A message from the Executive Director

The state of the young in any city is the litmus test for its level of sustainability and vibrancy. At the19th session of UN-HABITAT's Governing Council in May this year, Governments formally asked UN-HABITAT to strengthen and advance our work in the engagement of youth in urban governance, address the problem of youth at risk, and to develop actions with special focus on capacity-building and poverty alleviation.

In particular, I was asked to ensure our active participation in the Secretary General's initiative on youth employment, in the framework of the United Nations Millennium Development goal of improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020.

I have also been tasked with developing a Global Partnership Initiative on Urban Youth Development in Africa, in partnership with other relevant United Nations agencies, such as the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Children's Fund, as well as multilateral institutions and private foundations, in the context of the New Partnership for Africa's Development.

UN-HABITAT was further asked by governments to establish an interim youth consultative mechanism, and to initiate the development of a draft strategy on enhancing the engagement of youth and youth organizations.

At a time when the number of young people in the world has become the largest in history relative to the adult population, Governments at the Governing Council have made clear the necessity to support and enable the participation of youth in national and local activities related to human settlements development. This includes integrated, gender-sensitive and cross-sectoral youth policies at the local level, and supporting the development of local youth plans of action targeting vulnerable groups. We also sought the development of programmes to sensitize and educate youth in sustainable development, particularly in matters of human settlements.

While Governments have recognized the need to empower urban youth and secure them sustainable livelihoods, it is imperative that necessary financial resources are made available to address the situation of urban children and urban youth at risk. Our experience has shown that the success of urban youth programmes is dependent up on how strongly we forge our partnerships with Governments, non-governmental and private-sector organizations, and international financial institutions .

Much remains to be done, and from this issue of our flagship quarterly magazine, readers will see what we and our partners are doing. Policy makers at all levels will see where they can help strengthen these efforts so that the next generation enjoys the same opportunities and expectations we looked forward to in our youth _ even though our numbers were far fewer in the world, and even though we did not have to grow up with the dreaded scourge of HIV/AIDS or face the kind of armed conflicts that one witnesses today, let alone the tough challenges and difficult choices confronting today's new generation in such a rapidly urbanizing world.

We believe these harsh realities need to be highlighted.

Like our sister agencies in the UN system, we view young people as an asset, as the insurance for our global future, rather than as a problem. This is our approach. It is the approach we urge on everyone from governments to street level. It applies particularly to young people growing up in slums, in poverty, and in war zones. And they have some surprisingly innovative solutions, which is why we chose to give some of them a voice here.

In many parts of the world, young people are the victims of societal change and economic upheavals. At the same time, they are pioneers in positive transformation. The challenge before us is to see how we and our partners can provide young people with the tools to unlock their own creative potential for achieving improved well-being in an urbanizing world.

Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka
Executive Director