The Report seeks to further the discussion on how youth social entrepreneurship can support youth employment and development while helping accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. To do so the Report first presents social entrepreneurship and anchors it in the context of the 2030 Agenda. Then the Report turns toward the situation of youth and examines weather youth social entrepreneurship can offer not only employment opportunities but also support other elements of youth development such as youth participation. In the third chapter the Report assesses the potential and the challenges of youth social entrepreneurship. The Report then examines the synergies between technologies and youth social entrepreneurship. The last chapter offers policy guidance to build enabling responsive and sustainable national ecosystems for young social entrepreneurs.

This is a biennially recurring publication of the United Nations. This year it is largely based on an e-discussion with young people and representatives of youth-led organizations on the transition from schools and training institutions into the world of work. It shares the participants’ views experiences and recommendations on preparing for entering and remaining active in the labour force. Young people are crucial stakeholders in the pursuit of decent and productive work for all often pioneers in their respective fields yet too frequently their voices go unheard particularly with decision-makers. This report brings young people’s voices into the forefront where youth issues are discussed and acted upon.

Today’s young people are the best educated generation of youth in history. However the World Youth Report 2007 argues that for many young people the transition to adulthood is slowed down by poverty and their inability to find decent work. The Report provides an in-depth look at key issues of concern to youth in the major regions of the world and points out that because of social and cultural constraints many young people are excluded from accessing quality education decent employment health and other resources and services. The Report emphasizes that policymakers must focus not only on developing young people’s capacities through greater investment in areas such as education health and skills training but they must also provide and protect opportunities for young people to participate in development as a matter of priority. For the first time the Report introduces a statistical annex that provides data on youth development indicators.

World Youth Report 2003 provides an overview of the global situation of young people. It explores the hope ambition and potential that exist in our youth today while at the same time examining the elements of vulnerability danger and lost opportunities that are faced by the same group. In doing so it highlights the major challenges and opportunities that face today’s youth and reviews the key global youth issues. Some of the important topics covered in this valuable resource include: education employment hunger and poverty health HIV/AIDS conflict prevention information and communication technologies (ICT) and girls and young women. All these topics were discussed at the United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Global Priorities for Youth held in Helsinki in October 2002.