'Ground-breaking’ youth index will help countries design smart policies

A new worldwide youth development index, an initiative of the Commonwealth Secretariat, will help countries make smart investments to improve opportunities for young people, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has said.

“Young people have huge aspirations and vast capabilities, but too often face barriers in realising their potential as productive citizens,” the Secretary-General said at the launch ceremony in London on Friday.

“This is why the Global Youth Development Index and report is such a ground-breaking project – it is the first comprehensive attempt to capture the state of global youth development."

The index measures the state of youth development in 183 countries, building on an earlier version created by the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2013. It was presented at the Australian High Commission during a ceremony attended by youth leaders and other stakeholders from across the Commonwealth.

“The youth development index provides us with a baseline from which we can track our progress and measure our success in developing policies to assist young people,” said Alexander Downer, Australia's High Commissioner to the U.K.

Germany is the highest ranked nation in the index, followed by Denmark in second place and Australia, the top scoring Commonwealth country, in third place.

The index shows that over half of the Commonwealth’s 52 member countries have an overall youth development ranking of ‘medium’ or ‘low’, but that many countries, such as Kenya, South Africa and Malawi, have made the greatest progress globally in recent years.

Comparing data sources between 2010 and 2015, 45 Commonwealth countries improved scores in areas ranging from health and education to employment and civic and political participation.

The launch ceremony saw performances from the Commonwealth Youth Choir and Orchestra and young poet Amina Jama. A youth response to the index was delivered by Achaleke Christian Leke from Cameroon, the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year in 2016.

“We young people have the will, energy and capacity to make sustainable development a reality. We are the leaders of today and tomorrow,” Mr Leke said. “Investing in young people is the only thing young people have to do.”

Secretary-General Scotland expressed her “heartfelt gratitude” to High Commissioner Downer for the financial support provided by the government of Australia which allowed for the development of the index.

“I hope that leaders in every sphere – government, public administration, corporate, and voluntary – as well as youth leaders across the world, will see the YDI  as a valuable tool that will assist them in making smart investments in youth development,” she said.

In his speech, High Commissioner Downer acknowledged that the index would help governments to develop policies which enable “young people to develop and fulfil their dreams.”

The total population of the Commonwealth is more than two billion, of which more than 60 per cent is aged under 30, rising to 70 percent in several developing countries.

“This creates a ‘youth bulge’ that can be a demographic dividend if young people are educated and engaged and become really productive, positive citizens,” said Katherine Ellis, Director of Youth at the Commonwealth Secretariat. “Or, conversely, it can become a ticking time bomb if young people are left behind and disenfranchised.”

The Global Youth Development Index, which builds on an earlier index published in 2013 for Commonwealth countries, was devised to “identify areas of success and where attention and investment is needed,” Ms Ellis added.

Read more about the Index

@achaleke1 on the #Commonwealth #YDI indicators "this is what young people need. This is what we are looking for" @ComSecYouth pic.twitter.com/T1R7rzTK8b

— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) October 21, 2016