Conclusion

Young people aged between 15 and 24 years constitute a broad demographic group in the ESCWA region; one out of every five is a young person. This group is growing at unprecedented rates, making it vitally necessary to study its condition, in terms of education, employment, health and participation in public life, in addition to analysing the implications for development policies. Youth is no longer a burden on development, but an active group that participates in production and social, economic and political development. Youth policies seek to build the capabilities of youth and provide them with opportunities, including those brought about by demographic changes intrinsic in what is known as the demographic window. These policies call for investing in development and directing such investment towards priority issues that benefit young people, enabling them to become agents of change and actors in key areas necessitated by the demographic transition and development processes.

Related Subject(s): Population and Demography