News

AFIDEP Executive Director, Dr Eliya Zulu will address the UN General Assembly in New York on The Demographic Dividend and Youth Employment on June 1, 2015.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for member states and stakeholders to consider ways of working with governments in countries with a youth bulge, to make the investments needed to reap the demographic dividend, including through employment opportunities for young people.

The meeting will be live-streamed via webcast by UN TV (www.webtv.un.org) between 1:15-2:45 pm (EDT) i.e. 20:15 ““ 21: 45 pm (Kenya Time).  You can also join or follow the conversation via Twitter using the hashtag #demographicdividend @unfpa, or follow @unfpa on Instagram.

According to the 2014 report of the United Nations Population Fund on State of the World Population, the global population of adolescents and young people is at its highest ever, with 1.2 billion people between the ages of 15 and 24 in 2015, and 1.9 billion young people projected to turn 15 years old between 2015 and 2030.

In his address, Dr. Zulu will present evidence to argue that as the global community enters the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), governments and other development actors should understand that investments made in young people between now and 2030 will shape their lives and the future of a world that will be increasingly dependent on them.

Side events

In the lead up to the President of the General Assembly high-level event on the Demographic Dividend and Youth Employment on June 1, 2015, Dr Zulu will attend a UNFPA breakfast meeting to discuss ideas on how to unleash the power and value of investments in youth towards the achievement of the SDGs with the private sector and civil society partners. He will also speak at the Demographic Dividend briefing for Executive Board members of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS on the on June 2, 2015 (ECOSOC Chamber).