New Delhi: From Greta Thunberg, to Malala Yousafzai young people have around the world have been a significant force of change for various issues such as climate change, human rights violations, and even the current pandemic. The International Youth Day (IYD) is observed every year on August 12 to mark the contribution of the youth in bringing global change. The first one was observed on 12 August 2000 after the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made the ‘World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth’ in 1999.

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Theme for 2020

During the pandemic young people have been significant to rise against issues such as racial discrimination. The Balck Lives movement saw youth taking charge and demanding change. This year the theme  ‘Youth Engagement for Global Action’ will also focus on such engagement of young people which has a global impact. According to the UN, this year the focus will be on 'engagement of young people at the local, national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes.’ According to the United Nations, engaging young people especially in political mechanisms ‘helps to increase the fairness of political processes by reducing democratic deficits, contributes to better and more sustainable policies, and also has symbolic importance that can further contribute to restore trust in public institutions, especially among youth.’

The UN has also started a social media campaign#31DaysOfYOUth to put the spotlight on the young people and their engagement to bring about global change.

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