International Youth Day 2025
The International Youth Day (IYD) celebrated every 12th of August was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1999. It aims to draw attention to the youth challenges, opportunities and their fundamental role in building fairer, more just, and more peaceful communities.
The IYD 2025 theme, “the Contribution of Local Youth Actions for the Sustainable Development Goals and Beyond”, promoted by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), emphasizes the “unique role of young people in translating global ambitions into community-driven realities.” It is believed that when young people are entrusted with responsibility, they can “bring creativity, insights, and deep community ties that help bridge the gap between policy and practical implementation,” thus transforming global aspirations into concrete local actions.
This perspective is also confirmed by the latest data and research. According to UN DESA, half of the world’s population is under 30, and by 2030 this percentage is expected to rise to 57%. A survey reveals that 67% of people are confident in a more prosperous future, with young people aged 15 to 17 being the most optimistic. In the next 25 years, those under 25 today will represent over 90% of the working-age labor force. Currently, 13% of young people are unemployed, the lowest rate in the past 15 years. However, challenges remain: among young people aged 10 to 19, 1 in 7 suffers from mental health disorders, while nearly 6 out of 10 ten-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries are unable to read and understand a simple text.
For this reason, it is essential to invest in education, empowerment, and youth participation, so that they can fully develop their potentials, acquire skills and become responsible and active citizens, in promoting the common good and social development.
Youth are essential development partners in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within specific local contexts. UN DESA reminds us that the active involvement of the new generations is not only desirable but necessary; indeed, when institutions provide young people with spaces to participate in decision-making, promote innovative projects, and engage in volunteering or civic life, they not only accelerate the realization of the SDGs but also nurture the future leaders and changemakers of society.
The year 2025 also marks the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1995 as the first global strategic plan dedicated to youth. The WPAY remains a reference point for recognizing young people as key actors in sustainable development and participatory governance.
In May 2025, the IIMA (International Institute Mary Help of Christians) Human Rights Office in Geneva, in collaboration with VIDES International, promoted an online survey addressed to young people and educators from 33 countries, focusing on themes such as youth, democracy, and climate change. A total of 513 responses were collected, with 52.2% of participants between the ages of 18 and 35. The survey was carried out in response to a request from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in preparation for the Fifth United Nations Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. The theme identified for 2025 is “Democracy and Climate Change: Focusing on Solutions”.
The young participants highlighted the urgency of making their voices influential and of taking part concretely in decision-making processes concerning climate issues and human rights, stressing that they must have a real role in the policies that shape their future. For this reason, it is essential to ensure that the rights of young people are considered within United Nations mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and the Treaty Bodies. (For further information)
Pope Leo XIV – during the prayer vigil for the Jubilee of Youth at Tor Vergata (Rome) on August 2, 2025 – addressed about one million young people, calling them to participate actively in building a fairer and more hopeful world: “Seek justice, renewing your way of life, to build a more human world! Serve the poor, bearing witness to the good we would always wish to receive from others!”