Ahmad Alhendawi

Young people are still seen as a “problem and liability” in some parts of the world, and yet the UN has shown that putting them in leadership positions always “pays off”.

That’s according to the outgoing UN Youth Envoy, Ahmad Alhendawi, who was also the youngest person in UN history to serve at such a senior level.

He recalled how, at the time, some were sceptical of his abilities while others found him “too young to lead”.

Young people are “ready and able to do the heavy lifting” to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Youth Envoy has urged.

Ahmad Alhendawi shared his message shortly before the opening of the annual Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum on Monday.

Over 6.5 million people in Malawi in need of emergency food aid 

With half of the world’s population under 25 years old, it is crucial that young people have a say in global trade and development issues.

That message comes from the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth.

Ahmad Alhendawi is in Nairobi, Kenya, where he participated in the first-ever youth forum being held alongside the latest conference of the UN’s trade and development body, UNCTAD.

He spoke to Assumpta Massoi about key concerns for young people, particularly those in Africa.

Young people are nearly three times more likely to be jobless than adults, according to data from the United Nations.

Improving education and training to help the world’s estimated 73 million unemployed youth enter the workforce is the goal of World Youth Skills Day observed on 15 July.

Basma Baghall has been speaking to the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi.

Suicide rates for indigenous youth that are sometimes more than ten times the national average are “just unacceptable”.

That’s the stark assessment of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi, addressing the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues this week.

Young people around the world are being encouraged to channel what's been called their "amazing energy" into UN efforts to eradicate poverty and create a sustainable future for all.

The call comes from UN Youth Envoy Ahmad Alhendawi in a message for International Youth Day, observed on 12 August.

Never before have there been so many young people on the planet: nearly two billion, according to the United Nations.

But while young people represent one-quarter of the working age population, worldwide they make up 40 per cent of the unemployed.

On the first commemoration of World Youth Skills Day on 15 July, the UN is underscoring the value of helping young people upgrade their abilities to contribute to the global common future.