Asia-Pacific: International Organizations

• Regions:     Africa | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East & North Africa | Latin America & Caribbean

Regional Youth Funding in Asia and the Pacific

EU/UNFPA COOPERATION ON YOUTH SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH (RHIYA)

http://www.asia-initiative.org

RHIYA expands on the successful multicountry intervention: the EC/UNFPA Initiative for Reproductive Health in Asia (RHI). The RHIYA continues the successful collaboration among the European Union, UNFPA, and European and local NGOs toward improving the sexual and reproductive health of the most vulnerable populations, especially young people, in South and Southeast Asia. Partnering with NGOs and governments, RHIYA aims to improve the sexual and reproductive health of young people between the ages of 10 and 24, through information and education campaigns, the provision of youth-friendly services, and the development of advocacy initiatives.

THE UNITED NATIONS

Although some regional UN interventions are serving youth in several countries in the region, there is no “one-stop shop” providing an overview of the UN efforts regarding youth across Asia and the Pacific. Nevertheless, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Asia portal (www.undp.org/asia/) provides access to information about UN action in general, through country offices and regional programs, including specific youth-related activities where they exist. In addition, among the aims of three regional centers is the management of knowledge on best practices.

Bangkok: http://regionalcentrebangkok.undp.or.th

Colombo: http://www.undprcc.lk

Fiji: http://regionalcentrepacific.undp.org.fj

WORLD BANK IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

http://www.worldbank.org/eapyouth

The World Bank has identified two main issues as the key priorities for governments in the Asia-Pacific region and its own work with youth. First, youth unemployment rates may be up to four times the adult rate in some countries. Often a primary reason is that, while many youth in the region may have access to primary education, there is little access to secondary or tertiary education, resulting in inadequate skills. Even those youth who do benefit from higher education may find their skills to be irrelevant, as the education system may not be geared toward meeting the demands of the labor market. The need to reform education systems in the region is not helped by the decrease in spending on education over recent years. Second, conflict and instability have also affected youth prospects because of the effect on the economy, interruption of education, government failure to provide basic services, and youth who may play a key role in the instability, whether fighting for independence in Timor-Leste, protesting government repression in Indonesia, or engaging in criminal activities as part of street gangs in Papua New Guinea.

In addressing these problems faced by young people, the World Bank has developed a mix of programs to work with youth in the East Asia and Pacific region:

Grants: World Bank offices in some countries provide grants focused on youth. In Cambodia, for example, NGOs that engage youth may apply to receive grants from the Small Grants Program. Vietnam Innovation Day 2006 and the Papua New Guinea Development Marketplace 2006 also gave grants to organizations with the most innovative ideas dealing with youth-focused development challenges.

Training: Some offices also engage in training programs for youth. In China, for example, the World Bank is involved in peer education programs for HIV/AIDS prevention, and in training young women in rural areas to increase their employability.

Dialogues: Bank offices throughout the region engage youth in dialogue about development at the local level, for example, through the Public Information Centers, information-sharing workshops, and internships, and also by connecting youth across countries through the Global Distance Learning Network.

A comprehensive database of World Bank-supported projects in the region is available at http://web.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=502973&pagePK=34004168&piPK=34004429&theSitePK=502940.