SHAPING THE FUTURE HOW CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS CAN POWER HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

3.
NURTURING
CHILDREN,
UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF YOUTH
One of the greatest challenges facing Asia-Pacific
today is how to improve the lives and well-being of
its large number of children and youth. The region
has 1.7 billion young people under age 25, over
half the global total, and their role in the region
and the world beyond cannot be overemphasized.
They are the next generation of workers, scientists,
innovators, entrepreneurs and political leaders.
Fully developing their potential and ensuring they
have opportunities to thrive will be critical to accelerating
human development and realizing the
demographic dividend.
Much will depend on the expansion of capabilities
and choices for children and youth at all stages
along the path to adulthood (Box 3.1). From the
start of life, children need care and protection to
survive and establish a foundation for well-being.
As they grow, they should enjoy equitable access
to quality education and health care that equips
them to eventually transition into a successful
adulthood, including through decent employment
and meaningful participation in the decisions that
shape their societies. East Asia achieved an economic
growth miracle and higher levels of human
development in part due to strong early investments
in education and health. 1 South and South-east
Asia and the Pacific could now position themselves
to follow this path. 2
three times higher than the adult rate. Young people
who feel directionless, with few options to change
their situation, can end up venting their frustration
through violent means. 3
Priority investments in children and youth depend
to some extent on the stage of demographic transition.
For countries that have not yet embarked on
transition, a concerted emphasis on early childhood
survival can start the process of falling mortality
and fertility rates. Countries already in or on the
cusp of transition—as is the case for most in the
Asia-Pacific region—need an additional strong
focus on high-quality education and health care
for young people. They need to plan now to ensure
that enough jobs will be available as today’s
students become tomorrow’s much larger number
of workers. More openness to youth participation
in civic and political affairs recognizes that youth
have a right to participate, and can offer unique
and valuable insights.
Right now, with the largest number of young population
in its history, Asia-Pacific has a choice. It can
provide more and better quality education, health,
employment and participation to its young people.
Or it can fail a generation—and miss a tremendous
demographic opportunity.
Not doing so poses certain risks. These arise in
terms of lost potential, with impacts that could
ripple through decades to come. Commitments
to young people would be undercut, including
those made in Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable
Development Goals as well as the Convention on
the Rights of the Child. The possibility of weaker
social cohesion and stability is another concern,
particularly for countries with a youth ‘bulge’ (Box
3.2). Right now, youth unemployment is high and
rising—in many Asia-Pacific countries, it is two to
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