11th APSD Side Event: Engaging Youth in a Green and Just Economy Transition at Scale

Name: 11th APSD Side Event: Engaging Youth in a Green and Just Economy Transition at Scale
Start: 2024-02-23
End: 2024-02-23
Location: Thailand

23 February 2024

Bangkok, Thailand

Overview

Participants

Date: 23^rd February

Time: 09:00 – 10:15 (GMT+7)

Venue: Meeting Room G, UNCC, Bangkok

(Registered APFSD participants only)

The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) is an annual, inclusive intergovernmental forum to support follow-up and review of progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional level.

This regional platform aims to inform, empower, and support Asia-Pacific countries (especially least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states) in their efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their targets set out by the 2030 Agenda by identifying regional trends and sharing best practices and lessons learned. The Forum convenes United Nations system bodies, member States, international organisations, civil society, and other stakeholders whose reflections feed into and inform the 2024 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, which reviews sustainable development progress at the global level.

The 11th APFSD will be organized from 20-23 February under the theme: “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions in Asia and the Pacific” at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand.

Green Jobs: A Pathway to a Brighter Future

The transition to a circular economy presents a promising solution through the creation of green jobs. It is estimated that the circular economy will create a shift in almost 80 million jobs providing an opportunity to Asia and the Pacific, which is home to more than 600 million youth.

These jobs, offering better wages, social protection, and working conditions compared to informal work (ILO), can empower young people, and drive sustainable development.

However, this transition faces key challenges, including a mismatch between skills and job demands, limited access to training and opportunities, and policy and regulatory gaps .

YECAP Side Event

YECAP (Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform), in collaboration with UNEP, UNICEF, UN Women, UNDP, and ILO, is organizing a side event on "Engaging youth in a green and just economy transition at scale."

Objectives:

This event aims to:

Deepen understanding on the role of youth in a green and just economy transition, from engaging in green jobs, leading solutions, or co-creating programmes with stakeholders
Highlight the essential role of all multi-stakeholder action in and promoting the required green, digital, and 21st-century skills to enable decent jobs for youth
Facilitate knowledge exchange by showcasing successful policies, programs, and initiatives from across the region.
Advocate for public-private-youth partnerships for a just transition
Promote meaningful youth participation in shaping the region's future green economy, contributing directly to SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 13 (Climate Action), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

This event is targeting

Policymakers
Universities
Private sector representatives
Youth leaders, particularly girls, young women, and marginalized communities