UNDP tells PH: Use young population to fight poverty

The Philippines should take advantage of a young population to effect change and end poverty, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said at the recent Global Youth Summit at Mall of Asia Arena.

Speaking to a crowd of more than 19,000 young people from different parts of the country and abroad, Titon Mitra, country director of UNDP, said the Philippines should take advantage of the youth to effect change and end poverty and the effects of climate change.

“There are 1.4 billion people 10 to 24 years old in the world and 87 percent of the young people are in developing countries. Seven hundred million are in the Asia Pacific region and the Philippines has the third youngest people in the region,” Mitra said.

A lot of young people

“Thirty percent of Filipinos are under 15 and the median age is 26,” he said.

“That’s a lot of young people that can make the difference and I know most of you want to make a difference,” he added.

Mitra said the youth had a very important role in effecting change because the world had only 10 years left to implement the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by 193 countries, including the Philippines, during the UN General Assembly in September 2015.

The 17 goals were adopted to implement programs on poverty, human development, the environment and social justice.

Clock ticking

“We set ourselves 15 years and we only have 10 years,” said Mitra.

“The clock is ticking,” he added.

Citing former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Mitra said, “We will be the first generation to end poverty and we will also be the last generation to live with the worst impact of climate change.”

“The message is really simple—if we continue on business as usual, we are going to be in deep, deep trouble,” Mitra said.

The Global Youth Summit 2018 was the largest gathering of youth leaders for SDGs with more than 19,000 filling the MOA Arena.

Global Peace Foundation and SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, organized the annual event.

Royston Cabunag, director of SM Cares Program for Children and Youth, said immense attendance at the summit was a testament to the commitment of today’s youth to bring about change.