Opportunities for youth : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

 

Opportunities for youth

  The General Assembly, Mindful of the need to secure the employment of youth, which is a concern of global character, Seriously concerned about the widespread lack of satisfactory integration of young people into the workplace in many countries, Aware that the solid educational and vocational background of young people is of paramount importance in their aspirations to enter professional life, Noting that many young people, having finished compulsory or primary education, do not enter any institution of higher education or vocational training or, after beginning such education or training, are unable to complete it, and find it increasingly difficult to be suitably employed, Seriously concerned that in a number of developing countries, particularly in the least developed ones, a substantial part of the school-age population has a limited possibility of receiving any kind of education, especially among the poor in both rural and urban areas, Bearing in mind that in many developing countries the widespread lack of opportunity to receive appropriate education and training thus remains a serious impediment to the participation of youth in the development of their societies and to the attainment of the goals set out in the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, Recognizing that greater awareness should be brought about by Governments and in the economic sectors in order to accord the highest priority to the elimination of youth unemployment where it exists, Further recognizing that industrialization should duly take into account the requirements of the promotion of employment, especially for youth, Taking note of the intention of the Government of Austria to organize and host an international symposium of experts on the questions referred to below, to be held at Vienna in the spring of 1987, Recalling the results and achievements of the International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace, in particular the guidelines for further planning and suitable follow-up in the field of youth,

1. Calls upon Member States to lend increased attention to programmes to combat illiteracy and to young people who, after having finished compulsory or primary education, do not enter institutions of higher education or vocational training, or who, after beginning such education or training, are unable to complete it;

2. Invites Member States to consider steps to enable more young people to begin and complete higher education or vocational training;

3. Urges Member States to dedicate, whenever possible, more resources, through increased technical co-operation activities, to narrowing the gap between demand for and supply of educational and training opportunities at all levels in developing countries, particularly in the least developed ones, and thus to contribute to the achievement of greater equality of employment opportunities for young people in those countries;

4. Calls upon Member States to promote a better awareness of the need to preserve, whenever possible, and to increase work opportunities for young people of both sexes, with particular emphasis on equal opportunities for girls and young women;

5. Recommends to Member States that they should promote initiatives whereby new demands, fields or types of occupation are explored, including the fields of protection of the environment, agro-industries and other natural resource-based industries, new technologies as well as "alternative employment opportunities";

6. Invites Member States to examine more closely the consequences that the introduction of new technologies in developed and developing countries alike may have with regard to the number of work opportunities, especially for young people, and to find ways to offset any possible adverse consequences, ensuring that such technologies are only introduced in a socially compatible manner;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to include in his report on the implementation of the long-term plan of action on youth, to be submitted to the General Assembly at its forty-second session, a detailed analysis of the results of the symposium to be held at Vienna..