Kamran Akhtar

Ten years ago, in December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly established World Youth Skills Day to emphasize the critical importance of equipping young people with essential skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship, as well as for addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development.

2024 marks a significant milestone, a moment to celebrate the transformative progress made in youth skills development over the past decade. We have come a long way in equipping our youth with the essential skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship. However, we also acknowledge the gaps that remain and the challenges that still need to be addressed, in the context of a constantly evolving world of work. The international community has amplified its efforts to bridge the gap between education and employment, adapting to rapid technological advancements and shifting economic priorities.

Today’s youth face increasing challenges that threaten not only their individual futures but also the overall peace and stability of societies around the world. Among the most disruptive of these challenges are conflicts, whose induced polarization renders educational and training environments unsafe and inaccessible, puts a break to job creation, and weakens the enabling environment for young workers and young entrepreneurs to thrive.

Skills development where peace is adequately mainstreamed is an important part of the answer to conflicts. Skills development interventions strengthen mutual understanding and trust between groups. Skills development also increases young people‘s employability reducing conflict around the control of income generating assets; skills development can also address grievances and perceptions of injustice. The goal is therefore to equip young people affected by conflict with market relevant technical skills, including the skills demanded by the digital and green economies; core skills including social and emotional learning (SEL) skills to build up agency, resilience, empathy; interpersonal skills, and the skills to effectively engage in the peace and security agenda.

The recent report by the Secretary-General on Youth and Peace and Security highlights the need to promote youth inclusion in peace and security and calls on member states and regional organizations to provide young people with the necessary skills and knowledge for engaging in peace processes, conflict prevention, climate justice, and peacebuilding. Similarly, UNESCO’s “Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights, and Sustainable Development” provides guidance on education and skills development efforts for young people to become agents of change and lead efforts toward a more peaceful, just and inclusive future.

Reflecting on progress around the World Youth Skills Day 2024 and setting directions for future initiatives, the international community’s commitment to empowering youth with comprehensive skills for peace and sustainable development is crucial. Young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but they are also at the forefront of global efforts in shaping a peaceful, prosperous, sustainable and inclusive future. This ongoing commitment ensures that the educational strides we make are not only maintained but also adapted to meet the evolving challenges and opportunities of our global society.

Objectives:

To celebrate this milestone, the Permanent Missions of Portugal and Sri Lanka to the United Nations, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Labour Organization, and the United Nations Youth Office are convening a virtual panel discussion to:

• Review effective practices and interventions to advance skills development that enables youth to contribute actively to peace and sustainable development.

• Highlight youth’s contribution to the acceleration of the achievement of the SDGs especially those related to skills and decent work for peace and resilience.

• Highlight the positive experiences and skills of young people that have contributed to a workplace free from violence and harassment.

• Explore ways to foster social and emotional learning into education and training systems to equip youth with skills for empathy, resilience, and conflict resolution.

• Explore ways to foster global citizenship education and integrate it in curricula at all levels of education, including TVET, to enhance understanding of global issues and empower youth to act as agents of change.

Pakistan should implement the spirit of World Youth Skills Day to empower its young population with the necessary skills and knowledge for sustainable development and peace. Investing in youth skills development is crucial for the country’s socioeconomic progress. By providing young people with access to quality education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship opportunities, Pakistan can address the challenges of unemployment, underemployment, and economic instability. Moreover, equipping the youth with relevant skills, including digital literacy and technical expertise, aligns with the evolving demands of the job market and positions them to contribute meaningfully to the country’s workforce and economy.

Furthermore, embracing the ethos of World Youth Skills Day aligns with Pakistan’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By prioritizing youth skills development, Pakistan can actively contribute to the achievement of SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) while fostering an environment conducive to sustainable development. Additionally, promoting skills for peace among the youth can play a pivotal role in creating a more inclusive and harmonious society, ultimately contributing to the country’s stability and progress.

Emphasizing the importance of World Youth Skills Day in Pakistan also underscores the nation’s dedication to nurturing a generation of proactive and capable leaders. By integrating social and emotional learning into educational systems and promoting global citizenship education, Pakistan can empower its youth to become agents of positive change, capable of addressing local and global challenges. This approach not only benefits the youth individually but also contributes to the overall resilience and prosperity of the nation.

Therefore, implementing the spirit of World Youth Skills Day in Pakistan is essential for harnessing the potential of the country’s youth, achieving sustainable development goals, and fostering a peaceful and prosperous future for generations to come. It is also important for Pakistan to revamp the syllabus on skills learning. Furthermore, it is also of paramount significance to raise the standards of skills. The process of standardization is critical to achieving the targets. Pakistan needs not only skills but also qualitative skills.