PRESS STATEMENT

UNFPA Ghana Supports the Commemoration of International Youth Day 2023

Accra, Ghana – August 12, 2023 – In collaboration with the National Youth Authority, the  Ghana Country Office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is supporting the commemoration of the 2023 International Youth Day under the theme “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World.”

The theme is relevant for Ghana, which is not left out in the face of the global climate crisis and which calls for young people to be involved in the action against climate change so that the country can achieve climate adaptation and sustainability. According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ghana has a young age structure, with approximately 57% of the population being under the age of 25. And amongst them, a significant number make up the workforce and are thus key to the country’s economic growth.

Green skills are the knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes needed to support a sustainable, resource-efficient society. They include skills in areas such as renewable energy, waste management, and climate change adaptation. Green skills are essential for Ghana to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and young people need these skills and must be part of the solution to climate change. 

On this International Youth Day, UNFPA Ghana calls on the Government, development partners, civil society, chiefs and traditional authorities and the private sector, to invest in green skills for young people by:

• Investing in education and training programs to teach young people about green skills.
• Providing financial support to young entrepreneurs working in green businesses.
• Creating an enabling political and policy environment for green businesses to thrive, and by;
• Raising awareness of the importance of green skills for young people.

By investing in green skills for young people in Ghana, we can help them to build a sustainable future for the country, continent and world at large.

About UNFPA

UNFPA is the UN Sexual and Reproductive Health agency, working to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

Media contact(s)

Cynthia Prah, United Nations Information Centre, Accra | prah@un.org

Jean-Philip Lawson, UNFPA Ghana | jlawson@unfpa.org