Children and youth

 

Photo: mic wernej under a Creative Commons License

The world's population is young, with nearly 2.2 billion people under the age of 18 of which 85 percent are living in developing countries. Children and young people are concerned, thoughtful citizens, capable of participating in, and changing the society of which they are a part; and they have an important role to play in addressing and affecting the issues of our world.

In addition, children and young people have enthusiasm, imagination and abundant energy to undertake local actions, act as effective communicators in their communities and be involved in international arenas. FAO with a number of partners is therefore developing resources, activities and the mechanisms to enhance awareness, access to information and participation of children and young people in a range of environmental, social and sustainable development issues, including climate change.

 

News

Il Brevetto Acqua è qui! 20 May 2013 The YUNGA Water Challenge Badge is now also available in Italian: meet the Brevetto Acqua! [more]
Debi Nova and Percance on tour for YUNGA Costa Rica 10 May 2013 YUNGA Ambassadors Debi Nova and Percance are touring Costa Rica! Along the way, they are encouraging young people to become active agents of change on issues including biodiversity, climate change and food security. [more]
Kofi Annan Dialogues with Young People 3 May 2013 On the 15th of May 2013, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will host an online conversation with young people. Find out more here: http://kofiannanfoundation.org/ and join in! [more]
Innovative Ideas to Feed the World Competition 24 April 2013 All young professionals of the Rome-based UN agencies are invited to participate in a competition and related event to discuss innovative ideas and strategies for meeting the challenges of global food insecurity. An event to recognize the five winners will be held at FAO on the 21st of May 2013 , with speeches from H.E Dr José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General and WFP Deputy Executive Director Amir Abdulla as special guests. [more]
YUNGA Ambassadors Percance to Play at Viva El Planeta Festival 26 March 2013 On April 27, the YUNGA Ambassadors Percance will play at the second edition of the 'Viva El Planeta' festival in Bogotá, Colombia. The Festival was created to encourage young people to think about proteting the environment environment and to promote education and sports. [more]

We will need the spirit of youth in abundance as the world seeks to embrace cleaner, more sustainable forms of energy, including renewable resources. The transition to a low-carbon economy that we hope young people will see in their lifetimes offers tremendous opportunities. I urge young people around the world to invest their energies and bright ideas into shaping a safer, more sustainable planet.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon

last updated:  Wednesday, July 11, 2012