Youth represents a key sector and an engine for present and future development. The Government has long recognized this fact and has recently enlisted UNDP support to formulate a national strategy for engagement of the youth in national development processes, encompassing the varied socio-economic and recreational dimensions pertinent to all partners.In reality, the Arab world is witnessing a population bonus with the youth aging between 15 and 24 years old constituting nearly 20 percent of the population. Arab youth people, on the other hand, are challenged by different social, economic, and cultural consequences of globalization, as well as increasing rates of unemployment (10 million unemployed Arab youth people aging between 18 and 25, poverty, HIV/AIDS, migration, illiteracy, lack of identity and meaningful participation, violence, conflicts, crime and drug abuse. Realizing this fact and aiming at reaching the eight MDGs by year 2015, UNDP has taken the lead towards youth involvement and embarked on several empowerment programmes and projects such as “the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond”, the “Millennium Declaration and MDGs”, the “Youth Leaders Summit”, and development of national youth strategies.Moreover, UNDP Riyadh Country Office, aiming at youth empowerment and inclusion in the national development process within the MDGs and human development framework, has adopted a youth streamlining approach into its programmes and practice areas. Consequently, UNDP has initiated several youth capacity building projects such as the job preparedness and young leaders’ workshops, youth and MDGs awareness campaign during the UN week, MDGs painting competitions in schools, a live youth related issues talk-show at Dar Al Hekma College.

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