Youth in the Pacific Issue Brief 2016

http://undesadspd.org/Youth.aspx facebook.com/UN4Youth twitter.com/UN4Youth
Overview
The youth segment of the Pacific
population is growing fast, placing
huge and increasing demographic
pressures on basic resources and
core services. Despite the
substantial size of the youth
population in the region and the
significance of issues such as
youth employment and young
people’s sexual and reproductive
health, there remains a lack of
targeted investment required to
meet the needs of all young people
in the Pacific. The resulting
impact has been minimal change
in the overall status of youth since
2005–2011.1
A concerning and significant
portion of the Pacific youth
population are marginalized from
mainstream development efforts,
which has created development
burden and hindered the region’s
progress. These key youth
populations marginalized from
mainstream development efforts
include: young people who are not in education, employment and training (NEET), young
women, rural youth, young people with disabilities, and youth who are discriminated against
because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.
MAJOR ISSUES
1 United Nations Children’s Fund and Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 2011. The state of Pacific youth
report 2011: Opportunities and obstacles.United Nations Children’s Fund – Pacific and Secretariat of the
Pacific Community
HIGHLIGHTS
 More than half of the Pacificregion’spopulation of
10 million, across 22 countries and territories, is
under the age of 25
 Average youth unemployment rates in the Pacific
are 23% compared with a global average of 12.6%
 For every age category (15-19, 20-24 and 25-29
years),youngwomeninthe Pacificare lesslikelyto
be employed than young men
 More youngpeople inthe Pacific,especially young
women,are remaining in school longer; however,
few youth access tertiary education due to low
secondary education completion rates
 The legal voting age is higher than 18 in some of
the Pacific Island countries
 Alcohol-use disorders are the top cause of years
lost to disability among males aged 10 to 19 in the
Western Pacific region
 The average allocation of public funds to social
protection is 2% of GDP across the Pacific Island
YOUTH IN
THE PACIFIC

Youth in the Pacific
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Page2
Education
The state of youth education in the Pacific varies according to factors such as location, gender
and the quality of education delivery and infrastructure. Universal gross primary education
has been achieved across the Pacific except for in Papua New Guinea.2 On the other hand, not
all young people between the ages of 15 and 19 are in school. However, more young people,
especially young women, are remaining in school longer, meaning that they are attaining
more formal education then their older peers. Figures from 2009 show that in Samoa, 61% of
women aged 20–24 have completed secondary education or higher compared with 47% of
women aged 25–29.3
Additionally, in all Pacific countries except for Nauru, there are more
females enrolled in secondary school than males4
(Figure 1).
Figure 1: Net secondary school enrolment rates (%) by sex, in selected countries, latest year
Few young people access tertiary education because of the low rates of post-high school
completions. More young men compared than young women access tertiary education in the
Pacific. Palau recorded the highest tertiary participation rate (40%) in 2000, with Fiji and the
Marshall Islands experiencing significantly lower rates at 15% and 17% percent, respectively.
Tonga and Vanuatu experience even lower tertiary participation rates of 6% and 5% percent,
respectively.
Employment
In the Pacific, the youth unemployment rate stands at an alarming 23% 5
and young people are
over five times less likely to secure jobs than older workers.6
National youth unemployment
2 http://data.unicef.org/education/overview/html, which provides data for years 2009 to 2011
3 United Nations Children’s Fund and Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 2011. The State of Pacific Youth
Report 2011: Opportunities and obstacles.United Nations Children’s Fund – Pacific and Secretariat of the
Pacific Community
4 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, http://data.uis.unesco.org/
5 http://www.spc.int/nmdi/youth

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rates range from 63.7% in Tuvalu, 58.5% in the Marshall Islands and 8.9% in Vanuatu.7
The
State of Pacific Youth Report states that between a quarter and more than half of all the men
in the 25–29 age group in Kiribati (57%), Samoa (44%), Marshall Islands (35%) and
Solomon Islands (26%) are not employed.8
The situation is compounded by a significant ‘youth cohort,’ which cannot be absorbed by
existing labour markets and job creation strategies. The 15-24 age category makes up half of
the unemployed population in the region.9
In Fiji alone, 25,529 young people registered with
the National Employment Centre in 2012 in the hope of securing some form of
employment.10
While some of the high rates reflect employment on the ground, care is advised in
interpreting sub regional differences because some intercountry and regional differences are
also due to the use of different measures of employment and unemployment.11
Tuvalu,
Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and Federated States of Micronesia all applied the same
employment measure that was proposed by SPC, which is based on the 2012 International
Labour Organization standards. Applying this definition in other Pacific Island countries
would give higher total unemployment rates. Overall, current statistics do not offer a realistic
representation of the unemployment situation because they only count young people who are
‘looking for work’ in the formal sector.
Additionally, in Kiribati 58% of young men aged 20–24 years, 44% in Marshall Islands and
46% in Samoa are defined as ‘NEET’ youth (Not in Education, Employment or Training). In
the Pacific, especially in countries where population growth is high, household poverty has
been linked to increased risk of adolescents dropping out of school, in turn negatively
impacting their employment opportunities.12
Health
Mental Health
Despite the difficulty in attaining reliable data, research with students in the North Pacific in
2009 revealed that ‘over one in four respondents in the four countries said they had attempted
6 International Labour Organization. 2013. Global employment trends for youth 2013.
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_212423.pdf
7 Ibid
8 United Nations Children’s Fund and Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 2011. The State of Pacific Youth
Report 2011: Opportunities and obstacles.United Nations Children’s Fund – Pacific and Secretariat of the
Pacific Community
9 International Labour Organization, n.d. Draft Pacific youth employment strategy (Pacific YES). Suva, Fiji:
International Labour Organisation.
10 Swami N. 2012. Centre registers 25,529 youths.Accessed 7November 2012 at:
www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=211965
11 Haberkorn G. 2013. Disentangling Pacific Island employment myths. 19th International Conference of
Labour Statisticians. 2-11 October, Geneva.
12 Will Parks with David Abbott,Protecting Pacific Island children and women during economic and food
crises: Working Edition One for advocacy,debate and guidance (Suva: UNICEF, UNDP, 2009).

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suicide in the past 12 months.’13
In Fiji, suicide outnumbers deaths by drowning and other
injury-related accidents.14
Specifically, depression related suicide is noted as the main cause
of death among young people.
Alcohol Consumption
About 25% of high school students involved in a survey in American Samoa, Northern
Mariana Islands, Guam, the Marshall Islands and Palau revealed having had five or more
alcoholic drinks in a row over 30 days. A study in Fiji also revealed the seriousness of binge
drinking, ‘about three in five young people reported having had five or more alcoholic drinks
in one session.’15
In fact, fewer young people in the Pacific use and abuse drugs than they do
alcohol. Additionally, excessive alcohol consumption and, to a lesser extent, drug use are
known to be causes of motorcycle accidents in the Cook Islands and street fights and
domestic violence in New Caledonia’s capital. On occasions, it leads to risky and unsafe
sexual behaviour increasing the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections. Finally,
alcohol-use disorders are the top cause of years lost to disability among males aged 10 to 19
in the Western Pacific region.16
HIV/AIDS
HIV and AIDS is a reality for young people in the Pacific. Papua New Guinea records the
highest number of HIV cases, accounting for 98% of the 5,169 new HIV diagnoses reported
in PICTs in 2008.17
The prevalence rate for those in the 15–24 age group was about one in a
hundred in 2007 although this fell to 0.8 in a hundred in 2010.18
Additionally, the rate of HIV
infection in Papua New Guinea is highest among females, which adds to their vulnerability
and marginalisation.
The rest of the Pacific has an extremely low HIV prevalence. It was estimated that there were
about 230 people living with HIV in Fiji at the end of December 2012. The Fiji situation is
concerning because 77% of all reported infections have been made by those between the ages
of 20 and 29 years and 30 and 39.19
HIV may be slightly under-reported in Vanuatu and the
Solomon Islands.
13 Word Health Organization. 2012. Seoul forum on suicide Pprevention in the western Pacific region: Meeting
report. World Health Organization, 13-14 September 2012.
14 Ibid
15 Puamau E.S. 2011. Drug and alcohol use in Fiji: A review. Pacific Health Dialogue 17(1):165–171.
16 The 37 countries that comprise the Western Pacific region, as defined by the WHO, are American Samoa,
Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hong Kong
China, Japan, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Macao China, Malaysia, Marshall Islands,Federated
States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau,
Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands,
Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam and Wallis and Futuna (see www.wpro.who.int/countries/en/).
17 United Nations Children’s Fund and Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 2011. The state of Pacific youth
report 2011: Opportunities and obstacles.United Nations Children’s Fund –Pacific and Secretariat of the Pacific
Community.
18 Secretariat of the Pacific Community, National Millennium Development Indicators:
http://www.spc.int/nmdi/MdiSummary2.aspx?minorGroup=23
19 Fiji Islands. 2012. Global AIDS progress report 2012. United Nations AIDS Secretariat. Accessed 20 October
2012 at:
http://www.unaids.org/en/dataanalysis/knowyourresponse/countryprogressreports/2012countries/#a_52702

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Non-communicable Diseases, including Obesity
Young people also identify non-communicable diseases (NCD) as significantly affecting their
health and wellbeing, and their futures. In the Pacific, 75% of all deaths in the Pacific are due
to NCDs. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and more
likely to develop NCDs such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age.
Obesity and diabetes appear to be increasing among young people in urban areas as a result
of changing dietary patterns and low levels of physical activity.20
In fact, high rates of obesity
are reported in several Pacific Island countries, including Nauru, the Solomon Islands and
Tuvalu, where, as of 2006, the proportion of obesity among 15 to 19 year old girls was 51, 29
and 53 percent respectively.21
Common risk factors underlie NCDs. Globalisation and urbanisation bring with it unhealthy
lifestyles and environmental changes that make communities susceptible to tobacco and
alcohol use, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.22
Young people in particular are
susceptible to tobacco and alcohol use. These underlying risk factors give rise to intermediate
risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, abnormal lipid profiles and
obesity. In turn, the intermediate risk factors predispose individuals to the ‘fatal four’:
cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes. Altogether, these
chronic diseases account for the majority of deaths in the region for young people.23
Additionally, in the Pacific Islands region, considerable increases in disability are occurring
due to high levels of noncommunicable diseases that result in new non-communicable
disease-related disabilities. The World Health Organization estimates that ‘some 193,000
young people aged 15–24 years in the Pacific region are disabled and about 58,000 young
people are severely disabled. Melanesia accounts for most of these disabled young people.’24
Finally, mosquito-borne and tropical diseases are also a cause of death for young people in
the region. Between 2000 and 2012, deaths resulting from dengue fever among persons aged
15 to 29 years increased by 150% in the Western Pacific region.25
Participation and Peace
Measuring the extent of young people’s participation in the Pacific is difficult because of the
absence of indicators. However, seven Commonwealth Pacific countries are included in the
civic participation domain of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s 2016 Youth Development
Index and have the same score, 0.537
20 Oceania Football Confederation. 2013. Pacific Youth and Sports Conference 2013.
http://pyasc.org/Social/Health
21 WHO, Adolescent Girls and Young Women in the Western Pacific Region. 10 Key Health Challenges (WHO:
Manila, 2011).
22 World Health Organization and Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 2007. The Pacific framework for the
prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
23 Ibid
24 Ibid
25 WHO, Quantitative risk assessment of the effects of climate change on selected causes of death,2030s and
2050s (Geneva: WHO, 2014).

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Additionally, a regional study conducted by UNICEF Pacific revealed that very few young
people currently participate in decision-making, but more than 10 times the number of young
people believed that kind of participation was important.26
The study also highlighted
representation as a problematic issue, where much participation only included the ‘elite’
young people and often was more tokenistic in nature. Finally, participation can be difficult
for youth because the legal voting age is higher than 18 in some of the Pacific Island
countries, such as in the Solomon Islands and Fiji. 27
,28
At present, some youth are also embroiled in armed conflicts, particularly in Papua New
Guinea29
. Empirical evidence implicates a connection between high youth populations at risk
and armed conflict and social unrest.30
Beyond the size of the youth population, few years of
formal education, social exclusion and a lack of educational and employment opportunities
have been linked with youth engagement in armed conflict. In fact, little systemic
engagement of youth and marginalization of key youth populations leads to youth
disenfranchisement, which can have many negative consequences.31
For example, formal
employment has been identified as a resilience factor against involvement in crime and
violence in Papua New Guinea.32
Climate Change and the Environment
Despite empirical evidence that young people are affected by climate change, there is little
data regarding how climate change and the environment impact youth in the Pacific
specifically. However, youth in the Pacific are very engaged with climate change advocacy
initiatives, which are detailed in the section titled “Initiatives.”
Gender Inequality
Employment
The unemployment rate for young women in every Pacific Island country and territory is
higher than that of young men. The State of Pacific Youth Report 2011 revealed that for
26 As quoted in Carling M. 2009. Maximising potential: The citizenship role of young people in Fiji. Masters
thesis,School of Government, Development and International Affairs, University of the South Pacific, Suva,
Fiji.
27 Switched On: Youth at the Heart of Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific, Regional Coordination
Mechanism United Nations Development Group Asia-Pacific Thematic Working Group on Youth, 2015,
http://www.unescap.org/resources/switched-youth-heart-sustainable-development-asia-and-pacific
28 Central Intelligence Agency 2009, The World Factbook 2009, ISSN 1553-8133, Washington,DC, viewed
21st November, 2009, <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html>.
29 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Conflict and Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region: A
Strategic Net Assessment (Washington DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2015).
30 Child Soldiers International, Global Report 2004 (London: CSI, 2004).
31 Noble C. and Pereira N. 2011. Urban youth in the Pacific: Increasing resilience and reducing risk for
involvement in crime and violence. United Nations Development Programme – Pacific Centre. 2011. Study
prepared for the Forum Regional Security Council.
32 Urban youth in the Pacific: increasing resilience and reducing risk for involvement in crime and violence /
Cameron Noble, Natalia Pereira and Nanise Saune. - Suva, Fiji : UNDP Pacific Centre : PIFS, 2011.

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every age category (15–19, 20–24 and 25–29 years), young women were less likely to be
employed than young men (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Youth employment rates (%) by sex, in the Solomon Islands
Only in Kiribati was the percentage of young women in employment (38%) higher than
young men (33%) in the 20–24 age category.33
However, young women are often engaged in
unpaid work activities, such as child care, assisting with parenting, and in domestic work,
which is little accounted for in data. At the moment, this contribution is not acknowledged.
Additionally, a recent World Bank report revealed that more young women than young men
are moving to urban areas, often to squatter or informal peri-urban settlements. This is of
concern given the low level of employment opportunities in urban areas and the general
vulnerability of young women in the Pacific34
.
Violence Against Women
Discriminatory behaviour and practices against women are still widespread in the Pacific. For
example, many young women experience violence in their families and communities. High
rates of intimate partner violence against women have been recorded in Kiribati (68%), the
Solomon Islands (63%) and Samoa (46%).35
Young women with disabilities are often more
vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse. The seriousness of the issue has led to calls, for
example in the case of Fiji, that ‘the vulnerability of women and girls with disabilities [be]
addressed in the new constitution.’36
33 The Pacific Youth Development Framework 2014–2023, Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
35 Young Women’s Christian Association.n.d. Safe. Respected.Included. Connected.Skilled. A Pacific Young
Women’s Leadership Strategy 2011–2014. Geneva: Young Women’s Christian Association.
36 Vuibau T. 2012. Treat all equal. Fiji Times Online. Accessed 21 October 2012 at:
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=209540
42%
64%
74%
30%
34% 34%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
15-19 20-24 25-29
PercentageofYouthEmployed
Age Range
Source: The PacificYouthDevelopmentFramework 2014-2030, Secretariatof the Pacific Community
Young Men
Young Women

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Additionally, high rates of sexual violence against female high-school students have been
documented in American Samoa, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands: 26, 19 and 18
percent of young women reported having experienced forced sex, in each of the three
respective territories.37
In Papua New Guinea, among women who reported being raped in
2008, nearly 50% were under the age of 15 years.38
Also, a study of violence against women
in six countries39
, including Papua New Guinea, found that 30 to 57 percent of men surveyed
reported ever having perpetrated physical and/or sexual violence against their intimate
partners; in terms of sexual violence, of the 10 and 62 per cent of surveyed men who
confessed to acts of rape across the six countries, half of them raped a woman for the first
time when they were teenagers. Moreover, the men perpetrating violence against women
reported experiencing emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse as children (before age 18).40
There is little data on the costs of violence of against women. However, data at the country
level shows that costs are not insignificant. For example, the Reserve Bank of Fiji calculated
the financial cost of violence against women at 7% of the country’s GDP in 2002.41
Young Women and Governance
Additionally, sex-based discrimination in the Pacific is also evident in the complete absence
of women in the parliaments of the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga and Vanuatu as of
2015.42
In these countries, as well as the countries where women constitute a distinct minority
of parliamentarians43
, the lack of role models can have an impact on young women’s choices
and goals. While progress has been made in creating leadership opportunities for youth across
the Pacific Islands, such as through the revival of National Youth Councils and the Pacific
Youth Council Secretariat, it is male youth who have largely benefited.44
Adolescent BirthRate
Adolescent birth rates are at both high and low levels in the Pacific region. The adolescent
birth rate is highest in the Marshall Islands (85 per 1,000), followed by Nauru (81 per 1,000)
37 Emma Fulu, Warner Xuan, et al., Why do Some Men Use Violence Against Women and How Can we
Prevent It? Quantitative Findings from the United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence in Asia
and the Pacific (Bangkok: UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women, UNV, 2013).
38Child Fund Alliance, Stop Violence Against Women and Children in Papua New Guinea (Surry Hills: Child
Fund Alliance, 2013).
39 The six countries that comprised the study were Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia,Papua New Guinea
and Sri Lanka.
40 Emma Fulu, Warner Xuan, et al., Why do Some Men Use Violence Against Women and How Can we Prevent
It? Quantitative Findings from the United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence in Asia and the
Pacific (Bangkok: UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women, UNV, 2013).
41 UNIFEM. “The Facts: Violence against Women & Millennium Development Goals”, available from:
http://www.endvawnow.org/uploads/browser/files/EVAW_FactSheet_KM_2010EN.pdf
42 Inter-Parliamentary Union, “Women in National Parliaments Database”,available from: www.ipu.org/wmn-
e/classif.htm
43 Countries in the Pacific where women constitute less than 10 per cent of the national parliamentarians include
Kiribati, Marshall Islands,Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands,and Tuvalu. (Source: Inter-
Parliamentary Union, www.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm).
44 World YWCA, Safe, Respected,Included, Connected, Skilled: a Pacific Young Women’s Leadership Strategy
2011–2014 (Geneva: World YMCA, 2011).

Page9
and the Solomon Islands (70 per 1,000). However, they are lowest in Niue and Tonga (both at
just under 20 per 1,000). Also, early and forced marriage is at lower rates in countries of the
Pacific, compared to the rest of the Asia-Pacific region (Figure 3).45
Figure 3: Share (%) of women aged 20 to 24 years who married before 18 years of age, in
selected countries, latest year
The Way Forward
Initiatives
Employment
Many initiatives have been undertaken for, and by, youth employment in the Pacific. For
example, since 2008, ILO’s Know About Business (KAB) Programme has reached
approximately 29,000 students in secondary and vocational schools in Papua New Guinea. In
Fiji, KAB is expected to reach 2,000 young people in 20 schools in Fiji in the first phase
45 UNICEF global databases,2014. Based on DHS, MICS and other national household surveys (available from:
http://data.unicef.org/).

Page10
(2013–2014). In addition, since 2008, the Tonga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI)
has implemented the business training programme in 15 secondary schools in the capital,
accounting for approximately 1,200 students and has assisted about 80–100 students with
start-up capital.46
Also, 250 youths participated in the Urban Youth Employment Project in
Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea’s capital and largest urban centre, whose population is
comprised of 35% persons aged 15 to 29 years). By March 2013, half of these participants
who had graduated from the pre-employment training initiative had been placed in on-the-job
training with public and private employers in the National Capital District.47
Climate Change
The Pacific Islands are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters—in recent years, youth
have come together in such forums as the “Pre-Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk
Management Youth Stakeholder Workshop,” to address the role of youth in the post-2015
framework on disaster risk reduction.48
Similarly, around 50 Maori and Pacific Island youth
met in Auckland in December 2012 for the “Power Shift Pacific: Looking Beyond Disaster-
Youth Forum.”49
Additionally, in October 2014, 30 young Pacific climate warriors from 12
different nations travelled to Australia to challenge their fossil fuel industry. Making
international headlines, they succeeded in blockading Newcastle port, the world’s largest coal
port, for a day with traditional outrigger canoes and massive support from local Australian
activists. This occurred on the same day that hundreds of young Australians closed their bank
accounts with Australia’s big four banks to make a statement against their financing of fossil
fuel expansion projects.50
Governance
Finally, there are such initiatives as the Pacific Youth Forum Against Corruption, which was
launched in 2015 and brings together young leaders, aged 18 to 25, from 15 Pacific Island
countries to discuss ways to tackle corruption.51
Also in the Pacific, the Young Women’s
Leadership Alliance52
is empowering young women and promoting their active engagement
on issues that affect their lives and those of their communities. Additionally, in the Solomon
47 World Bank, “Papua New Guinea: Urban Youth Employment Project”, available from:
www.worldbank.org/en/results/2013/08/12/papua-new-guinea-urban-youth-employment-project
48 Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management, Pre‐Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management Youth
Stakeholder Workshop: Summary of Key Findings from Youth Stakeholders on Post‐2015 Framework on
Disaster Risk Reduction (Suva: Pacific Platform for Disaster Risk Management, 2014).
49 New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, “Pacific and Maori Youth Converge to Talk Disaster
Resilience”, available from: http://www.unesco.org.nz/news-/media-releases-/271-pacific-and-mori-youth-
converge-to-talk-disaster-resilience
50 http://350.org/press-release/pacific-climate-warriors-from-12-countries-blockade-worldslargest-coal-port/
51 ABC, “Pacific youth gatherin Fiji for forum against corruption”, available from: www.abc.net.au/news/2015-
02-23/pacific-youth-gather-for-anti-corruption-forum-in-fiji/6222210
52 Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development, “Pacific Young Women’s Leadership Alliance”, available
from: www.pacificwomen.org/projects/pacific-young-womens-leadership-alliance/

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Islands, the Young Women’s Parliamentary Group provides women with a means of
advocating their concerns and priorities with national decision makers.53
The PYDF
The Pacific Youth Development Framework (PYDF) was created by the Secretariat for the
Pacific Community in 2014. Its mission is to increase investments in youth across
development sectors by strengthening development accountability, the evidence base and
improving development effectiveness through engagement, coordination and strategic
communication between all youth stakeholders, including key populations of young people.
The PYDF comprises four priority outcome areas that have been determined by young
people: more young people secure decent employment, young people’s health status is
improved, governance structures empower young people to increase their influence in
decision-making processes, and more young people participate in environmental action. The
PYDF Strategic Approaches include: an inclusive rights-based approach to position youth as
equal partners, a targeted approach to complement and enhance mainstream efforts, an
evidence-based approach to provide incentives to increase and focus investments in youth
development, and an integrated approach to introduce youth objectives across sectors.54
The World Programme Action of Youth
The World Programme Action of Youth provides a policy framework and practical guidelines
for national action and international support to improve the situation of young people.55
It
contains 15 priority areas to be addressed, and continues to guide policy and action in the
area of youth development for youth in all regions, including the Pacific.
The S.A.M.O.A Pathway
The Small Islands and Developing States (SIDS) Accelerated Modalities of Action
(SAMOA) Pathway was developed in 2014 at the Third International SIDS Conference, and
provides a policy framework and guidelines for national action and international support for
SIDS linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.56
This framework guides
policy and action for many countries in the Pacific region.
Recommendations
The state of Pacific Youth Report 2011 recommended a greater focus in three areas:
improving governance for youth, improving data collection and analysis of youth and
55 The World Programme Action of Youth, http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/wpay2010.pdf
56 SAMOA Pathway Outcome Document, http://www.sids2014.org/index.php?menu=1537

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mobilizing resources for youth. There are major gaps in the available data on young people in
the Pacific, posing one of the biggest challenges to promoting their rights.57
The great diversities among countries, peoples and cultures in Asia and the Pacific rule out
one-size-fit-all solutions to address the problems that affect them.58
Thus, many solutions are
necessary to manage these issues. Recommendations for solutions and actions to promote
overarching policy direction in order to support youth development in the pacific are:
 Prepare for future demographic implications
 Enhance institutional capacity and engendering good governance
 Promoting social dialogue and political commitment
 Strengthen the evidence base for more effective policymaking
Additional recommendations, organized by the “Five P’s” of sustainable development, are:
For People:
 Ensure that poverty alleviation measures are well coordinated
 Encourage actions to increase productivity in the agricultural sector
 Promote the health and well-being of all youth
 Ensure integrated and inclusive migration for youth
For Planet:
 Facilitate access to adequate and resilient housing and basic services in urban areas
 Expand access to water, sanitation and hygiene, especially in rural areas
 Prepare youth as disaster risk reduction ambassadors
 Ensure that youth are aware of sustainable consumption
For Prosperity:
 Improving access to and quality of education
 Make decent jobs a top priority
 Strengthen and broaden social protection
For Peace:
 Engage youth as active citizens
 Address exclusion and unrest
 End violence and discrimination against women and girls
For Partnerships:
 Enhance multi-stakeholder collaboration
 Promote integrated urban and rural development
 Reduce the digital divide.

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These broad and complementary approaches can be incorporated to ensure more effective and
youth-inclusive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 59
Sources
 Switched On Report: Youth At The Heart Of Sustainable Development In Asia And
The Pacific, Regional Coordination Mechanism – United Nations Development
Group, Asia-Pacific Thematic Working Group on Youth, 2016.
 Pacific Youth Development Framework
 The Commonwealth Youth Development Index 2014
 Urban youth in the Pacific: increasing resilience and reducing risk for involvement in
crime and violence / Cameron Noble, Natalia Pereira and Nanise Saune. - Suva, Fiji :
UNDP Pacific Centre : PIFS, 2011.
 The State of Pacific Youth 2011, Opportunities and Obstacles, Richard Curtain,
Patrick Vakaoti. – Suva, Fiji : UNICEF ; Secretariat of the Pacific Community, 2011
59 Ibid
This Fact Sheet was prepared by DESA in collaboration with the former Regional Coordination Mechanism
– United Nations Development Group, Asia-PacificThematic Working Group on Youth, co-chaired by ESCAP
and ILO.

Youth in the Pacific Issue Brief 2016

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