Adolescents and young people
Connecting and empowering adolescents and young people to give them a stake – and a say – in societies across Europe and Central Asia
- English
- русский
Adolescents and young people in Europe and Central Asia
Our goal: We aim for a region where all adolescents and youth, including the most vulnerable, are empowered and connected to education, training and opportunities for decent work. By supporting their meaningful participation, we hope to foster trust and social cohesion in societies that are increasingly polarized and help to build ‘future proof’ policies and services that benefit everyone.
Data from the region
Adolescents – those aged between 10 and 19 – are more likely than younger children in Europe and Central Asia to feel lonely. One in every three has felt nervous more than once a week in the last six months, and one in four has had trouble sleeping.
More than 1,300 young people aged 15-19 die as a result of suicide in the region each year.
Almost 25 per cent of those aged 15-24 in the region – 7.2 million in all – are not in education, employment or training (NEET), and 16 per cent of youth are unemployed.
Adolescents and young people are the greatest asset for the Europe and Central Asia region – an unmatched source of potential social and economic strength. Yet their right to take part in the decisions that affect them is often denied and their potential contributions to their societies are often overlooked.
As they make their journey into adulthood, they need to feel connected to others, to be equipped with key skills, and to feel mentally healthy and ready to contribute to change. Yet they face challenges in the region. Almost one quarter of those aged 15-24 are not in education, employment or training – a waste of human potential linked to a lack of tailored support. As a result, many young people fear that a gap in skills is threatening their future prospects.
Poor mental health among adolescents in the region, coupled with a lack of support, has left one in every four adolescents reporting feeling low or having trouble sleeping. Suicide is a leading cause of deaths among adolescents and young people: more than 1,300 aged 15 to 19 take their own lives in the region each year.
Driven by the challenges they face, and a determination to enact change, adolescents and young people are passionate about finding and sharing solutions to the issues that concern them, including the urgent need for action on climate change. Yet they have few opportunities to play an active role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The importance of education and training – so vital to give adolescents and young people the skills they need to help create green economies – is often overlooked in national climate change policies and programmes. As a result, more progress is needed in the region to ensure their meaningful participation in solutions to the climate crisis, or – more broadly – equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need for a productive adult life.
Key policies
1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Article 2: States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights in the present Convention for each child without discrimination of any kind.
The 2013 European Union Youth Guarantee scheme has aimed to create opportunities for young people aged 15–29 in employment, education or training within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving education.
2015 Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 4, target 4.4: increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.
- SDG 8, target 8.5: achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including young people.
2016 General Comment No. 20 on the implementation of the rights of the child during adolescence guides States on how to realize the rights of children during adolescence.
What is UNICEF doing?
UNICEF’s support for adolescents is the final stage in a journey that began with investment in their earliest years and that continued throughout their childhood. We aim to ensure that this investment pays off for societies as they make the transition to a healthy, happy and productive adult life.
We invest in opportunities to help adolescents acquire the abilities, skills, values and experiences they need to negotiate life’s inevitable challenges and become resilient and economically independent citizens. We also empower them to become leaders who help build social cohesion and solidarity.
Support for the transition from learning to earning
UNICEF helps to equip adolescents and young people with the skills they need to thrive today, including vital digital and green skills. Our work spans a range of ministries and sectors, and our convening power and presence on the ground draws in governments, the private sector and adolescents themselves to transform key policy instruments into tangible action.
Support for mental health
UNICEF supports the mental health of adolescents and young people, involving them in the reform of youth mental health services. We also support the development of digital mental health solutions, such as ‘uSupport’, which connects young people to information and mental health professionals.
Empowering young people as champions for the environment
Adolescents and young people are not only concerned about climate change, but they are also taking a lead on climate action. UNICEF aims to empower them as champions for the environment, and supports platforms to involve them in sustainability, climate action and disaster risk reduction. Meanwhile, we advocate for national climate and environmental plans that respond to their perspectives and their needs.
Above all, we work with adolescents, recognizing that they need a stake – and a say – in their societies.