for future initiatives, the international community’s commitment to empowering youth with comprehensive skills for peace and sustainable development is crucial, particularly as young people are at the forefront of global efforts in shaping a peaceful, prosperous, sustainable and inclusive future. This ongoing commitment ensures that the educational strides we make are not only maintained but also adapted to meet the evolving challenges and opportunities of our global society. This observance will underscore the crucial role young people play in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. The world faces a multitude of challenges today, many of which affect the youth. Violent conflicts disrupting education and stability, a polarized online environment fostering negativity, and persistent economic inequality limits opportunities. These issues threaten not only individual futures but also the overall stability of societies. It is crucial to equip youth with the necessary skills for fostering a culture of peace, nurturing responsible global citizens, and promoting sustainable development to build a more just, inclusive, and sustainable future for all. On this World Youth Skills Day, let us unite in recognizing the potential of young people as agents of peace and commit to providing them with the skills and opportunities to address challenges and contribute to a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #15July, #WYSD, #WorldYouthSkillsDay.

EVENTS: At UNHQ; On July 15th; from 10:00apm - 11.30am EDT, to observe the World Youth Skills Day 2024, a hIgh level event entitled ’’Youth Skills for Peace and Development.’’ organized by the Permanent Mission of Portugal and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations New York, in collaboration with UNESCO-UNEVOC, the International Labour Organization, the Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, with Member States, young experts, social partners, teachers and educators, and other stakeholders, will be held. This event will bring also together students, governments, United Nations agencies, the private sector, and civil society representatives, to analyze the impact of current crises on youth globally and debate the options for young people to quickly adapt to the demands of an ever-changing world. The virtual panel discussion objectives are to: • Review effective practices and interventions to advance skills development that enables youth to contribute actively to peace and sustainable development. • Highlight youth’s contribution to the acceleration of the achievement of the SDGs especially those related to skills and decent work for peace and resilience, • Highlight the positive experiences and skills of young people that have contributed to a workplace free from violence and harassment. • Explore ways to foster social and emotional learning into education and training systems to equip youth with skills for empathy, resilience, and conflict resolution. • Explore ways to foster global citizenship education and integrate it in curricula at all levels of education, including TVET, to enhance understanding of global issues and empower youth to act as agents of change. More details on the event and Get involved!

From UNESCO; On July 15th, from 10:00 - 12:30 EST, a virtual event entitled ‘‘Building an equitable and inclusive future of work that fosters peace, global citizenship, and sustainable development.’’ will be held. Register to participate!

From UNESCO; On July 15th, from 10:00 - 12:30 EST, a virtual event entitled “AI Skills for the Future of Work." will be held. The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies across various industries is transforming the landscape of work. To prepare youth for the jobs of the future, it is crucial to equip them with the necessary AI skills. The Global Skills Academy will host a dedicated session on "AI Skills for the Future of Work" to address this pressing need. Register to participate!

Virtually; On July 15th, Join us at the HESI Global Forum On "The Future of Higher Education for Sustainable Development." to engage in discussions on education, innovation, and sustainability with a focus on AI. Register to participate!

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on World Youth Skills Day 2024; July 15th.

The future of humanity and our planet depends on young people.

But it also depends on ensuring they have the skills to tackle today’s challenges and shape a more peaceful tomorrow.

We know there is a clear link between countries that enjoy high levels of peace, spending on education, and school completion rates.

Yet today, almost a quarter of the world’s youth are not in education, employment, or training – with that figure more than twice as high for young women.

Meanwhile the financing gap for education in low and middle-income countries stands at a massive 100 billion dollars a year.

This year’s World Skills Day shines a spotlight on skills for peace and sustainable development.

Around the world, young people are already working to build safer and stronger communities. They can make an even bigger difference for our shared future with training for the burgeoning green and digital economies, education to help break the cycle of hate speech and misinformation, tools to enhance mediation and dialogue, and so much more.

Today, and every day, let’s work to transform education.

And let’s ensure that youth have what they need to build skills for shaping a more peaceful, sustainable future for all.

United Nations Secretary-General.

LIVETREAM: From UNHQ, New York - World Youth Skills Day 2024 - Youth Skills for Peace and Sustainable Development. Virtual event/ Stay tuned on 15 July 2024 starting at 10:00 am ending at 11:30 am EST.

Ten years ago, in December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly established World Youth Skills Day as to emphasize the critical importance of equipping young people with essential skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship, as well as for addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development. 2024 marks a significant milestone to reflect on the transformative progress made in youth skills development over the past decade, but also the gaps that remain and the challenges that still need to be addressed, in the context of a constantly evolving world of work. The international community has amplified its efforts to bridge the gap between education and employment, adapting to rapid technological advancements and shifting economic priorities. Today's youth face increasing challenges that threaten not only their individual futures but also the overall peace and stability of societies around the world. Among the most disruptive of these challenges are conflicts, whose induced polarization renders educational and training environments unsafe and inaccessible, puts a break to job creation, and weakens the enabling environment for young workers and young entrepreneurs to thrive. Conflicts contribute to cycles of violence and instability, impacting young people's ability to contribute to their communities. Additionally, youth today must navigate an increasingly divided online environment where hate speech, cyberbullying and disinformation campaigns are prevalent, further disrupting their social interactions and undermining their mental well-being. At the same time, expectations towards a workplace free from harassment, violence and conflict have gained momentum. In many workplaces, gender-based violence and harassment are no long tolerated.

 The ILO RC190 - Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) details actions member states are expected to take to protect workers from violence and harassment. The convention is particularly important for young people that have often less negotiating power in their job experiences. Skills development where peace is adequately mainstreamed is an important part of the answer to conflicts. Skills development interventions strengthen mutual understanding and trust between groups. Skills development also increases young people‘s employability reducing conflict around the control of income generating assets; skills development can also address grievances and perceptions of injustice. The goal is therefore to equip young people affected by conflict with market relevant technical skills, including the skills demanded by the digital and green economies; core skills including social and emotional learning (SEL) skills to build up agency, resilience, empathy; interpersonal skills, and the skills to effectively engage in the peace and security agenda. The recent report by the Secretary-General on Youth and Peace and Security highlights the need to promote youth inclusion in peace and security and calls on member states and regional organizations to provide young people with the necessary skills and knowledge for engaging in peace processes, conflict prevention, climate justice, and peacebuilding. 

Similarly, UNESCO’s “Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights, and Sustainable Development” provides guidance on education and skills development efforts for young people to become agents of change and lead efforts toward a more peaceful, just and inclusive future. Additionally, the Youth Declaration on Transforming Education calls for a comprehensive education framework based on peace and human rights and urges decision-makers to establish a safe learning environment, free from all forms of violence and discrimination.