Young people under 30 represent 60% of the total population of the Arab region today.  The number of youth aged 15 to 24 is expected to increase from 71 million in 2015 to 92 million in 2030. This key social group has a massive development potential if measures are taken to overcome key challenges, including access to quality education, decent work, civic engagement and political participation.

The urge to empower young people around the world and to create avenues to amplify the voices of youth, in addition to ensuring youth participation in the implementation, follow up and review of the 2030 Agenda have led to the development and endorsement in 2018 of the UN Youth Strategy, Youth 2030.  It ultimately aims at “strengthening the foundations for a UN that delivers with and for young people”. This bulletin briefly examines ESCWA active role in the implementation of the UN Youth Strategy in the Arab region, with a focus on three priority areas: participation, decent work, and peace and resilience building.