International Youth Day

The world’s young people – who make up the largest generation of youth in history – can lead a global drive to break the patterns of the past and set the world on course to a more sustainable future. Young people are directly affected by the tragic contradictions that prevail today: between abject poverty and ostentatious wealth, gnawing hunger and shameful food waste, rich natural resources, and polluting industries. Youth can deliver solutions to these issues, which lie at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.    - Ban Ki-moon

The theme of International Youth Day 2023 is "Green Skills For Youth: Towards A Sustainable World."

Today, the world is embarking on a green transition. The shift towards an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly world is critical for responding to the global climate crisis and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A successful transition towards a greener world will depend on the development of green skills in the population. Green skills are “knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society.”

These include technical knowledge and skills that enable the effective use of green technologies and processes in occupational settings and transversal skills that draw on a range of knowledge, values, and attitudes to facilitate environmentally sustainable decisions in work and life. Due to their interdisciplinary nature, the essence of green skills is sometimes expressed, partly if not wholly, through other associated terms such as “skills for the future” and “skills for green jobs.” While green skills are relevant for people of all ages, they have heightened importance for younger people, who can contribute to the green transition for longer.

What we know about Green Skills for Youth
International Youth Day 2023

 

December 20, International Human Solidarity Day

International Human Solidarity Day is:

• a day to celebrate our unity in diversity;
• a day to remind governments to respect their commitments to international agreements;
• a day to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity;
• a day to encourage debate on the ways to promote solidarity for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals including poverty eradication;
• a day of action to encourage new initiatives for poverty eradication.

The UN General Assembly convinced that the promotion of the culture of solidarity and the spirit of sharing is important for combating poverty, proclaimed 20 of December as International Human Solidarity Day.

Through initiatives such as the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund to eradicate poverty and the proclamation of International Human Solidarity Day, the concept of solidarity was promoted as crucial in the fight against poverty and in the involvement of all relevant stakeholders.

The UN and the Concept of Solidarity
The concept of solidarity has defined the work of the United Nations since the birth of the Organization. The creation of the United Nations drew the peoples and nations of the world together to promote peace, human rights, and social and economic development. The organization was founded on a basic premise of unity and harmony among its members expressed in the concept of collective security that relies on the solidarity of its members to unite “to maintain international peace and security”.

It is in the spirit of solidarity that the organization relies on “cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character” as well.

On International Human Solidarity Day, let us emphasize the role of human solidarity in building lives of dignity for all on a healthy planet. We must work together to achieve the SDGs and secure the future we want. 

Resource

United Nations, International Human Solidarity Day