Youth and Adolescents

UNFPA: Supporting Adolescents and Youth Worldwide

Young people aged 25 years or less make up half of the world's population today. The world is changing fast and UNFPA puts a high priority on safeguarding young people's rights, promoting gender equality and supporting their transition to adulthood.

Guided by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and other international agreements, UNFPA recognizes the vital importance of providing opportunities for young people to learn about and protect their own health, including education on sexual and reproductive health. In the era of HIV/AIDS , this can also be a matter of life and death.

Even if young people have the information they need, they may find it difficult to protect their own well being unless they have access to appropriate commodities and services. UNFPA-supported programmes offer information, counseling and services both inside and outside health clinics.

UNFPA's vision of a world fit for adolescents and youth is one in which boys and girls, young men and women enjoy equal rights and these rights are promoted and protected. For this vision to become a reality investment in young people is needed and change is required at many levels by individuals, by communities, and at a national level. Advocacy is key to getting institutional and public support for policy changes and UNFPA can help different groups to advocate for the changes they need.

Youth participation is also essential to the development of successful programming and UNFPA's experience across the world has shown that including young people in issues that directly affect them contributes to their self-confidence, allows them to exercise a fundamental human right and leads to better decisions.