UNITED NATIONS, July 15 (Xinhua) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged the member states to increase youth employment, saying that increasing job opportunities for young people is conducive to promoting the efforts to carry out the 2030 Agenda, a blueprint for the global development efforts for the next 15 years.

In his message to mark World Youth Skills Day, the secretary-general said, “The turmoil prevailing in many societies today adds to the urgency of addressing youth unemployment. Too many youth in developing countries are trapped into working poverty stemming from the irregularity of jobs.”

“Let us renew our resolve to invest more in empowering young people,” he said.”When we do, they can better advance the broader mission of the United Nations for lasting peace, sustainable development and human rights for all.”

Image: Youth activist and author Adora Svitak speaks at the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, “Shaping tomorrow’s innovators: Leveraging science, technology, innovation and culture for today’s youth”. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas.