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International Youth Day
On 12 August, every year International Youth Day is celebrated to highlight efforts by the world’s youth to improve global society. It also seeks to encourage ways for them to participate more actively in making meaningful contributions to their communities.
History
In 1995, the United Nations General Assembly (UN) adopted the World Program of Action for Youth with the goal of setting guidelines and policies for action and help, which would contribute to a better future for the youth of tomorrow. The World Youth Action Programme, which includes 15 focus areas, including education, jobs, hunger and poverty, health, climate, and substance abuse, paved the way for the 1999 UN declaration of International Youth Day. Since its inception on 12 August 2000, International Youth Day has helped to improve the quality and quantity of opportunities for youth to engage actively in society.
Theme 2020
The theme of International Youth Day 2020, “Youth Participation for Global Action,” seeks to highlight the ways in which youth involvement at the local , national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral structures and processes, as well as drawing lessons on how to substantially improve their representation and participation in formal institutional politics.
