MODULE 4: Providing youth with the right competences and
skills to reach the SDGs
Youth Workers 4 Global Goals
CAPACITY BUILDING IN THE FIELD OF YOUTH
This project has been funded with support from the
European Commission. This publication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot
be held responsible for any use which may be made of
the information contained therein.
MODULE 4: Providing youth with the right competences and skills to
reach the SDGs
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2
Youth and the SDGs ..................................................................................................................2
The UN and Youth...................................................................................................... 3
The Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth .................................................................................3
The Young Leaders for the SDGs ..............................................................................................3
Roles for youth and the SDGs ...................................................................................................3
Youth for SDGs - Promoting youth involvement for the SDGs worldwide ................... 5
Future Rangers Program ..........................................................................................................5
Young African Leaders Initiative - Rlc Ea ..................................................................................5
Youth Initiative for Empowering Leadership and Development (YIELD) ..................................5
Youth for Global Goals .............................................................................................................5
YSA (Youth Service America) ....................................................................................................6
Objective of the UN Youth Strategy ........................................................................... 7
Strengthening the foundations for a UN that delivers with and for young people ..................8
Priority Areas of the UN Youth Strategy ................................................................... 13
FIRST PRIORITY: Engagement, Participation and Advocacy - Amplify youth voices for the
promotion of a peaceful, just and sustainable world .............................................................14
SECOND PRIORITY: Informed and Healthy Foundations - Support young people’s greater
access to quality education and health services.....................................................................15
THIRD PRIORITY: Economic Empowerment through Decent Work - Support young people’s
greater access to decent work and productive employment .................................................16
FOURTH PRIORITY: Youth and Human Rights – Protect and promote the rights of young
people and support their civic and political engagement ......................................................17
FIFTH PRIORITY: Peace and Resilience Building – Support young people as catalysts for
Peace and Security & Humanitarian Action ............................................................................18
Coordination, Governance and Operationalization .................................................. 19
Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 20
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Introduction
One of the Key aspects in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is
certainly to provide youth with the right competences and skills to reach them.
In this module we will have the opportunity to explore a little more about Youth, SDGs
and the activities as well as initiatives in order to reach the SDGs in a way that no one is
left behind and we can all improve and walk towards a more sustainable future together
as a whole.
During the definition of the SDGs, it was clear from the beginning that a special focus
needed to be placed in the youngest generation and in education. It is therefore with
this in mind that several propositions and ideas were born. This progression and
evolution of the thinking in this area has been always a dynamic environment in which
new actors and discussions bring new ways of dealing with this process.
These modules are also in part a fruit of these decisions and will of the international
community in providing young workers and professionals with the tools and
competencies to make an impact and develop new ideas toward the achievement of the
SDGs. The idea, indeed, is to allow local people to empower themselves and became
actors of change in their communities.
Youth and the SDGs
Today, there are 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10-24—they are the largest
generation of youth in history. Close to 90 per cent of them live in developing countries.
Their numbers are expected to grow—between 2015 and 2030 alone, about 1.9 billion
young people are projected to turn 15 years old. Connected to each other like never,
young people want to and already contribute to the resilience of their communities,
proposing innovative solutions, driving social progress and inspiring political change.
They are also agents of change, mobilizing to advance the Sustainable Development
Goals to improve the lives of people and the health of the planet.
Provided with the necessary skills and opportunities needed to reach their potential,
young people can be a driving force for supporting development and contributing to
peace and security. Youth-led organizations need to be encouraged and empowered to
participate in translating the 2030 Agenda into local, national and regional policy. They
play a significant role in the implementation, monitoring and review of the Agenda as
well as in holding governments accountable. With political commitment and adequate
resources, young people have the potential to make the most effective transformation
of the world into a better place for all.
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The UN and Youth
Building on its global convening role, the United Nations is particularly put to go about
as a wellspring of security and backing for youngsters, and a stage through which their
needs can be tended to, their voice can be intensified, and their commitment can be
progressed.
The UN completely grasps youngsters' decent variety in the entirety of its structures.
Along these lines, the UN utilizes and advocates for techniques and approaches
intelligent of this decent variety to ensure every single youngster can arrive at their full
commitment, strengthening and advancement. The UN perceives youngsters as rights-
holders, and advances and encourages straightforwardness, responsibility, and
responsiveness from governments, worldwide associations and others toward
youngsters.
The Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth
Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake was named United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy
on Youth in June 2017. As a worldwide backer for youth, she attempts to guarantee the
cooperation of youngsters in issues that issue to them, giving them a voice at the UN
and around the globe. Advocating the SDGs, she additionally brings crafted by the UN
closer to youngsters around the globe.
The Young Leaders for the SDGs
In September 2016, the debut class of 17 Young Leaders was declared. Originating from
various foundations, divisions and areas, Young Leaders are chosen dependent on their
endeavors to end destitution, battle environmental change and lessen disparities.
They work with the Envoy on Youth to connect with youngsters in the SDG, advocate for
their accomplishment and add to a cerebrum trust supporting the UN's promotion
endeavors to assemble youngsters. Another class of Young Leaders will be reported in
September 2018, during the UN General Assembly.
Roles for youth and the SDGs
1. Critical thinkers: Some portion of being youthful includes understanding
individual encounters and posing inquiries about your general surroundings.
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Youth have the ability to recognize and challenge existing force structures and
obstructions to change, and to uncover inconsistencies and predispositions
2. Change-makers: Youngsters likewise have the ability to act and prepare others.
Youth activism is on the ascent the world over, supported by more extensive
availability and access to social media-based life.
3. Innovators: In addition to bringing fresh perspectives, young people often have
direct knowledge of and insights into issues that are not accessible to adults.
Youth best comprehend the issues they confront and can offer new thoughts and
elective arrangements.
4. Communicators: Outside the international development sector, few people are
aware that world leaders have come to a historic, far-reaching agreement to
improve the lives of people and the planet by 2030. Young people can be
partners in communicating the development agenda to their peers and
communities at the local level, as well as across countries and regions.
5. Leaders: When young people are empowered with the knowledge of their rights
and equipped with leadership skills, they can drive change in their communities
and countries. Youth-led organizations and networks, in particular, should be
supported and strengthened, because they contribute to the development of
civic leadership skills among young people, especially marginalized youth.
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Youth for SDGs - Promoting youth involvement for the SDGs
worldwide
Youth for SDGs Action Network is the on-line forum for youth around the globe to share
their SDG commitments with the world.
Future Rangers Program
The Future Rangers Program is addressing a problem expressed by anti-poaching
rangers, lack of youth connection to wildlife. With this program being piloted in one of
the highest poaching areas in the world, we aim to address the poaching crisis by helping
to provide opportunities for passion, leadership training, and employment in local youth
communities bordering the protected areas, as lack of employment opportunities is one
of the main drivers for poaching.
Young African Leaders Initiative - Rlc Ea
Africa's large youth population presents a complex problem that requires strategic
investments in education, health, energy, skills, economic reforms and good
governance. At a time when sub-Saharan Africa is going through significant changes in
economic, social and political, technological and environmental frontiers, some youth
across Africa are being left out.
Youth Initiative for Empowering Leadership and Development (YIELD)
Contributing towards harnessing youth’s potential as active citizen for peace and
development in Delhi, YIELD (Youth Initiative for empowering leadership and
development) sets agenda for empowerment of marginalized youth from different slum
clusters of Delhi with objectives to encourage active citizenship
Youth for Global Goals
Youth 4 Global Goals (Youth4GG) is an initiative that aims to activate young people to
contribute towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also
referred to as the Global Goals and Agenda 2030. Activating youth will happen in three
stages: Awareness, Understanding and Action.
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YSA (Youth Service America)
Founded in 1986, Youth Service America® supports a global culture of engaged children
and youth committed to a lifetime of meaningful service, learning, and leadership. With
half the world’s population under age 25, our mission is to help all young people find
their voice, take action, and make an impact on vital community issues.
The YSA program model:
• Activates through campaigns like Global Youth Service Day and Semester of
Service.
• Funds with YSA Grants.
• Trains with resources and trainings offered in the YSA Learning Center.
• Recognizes through awards, storytelling, and visibility campaigns.
Through Youth Service America’s programs, youth lead community change through:
• Awareness (educating others to change behaviors),
• Service (using their passion, creativity, and idealism to solve problems
through volunteerism),
• Advocacy (to change policies and laws),
• Philanthropy (generating and donating financial and in-kind support).
What We Do
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Activate Fund Train
Large-scale activation YSA Grants – totaling over A wide variety of free
campaigns – engaging 3.2 $5.8 million dollars over resources and trainings
million young people over the last 10 years – are available in the YSA
the last 10 years – awarded to youth, K-12 Knowledge Center help
including Global Youth schools, youth youth and their adult
Service Day, 9/11 Day of development mentors plan high-quality,
Service, MLK Day of organizations, and high-impact service and
Service, and Service Vote. community-based service-learning projects
organizations for youth-led
service projects
Objective of the UN Youth Strategy
The Strategy aims to facilitate increased impact and expanded global, regional and
country-level action to address the needs, build the agency and advance the rights
of young people in all their diversity around the world, and to ensure their
engagement and participation in the implementation, review and follow-up of
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as well as other relevant global
agendas and frameworks.
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Strengthening the foundations for a UN that delivers with and for young
people
Young people’s empowerment, development and engagement is an end in itself, just
as a way to assemble a superior world. The UN remembers it can't accomplish its
strategic banding together with youngsters and guaranteeing they are heard as well as
comprehended, connected as well as enabled, and supporting as well as driving
worldwide endeavors and procedures. Youngsters should be undeniable accomplices in
the United Nations work to construct a superior world for all, as they are the two
recipients and partners. Through its Youth Strategy, the UN tries to turn into a
Leadership Example, Knowledge and Innovation Pioneer, an Investment and Solution
Catalyst, and an Accountability Leader, by merging toward duties and deliberately chose
activities offering life to each of these. These cross-cutting framework wide activities
and intercessions, recorded underneath, will bolster the general limit of the UN to
progress and convey on the five key need zones sketched out in the ensuing segment of
this system.
A Leadership Example:
Mainstreaming structures: Ensure a
Youth Focal Point function in each UN
country team and mission, to support the
system-wide country level coordination
on youth.
Youth engagement platforms: Consider
putting in place mechanisms, such as e.g.
youth advisory boards, within each
The UN will support youth leadership
relevant UN entity, to provide a channel
across the organization and build staff
for input and feedback from young
awareness and capacity on youth-related
people on UN work. This should be done
issues.
in ways that reflect the diversity of young
people and their organizations
Dialogue opportunities: Establish regular
online and offline engagements between
young people and UN Senior managers,
including the Secretary-General.
Capacity building: Provide orientation
briefing on youth issues to Resident
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Coordinators, UN Entity representatives,
and other senior management positions.
Roster of experts: Combine existing
rosters of experts on youth issues and
expand it to become more diverse
Strengthening internship programs:
Engage with relevant decision-making
bodies and identify innovative solutions
with a view of establishing minimum
quality standards across the UN for
internship programs and advance efforts
to ensure adequate compensation of
interns and widening of the intern pool
Talent management: Expand and
replicate in UN entities successful human
resource modalities for attracting young
talent, such as the Young Professional
Program, Management Reassignment
Program, fellowship programs and UN
youth volunteers. Promote across the UN
system mobility and support career
development of young staff.
A Knowledge and Innovation Pioneer:
Data tool: Set forth comprehensive data
tool for monitoring global, regional and
The UN will strengthen knowledge national progress in young people’s
production and management systems; development using SDG, WPAY, and other
become a credible source of expertise on indicators
youth development and engagement;
and facilitate evidence-based global
awareness on the realities and needs of Online knowledge platform: Develop a
system-wide repository with easy access
the world’s young people
to all youth-related knowledge and
programs across the UN
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UN Youth Academy: Organize a recurring
UN Youth Academy bringing together the
UN System and diverse stakeholders to
discuss youth realities, trends and
prospects while sharing knowledge and
experiences
Analysis: Establish a streamlined
approach to country-level youth situation
analysis and youth-specific indicators as
part of the UNDAF/UNSF/Common
Country Assessments and national
development frameworks, and explore
regional and global youth reporting that
connects these national youth situation
analyses
Common research agenda: Identify
subjects of common interest and new
joint and forward-looking research
Youth Innovation Labs: Drawing on
accurate diagnostics, convene multi-
stakeholders working group at the
country-level to reflect on innovative
solutions to existing challenges
Youth-led innovation: Provide targeted
and enabling support to youth-led
organizations and initiatives to pilot new
models and interventions
Polling: Undertake polling initiatives
among young people at global, regional,
national and local levels to gather their
perspectives and inform the UN’s work
and dedicated processes
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An Investment and Solution Catalyst
A Global Youth Investment and
Partnership Platform: Create an online
umbrella platform to attract and direct
investment in youth-related
programming
A common resource mobilization
strategy: Formulate a common,
innovative and coordinated resource
mobilization strategy with a specific focus
on mainstreaming youth across existing
The UN will accelerate resource funding mechanisms and identifying
mobilization efforts and facilitate funding solutions for under-financed
partnership solutions to advance the areas
implementation of the UN Youth Strategy
and strengthen the funding base and Results-based communications: Adopt a
mechanisms for youth-focused system-wide results-based
programming and youth-led actions at all communications approach for donors to
levels. clearly see the impact of their
investments
Youth participation funding: Identify
ways to ensure dedicated funding for
youth participation in all relevant UN
entities and at all levels.
Joint Programs: Mobilize greater
resources at the country level by
strengthening and expanding UN joint
programs on youth
An Accountability Leader
Guidelines: Prepare general guidelines
The UN will seek to ensure UN entities
for all UN entities to respect the principles
successfully address youth issues through
of responsive youth development and
their programming; effectively and
meaningful youth engagement.
meaningfully engage young people in
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their work; and track budget allocations Markers: Employ a youth marker system
and expenditures to track progress and ensure UN
programming contributes to youth
empowerment and intergenerational
equity.
Commitments: Encourage youth-related
commitments and goals by senior UN
management as part of their annual
compacts
Evaluation: Develop a system-wide
approach to impartial impact evaluation
of the UN’s youth programming
Review: Conduct an annual review of
implementation of the Youth Strategy
Transparency: Make public information
on the implementation of the Youth
Strategy
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Priority Areas of the UN Youth Strategy
The UN is committed to strengthening its capacity to meet new demands and deliver
more effective results with and for young people, in line with ongoing UN Reforms. In
this regard, the UN will build on existing and future initiatives at system level and
intensify its efforts in the following interconnected priority areas
FIRST PRIORITY: Engagement, Participation and Advocacy - Amplify youth voices for the
promotion of a peaceful, just and sustainable world
SECOND PRIORITY: Informed and Healthy Foundations - Support young people’s greater
access to quality education and health services
THIRD PRIORITY: Economic Empowerment through Decent Work - Support young
people’s greater access to decent work and productive employment
FOURTH PRIORITY: Youth and Human Rights – Protect and promote the rights of young
people and support their civic and political engagement
FIFTH PRIORITY: Peace and Resilience Building – Support young people as catalysts for
Peace and Security & Humanitarian Action
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FIRST PRIORITY: Engagement, Participation and Advocacy - Amplify youth
voices for the promotion of a peaceful, just and sustainable world
The UN will:
Mainstream: Incorporate across all entities of the UN and work relating to all UN pillars,
the need to meaningfully and sustainably engage
Expand: Review, improve and widen existing UN modalities for cooperation, dialogue
and partnerships with youth-led organizations, networks and movements
Assist: Provide guidance and technical support to UN entities for the establishment
or strengthening of youth engagement mechanisms
Engage: Advocate for expanded and meaningful youth participation in
intergovernmental forums at the global and regional levels
Set standards: Advocate for governments to transform the way in which they engage
young people nationally and locally, and apply the principles of meaningful and
sustainable youth participation
Connect: Enhance how the UN reaches out, communicates with, listens to and
responds to young people
Strengthen: Reinforce and expand the UN’s capacities and resources to identify,
value and showcase contributions of diverse young people
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Amplify: Partner with young people who globally, nationally or locally advocate for the
values of the UN to amplify and reinforce their voices and increase the reach and impact
of global youth movements they are building
SECOND PRIORITY: Informed and Healthy Foundations - Support young
people’s greater access to quality education and health services
The UN will:
Advocate for quality education: Engage Member States and other partners to ensure
universal access to quality education
Promote non-formal education: Support and advance youth policy frameworks
Ensure accessible and youth-responsive health services and healthy environments:
Incorporate an approach that is inclusive of young people in the UN’s support to
strengthening national health systems
Support youth-friendly mental health services: Ensure accessibility of youth-friendly
mental health services, within the greater context of universal health coverage
Support sexual and reproductive health and rights: Leverage the UN’s advocacy
and programmatic capacities to expand young people’s access to youth-
friendly and rights-based sexual and reproductive health services
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THIRD PRIORITY: Economic Empowerment through Decent Work - Support
young people’s greater access to decent work and productive employment
The UN will:
Uphold global commitment: Renew and strengthen efforts toward decent
work for young people by focusing on evidence-based, scalable and innovative
solutions and alliances
Advocate for a balanced approach: Engage Member States and other partners to
advocate for a balanced approach to stimulate the youth labor demand and prompt
improvements in skills development systems
Guide and support: Support Member States and other partners in their efforts to create
youth-enabling employment and self-employment ecosystems and to develop
and operationalize strategies
Promote access to services and productive assets: Ensure access of young people
to integrated and adequate services as well as productive resources, such as land,
finance, digital and other technology related resources
Foster a just transition to a low-carbon and green economy: Engage Member States and
other partners to accelerate the transition towards green and climate friendly
economies through mitigation and adaptation strategies that improve energy efficiency
and limit greenhouse gas emissions
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FOURTH PRIORITY: Youth and Human Rights – Protect and promote the
rights of young people and support their civic and political engagement
The UN will:
Protect and promote young people’s human
rights: Prioritize advocacy, policy
development and programming to
safeguard the human rights of young
people
Raise awareness about the specific situation of
young people’s rights: Promote a deeper understanding of the youth-specific barriers
and challenges young people face in accessing their human rights
Mainstream human rights: Promote the mainstreaming of all rights of young people into
the work of treaty bodies, special procedures and other human rights mechanisms
Promote participation in political and public affairs: Leverage the capacity of the
UN to promote young people’s right to participate in public affairs
Develop capacity and human rights education: Increase UN’s efforts to promote human
rights education and training for youth
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FIFTH PRIORITY: Peace and Resilience Building – Support young people as
catalysts for Peace and Security & Humanitarian Action
The UN will:
Promote an enabling environment: Recognize young people’s important and positive
contribution to peace and security, prevention of violence, disaster risk reduction,
humanitarian and climate action
Promote youth participation in formal peace processes: Encourage and facilitate the
meaningful participation of young people in all phases of formal peace and
peacebuilding processes
Promote safe public spaces: Ensure young people have physical areas to gather to live,
learn and work
Convene and buttress partnerships: Strengthen local, national, regional and global
partnerships and collaboration, including between youth-led organizations and
governments
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Foster continuous dialogue: Establish and support inclusive, representative, democratic
and structured dialogue and consultation platforms for young people’s contribution to
peace, security, humanitarian and climate actions
Reinforce capacity: Reinforce the capacity of youth-led organizations involved in peace,
security, humanitarian and climate action to increase the impact of their work and
their organizational sustainability
Expand opportunities: Create spaces for young people to contribute to the promotion of
a culture of peace through participation in intercultural and interreligious dialogue to
prevent conflict
Protect and support youth in humanitarian settings: Ensure integrated support for young
people in humanitarian settings with a focus on their protection
Coordination, Governance and Operationalization
The responsibility for UN Youth Strategy is similarly shared by all individuals from the
UN framework at the worldwide, provincial and national levels. The Secretary-General's
Envoy on Youth will be the open substance of the UN Youth Strategy and will lead
worldwide promotion endeavors and its High-Level Steering Committee on the side of
its fruitful usage.
COORDINATION AND GOVERNANCE: The governance of the UN Youth Strategy will be
rooted in existing global, regional and national mechanisms and reinforced by a High-
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Level Steering Committee. A successful implementation of the UN Youth Strategy will
directly depend on effective and efficient collaboration between UN entities as well as
ingenious synergies among the priorities and actions outlined in the Strategy and its
Action Plan. The implementation of the UN Youth Strategy will benefit from the strategic
guidance of a High-Level Steering Committee composed of:
a) The Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth
b) The IANYD co-chairs
c) a select number of biennially rotating UN Entities (one or two per priority area
whose work is central to the Strategy (at ASG level)
d) 2 biennially rotating representatives of a global youth-led platform/organization
OPERATIONALIZATION: So as to guarantee productive trade of data and thoughts
between the nation level and the High-level Steering Committee, Regional Interagency
coordination components on youth will be routinely connected by the Global IANYD to
contribute input. It is normal that Regional IANYDs will intently work together with UN
Country Teams on the Strategy's usage and audit.
Conclusion
In this module you had the opportunity to find out more about the programs, initiatives
and some key ideas that are driving international organizations to explore new ways to
reach the SDGs and give youth the tools and competencies to do so.
It is very important that you keep learning about them, this will give you even more
strength to initiate your own path to make an impact in helping reach the SDGs. It is
crucial to keep updated about new ideas, partnering with other young leaders,
professionals and people involved in the Goals you want to tackle knowing all the
possible helps and existing platforms in order to have a create result and really make
the difference.
You can find more information in the next modules and complete your formation as in
the Module n°5 you will see Technology and Innovation applied to the SDGs.
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