How you can celebrate the Day

Team up! It is a great opportunity to rally support and get key actors involved - Governments, non-governmental organizations, academic
institutions, businesses, and young people - to focus on what has been done to further the World Programme of Action for Youth.

Organize! Hold forums, public discussions and information campaigns in support of young people focusing on youth issues and how they can be addressed.

Celebrate! Plan and organize performances everywhere to showcase - and celebrate – the fact that youth contribute to the societies in which they live. Convene exchanges and dialogues focusing on the rich and varied skills, interests and aspirations of young people.

Take action! A major focus of the Day is practical action to further encourage the empowerment and participation of youth in the processes and decisions that affect their lives. The media have especially important role to play in support of the observance of the Day to promote public awareness of youth issues.

Email your plans and ideas on how you will be commemorating International Youth Day in your country: youth@un.org.

Background of International Youth Day

The General Assembly on 17 December 1999 in its resolution 54/120, endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day.

The Assembly recommended that public information activities be organized to support the Day as a way to promote better awareness of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, adopted by the General Assembly in 1995 (resolution 50/81).

Previous Celebrations of International Youth Day include:

IYD 2005 - WPAY+10: Making Commitments Matter
IYD 2004 - Youth in an Intergenerational Society
IYD 2003 - Finding decent and productive work for young people everywhere
IYD 2002 - Now and for the Future: Youth Action for Sustainable Development
IYD 2001 - Addressing Health and Unemployment
First Observance of International Youth Day 2000

Jairus Ligoo
Project officer
Youth Development & Participation
UNICEF Somalia
P.O Box 44145-00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Telephone: 254 20 7623 950/ 623 959
Fax: 254 20 7623 965
Email: jligoo@unicef.org