International Youth Day this year aims to highlight the ways in which youth participation at the local, national and global levels enriches institutions and national and multilateral processes. It also aims to draw lessons on how youth representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced.
In a special press release on this occasion, HPC Secretary General, Dr. Abla Amawi, said that youth in Jordan are faced by numerous challenges, including historically high unemployment rates, reaching (40.6%) among Jordanian youth (aged 15-24 years) as per the Workforce Survey conducted by the Department of Statistics in 2019. The gender unemployment gap aggravates these challenges with the unemployment rate among young females standing at (59%) compared to (36.9%) among their male counterparts. Amawi added that the revised youth participation rate in economic activity does not exceed 1%, with 35.9% among males. Other challenges also include weak civic engagement by youth, as only a small percentage of them are members of formal civic groups (2.7% of a charitable society, and 2.3% of a youth, cultural or sports organization), according to the Youth Well-being Policy Review of Jordan, issued by OECD in 2018.
Amawi explained that HPC pays particular attention to this day as it comes within the context of HPC’s focus on the demographic transition that Jordan is experiencing. Based on population estimates, youth (aged 12-30 as defined by the National Strategy for Youth) represent 36% of the population (2.6 million) and are expected to increase to (2.9 million) in 2030, and 3 million in 2040. The youth population in Jordan is projected to drop by 28% to less than 3 million by 2050 as the age structure will witness an increase in the percentage of older persons.
The Higher Population Council noted in the statement that youth are a top priority on the policy agenda in Jordan as confirmed in the sixth discussion paper by His Majesty King Abdullah II. HPC also highlighted the leading role Jordan plays in the adoption of UNSC resolution no.2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, which follows the efforts initiated by His Royal Highness Crown prince Hussein Bin Abdullah who chaired an open debate session at the UN Security Council on the role of youth in combating violent extremism and promoting peace. The resolution aims to enhance youth engagement in these two areas and paves the way for greater youth participation in decision-making at all levels and for building their capacity so that they can initiate and participate in shaping the present and the future.
In a special statement posted on this occasion, the UN noted that the celebration this year come at a time when trust in public institutions is eroding, with only 10 years remaining to make the 2030 agenda for sustainable development a reality, the international system of governance is currently undergoing a crisis rooted in the need to strengthen the capacity of the international system to act in concert and implement solutions to pressing challenges and threats (such as contemporary conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, as well as global challenges, such as the COVID-19 outbreak and climate change).
On the local level, youth engagement is low in various processes and they are underrepresented in formal institutional politics as demonstrated by the low participation rates in politics, parliaments and elections. Although youth make up half of the population of the world, only 2% of national members of parliaments are under the age of 30, while older age groups are overrepresented in political institutions.
Celebrated for the first time in the year 2000, the International Youth Day was endorsed the UN General Assembly under resolution 12/120 of 1999 to celebrate on August 12 of each year the role of youth as key partners in change and raise awareness of the challenges and issues faced by young people around the world.
