In September 2000, World Leaders came together to sign the Millennium Declaration, setting out eight anti-poverty goals to be reached by the year 2015.One of the major challenges for achieving the Goals is the current and forecasted state of many countries’ youth populations.

In some parts of the world, youth outnumber all other groups. Over 85 per cent of the world’s approximately 1 billion youth live in developing countries, of whom half work in the agricultural sector. The International Labour Organization’s Global employment trends for youth report points out that the recent worldwide economic crisis has severely affected youth employment, as youth have suffered disproportionately from un- and under-employment. Moreover, in 2009, an estimated 152 million young workers were living on less than US$1.25 per person, per day. In an increasingly globalized world, only with a holistic approach will we be able to address these challenges. While Governments are responsible for enacting the types of laws, policies and programmes that will help to achieve the internationally agreed development goals and foster youth development, the private sector should not be left out of the equation. Given the private sector’s dynamism and unique ability to generate growth, it should work in partnership with other actors and stakeholders. Particularly in light of the harmful effects of the recent economic crisis, both Governments and the private sector should reflect youth considerations in their recovery plans.