The International Youth Day was declared on August 12 by the UN General Assembly in 1999. Since then every year this day the opportunity is given to young people from all over the world to join their voices. Young people can be informed, participate and express their views on global issues of political, economic and social content, such as education, health, work, unemployment, climate change, immigration etc.
This year's theme of the International Youth Day is "Youth Engagement for Global Action". According to UN, the international system of governance is facing crisis through the ongoing global challenges and threats, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. The UN points out the need to restore and strengthen the international system with a view to joint action and the implementation of solutions. According to UN, youth can contribute to this as a positive force for development when they have the knowledge and opportunities that they need.
Through this day the UN wants to emphasize the importance of inclusion of young people in official political mechanisms and procedures. International Youth Day, gives voice to young people to be heard, and promotes that their involvement at community/local, national and global levels can enrich national and multilateral institutions and processes and that their overall representation in formal institutional politics can be enhanced. Youth engagement is an important factor in regaining trust in public institutions and addressing global issues effectively.
“Hope For Children” CRC Policy Center supports and celebrates International Youth Day, as it defends and promotes children’s rights by giving young people the opportunity to participate in issues that concern all humanity. In addition, they have the opportunity to leave their mark on issues that directly concern their everyday life and their near future, which they are invited to live in. This way, the children’s right for participation in issues that matter to them is promoted, as it is defined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
To this direction, Hope For Children designs and implements projects that promote children’s and youth’s active engagement such as the CRC Campus Club, in which adolescents are trained in children’s rights, and then they act as children’s rights ambassadors, representing youth’s voice.
For more information regarding the services provided by the specialized staff of the Organization, you can consult our website www.uncrcpc.org.cy or call our line 1466 (24-hour response).