Youth Forum: Creating a Sustainable Future: Empowering Youth with Better Job Opportunities

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) held a youth forum,“Creating a Sustainable Future: Empowering Youth with Better Job Opportunities” on 4 May 2012 at the United Nations Headquarters, New York City. This event was organized jointly by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Since the onset of the global economic crisis, youth unemployment has increased across the world, affecting both developed and developing countries alike. This problem poses significant challenges not simply to the youth themselves but also to the capacity of companies and countries to innovate and develop competitive advantages which are critical for economic recovery.

This meeting was organized as part of the preparatory process for the 2012 ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review (AMR), to be held in July on the theme of Promoting Productive Capacity, Employment and Decent Work. 

The programme consisted of an opening plenary, followed by two dialogue classroom sessions on “Training and education to facilitate access to job market” and “Promoting youth employment-Creating jobs for a more sustainable future”. Youth representatives from around the world participated in this event.

Recommendations coming out from the ECOSOC youth forum will be shared with Member States at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development-Rio+20, to take place in Brazil, in June 2012, and also during theECOSOC High-level session in July 2012.

• Programme
• Summary
• Reading Materials
  • Background Note
  • Dialogue Session 1: Training and education to facilitate access to job market

Articles

• Europe’s real Crisis, Source/Publication: The Atlantic Magazine (Date: April 2012)  
• The World Economy – Can it be…the recovery?, Source/Publication: The Economist (Date: March 17, 2012)
• Morning in America? Source/Publication: The Economist (Date: March 9, 2012)
• Small is not beautiful – Why small firms are less wonderful than you think Source/Publication: The Economist (Date: March 3, 2012)
• Decent work and education: A win-win combination Source/Publication: International Labour Organization (Date: March 1, 2012)
• Global Jobs Crisis: Third of global workers either unemployed or impoverished Source/Publication: The Huffington Post (Date: January 23, 2012)
• School limits Source/Publication: Le Monde Diplomatique ( Date: January 2012)
• As wars end, young veterans return to scant jobs Source/Publication: The New York Times (Date: December 17, 2011)
• A double-dip in employment? Source/Publication: International Labour Organization (Date: December 1, 2011)
• Occupy the Classroom Source/Publication: The New York Times (Date: October 19, 2011)
• How do recent college grads really stack up?  Employment and earnings for graduates of the great recession Source/Publication: Brookings Institute Blog (Date: June 3, 2011)
• The hidden job crisis for American men Source/Publication: Bloomberg Businessweek (Date: April 7, 2011)

Reports

• Report V: The youth employment crisis: Time for action Source/Publication: International Labour Organization (Date: October 26, 2011)
• UN Youth World Report 2012, "Youth Employment: youth perspectives on the pursuit of decent work in changing times" Source/Publication: Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations (Date: November, 2011)  
• Global Employment Trends for Youth: 2011 update Source/Publication: International Labour Organization (Date: October 26, 2011)

• Additional information
  • Resource guide on youth emplonymet Source: International Labour Organization
     
• Dialogue Session 2: Promoting youth employment-Creating jobs for a more sustainable future

Articles

• Recycling has the potential to be profitable and create jobs Source/Publication: Creamer Media’s Engineering News (Date: March 30, 2012)
• Rio Plus 20: What Prospects for the Next UN Mega-Conference? Source/Publication: Council on Foreign Relations (Date: March 30, 2012)
• 3.1 million 'green jobs' number casts a wide net Source/Publication: CNNMoney (Date: March 29, 2012)
• African Governments urged to address growing e-waste Source/Publication: Voice of America (Date: March 23, 2012)
• A Primer on the U.S. Clean Energy Economy: What it is, Why it matters Source/Publication: InsideClimate News (Date: February 28, 2012)
• Africa’s disputed trees Source/Publication: Le Monde Diplomatique (Date: December 2011)
• Green jobs attract graduates Source/Publication: New York Times (Date: June 24, 2011)
• Burt's Bees-- Changing behaviour "Beyond Work" Source/Publication: The Guardian UK (Date: May 26, 2011)
• Youth join green jobs push in China Source/Publication: International Labour Organization (Date: February 15, 2011) 
• Give me green, and jobs, but not green jobs Source/Publication: The Economist (Date: January 18, 2011)
• Green Jobs sector 'Poised for Explosive Growth,' study says Source/Publication: New York Times (Date: June 10, 2009) 
• The Business Logic of Sustainability Source/Publication: TED (Date: February 2009)
• Indian couple tackle waste management by turning plastic bags into fashion bags Source/Publication: Treehugger (Date: March 8, 2006)
• The Business of Impact is the Business of the Future Source/Publication: Fast Company

Reports

• From Transition to Transformation Source/Publication: UNDP (Date: March 21, 2012)
• Anticipating skill needs for the low carbon economy? : Difficult, but not impossible Source/Publication: International Labour Organization (Date: 2011)
• Skills for green jobs: A global view (report) Source/Publication: International Labour Organization (Date: October 6, 2011)
• Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication Source/Publication: UNEP (Date: 2011)
• Assessing green jobs potential in developing countries: a practitioner's guide Source/Publication: International Labour Organization (Date: 2011)
• Building a sustainable future with decent work in Asia and the Pacific : Report of the Director-General Source/Publication: International Labour Organization (Date: 2011) 

• Additional information
  • Resource guide on green jobs Source: International Labour Organization