The Secretary-General’s Youth Employment Network Background to

the Youth Employment Network

Policy orientations which underpin the Network

Contact information

Background information on YEN

What do you know about the YEN?

Secretary-General’s Youth Employment Network

A commitment of the Millennium Declaration: Develop and implement strategies that give young people everywhere a real chance to find decent and productive work

A global alliance led by the heads of the UN, the World Bank and the ILO

Requested the ILO to take the lead in organizing the future work of the YEN and to host a permanent Secretariat

The High-Level Panel

The Secretary-General: Appointed a High-Level Panel in

2000 and asked them to draw up recommendations by 2001.

Invited the panel to continue working in an advisory capacity as a standing panel

Objectives of YEN:

1. To formulate a set of recommendations on youth employment

2. To disseminate information on good practice and lessons learned

3. To identify, for implementation with its partners, collaborative youth employment initiatives.

The YEN Partners The Network Involves a number of partners and collaborating agencies including the ILO’s social partners, non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and youth groups.

Youth Employment Summit Youth Business International UN Habitat International Youth Foundation UNESCO

Development Gateway Rotary International International Organization of Employers ICFTU

The 3 elements of the Panel’s 2001 Recommendations

1. Puts forward the importance of youth:

Youth are an Asset - not a Problem Youth are partners of today - not

tomorrow

2. Presents a political process: National reviews and action plans ILO to prepare a global review and

evaluation of action plans Suggests “Youth” as integrated concept

of employment policies “Lead countries” to take the initiative

Panel’s 2001 Recommendations

Lead Countries are committed to:

YEN has prepared a guidance note for lead countries

Political commitment at the highest political level to decent and productive work for young people;

Prepare a national review and action plan on youth employment;

Lead Countries

Contribute to international development cooperation in sharing national experience with other countries and with the international community;

Nine countries have stepped forward to volunteer as lead countries for the YEN:-Azerbaijan, -Brazil, -Egypt, -Hungary, -Indonesia, -Iran, -Namibia, -Senegal, -Sri Lanka.

3. Four global priorities for action plans: Employability: invest in education and

vocational training Equal opportunities: give young women

the same opportunities as young men Entrepreneurship: make it easier to start

and run enterprises Employment creation: place employment

at the center of macroeconomic policy.

Panel’s 2001 Recommendations

Panel’s 2001 Recommendations

Cross-cutting issues are:

Youth empowerment through organisation of young workers and entrepreneurs

HIV/AIDS and youth

Youth and conflict

UN Resolutions on Promoting Youth Employment (Dec 2002) and Policies and Programmes for Youth (Jan 2004)

Takes on board the political process recommended by the High-Level Panel

Encourages to develop national reviews and action plans and to involve youth and youth organizations in the process

Invites the Youth Employment Network under ILO leadership to carry out global analysis and review – ILC 2005 and Global Employment Report 2005

Working Groups

In 2002 the High-Level Panel set up working groups on each of the four ‘E’s.

Provide policy advice on the four priority areas.

Provide guidance for national action plans Support the implementation of policies,

programmes and projects on youth employment undertaken by the broader Network's partners

2nd meeting of the High Level Panel, June 2003

Our challenge now is to move from the excellent policy work that has been done to a new phase of action at the country level.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

The youth around this table are a tremendous resource. Young people are not just leaders for tomorrow, they are partners for today. Engage them. Listen. Build together. Let's get beyond lip service.

ILO Director General Juan Somavia

Panel’s 2003Recommendations

The Working Group on Employability: Government responsibility Investment in education and training Access to basic education School-to-work transition Relevance to labour market needs Lifelong learning Involving social partners

1. Endorse the outcomes of the Panel’s 4 Working Groups

Panel’s 2003Recommendations

The Working Group on Entrepreneurship:

Cultural attitudes Regulations Education/training Finance Business Support

Panel’s 2003RecommendationsThe Working Group on Equal opportunities: Set specific objectives and targets to rectify gender disparities End stereotyping in education and training: Recognize the constraints placed on young women’s productive roles by their reproductive responsibilities: Focus both on equal opportunities and equal treatment: Recognize the value of women’s entrepreneurship Sexual violence

Panel’s 2003Recommendations

The Working Group on Employment creation:

Employment as an overall objective of economic policy

Financial stability to promote employment Open markets for developing countries

2. Encourage governments to translate the recommendations into national action plans.

3. Establish social dialogue for youth employment.

4. Invite youth organisations to play an active role in the Network

5. Mobilize resources for youth employment in committed countries

Panel’s 2003Recommendations

Next steps for the Youth Employment Network

1. Strengthening the role of Youth

2. National actions plans to be included in national Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs).

3. The role of the High Level Panel in MDG-process

Contact details YEN Secretariat

The Youth Employment Network Website http://www.ilo.org/yen

Secretary for the Youth Employment Network Steven Miller miller@ilo.org

Senior Policy Advisor on Youth Employment Regina Monticone monticone@ilo.org

Communication and Public Information Officer Justin Sykes sykes@ilo.org

Contact details ILO - YENILO Geneva: Mr. Takafumi Ueda Technical Coordinator on Youth Employment The ILO – Youth Employment Task Team (YETT) YEN’s Focal Point ueda@ilo.org

ILO Sub regional Office for East Asia: Ms. Elizabeth MorrisSenior Labour Market and Human Resources Policies Specialistmorrise@ilo.org

Ms. Sara SpantAssociate Expert on Employment Promotion Youth Employment Focal Point within ILO Subregional Office East

Asia Spant@ilo.org