translated from Spanish: Will world youth skills day catch us to celebrate World Youth Skills Day in Mexico? – The Opinion Lucia Castillo

The UN declared 15 July as “World Youth Skills Day” in its Resolution of 11 November 2014.  The Idea of the Agency was to recognize that “encouraging the acquisition of skills in young people would increase their ability to make informed life and work decisions and give them the opportunity to gain access to evolving labour markets,” according to the Resolution A/C.3/69/L.13/Rev.1 of the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly.
The background to this date is due to the efforts made by the UN in the General Assembly and which it has reflected in different Resolutions, to favour young people and provide better opportunities, especially those residing in developing countries. From 1995 to the present day, the Agency has put at the heart of the attention of governments to young people who today give the world more than 50% of the population, according to UNESCO.
For the UN a young person is between the ages of 15 and 24, this definition was given in the International Year of Youth, celebrated in 1985. In our country according to the Law of the Mexican Institute of Youth, anyone whose age includes between the ages of 12 and 29 is considered young. (Coneval, S.F.), 8 years apart from the International Agency, a situation that invites a much broader responsibility on the part of the Mexican State.
Since the last two decades of the last century, the UN has been concerned and has sought action to benefit the youth of the countries that are members of the UN. One of the main visionary drivers of this celebration is the opportunity it provides for young people in the acquisition and development of skills, which will allow them to “have the ability to make informed decisions in relation to life and work.” At least in the illusion of paper.
It is important that we recognize the skills that the State and society would have to foster for and for young people as part of Resolution A/RES/65/312, taken at the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on “Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding”. In which the number one highlights the values to be promoted and procured, for the best and greatest development of this part of the population vital to any country.
The UN puts on the table ideals such as “peace, freedom, justice, tolerance, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, solidarity and dedication to the objectives of progress and development, as well as educating them about it”. In a broad sense of equality and justice for all young people around the world.
Over the course of 28 points and 17 subparagraphs, the General Assembly sets out a series of recommendations containing: the implementation of public policies aimed at this sector in the countries included in the Assembly and which should pay particular attention to the design , application and evaluation of them. Issues related to the safety and protection of children and young people are also exalted; promoting equality and equity, reducing poverty, a commitment to sustained development and economic growth, as part of the stability to be offered to young people. It also refers to the responsibility and contribution of the private sector; as well as, attention to key issues such as education, access to health, ongoing training, opportunities to improve their quality of life, without undermining access to culture, science and technology; as well as scholarships that guarantee a better future.
The big question is, will we have anything to celebrate in Mexico? The Mexican State in recent months has changed many of the public policies that have been in its construction years of planning, effort, investment and work.
Today has a great challenge with regard to this celebration, from my point of view; when some of these public policies created for the development of skills and knowledge acquisition of young people have been undermined by the reduction of scholarships, with the budget cut to culture and technology, with the closure of institutions strengthening the initiatives of young entrepreneurs; it seems to me that this is not the path that has been laid out for the benefit of this sector since the United Nations.
We remain a developing country, with the eternal promise that at some point we will atest the glories of economic takeoff, which will lead us out of that enduring end; and in the newspaper that the headlines of the mass media do not augur us better future.
To make a trial, it will take a while to pass, which this is always the best ally in the issues of public policy outcomes that are implemented, renewed or annulled.
Young people don’t have it simple on the subject of having all the tools and skills to make the best decisions about quality of life and choice of the best jobs, especially those who lack universal values and principles, those who do not have access to study beyond basic education, who do not have the opportunity to study a second or third language, who are subject to not going out and knowing beyond their first environment, those who are far from technology facilities for different sectors such as agriculture, livestock, commercial, etc.
In short, the celebration I believe in this year will be left to all these young people hungry for triumph, knowledge and knowledge. By the way, there will be some young people who don’t achieve any skills this year, but if they achieved scholarship if they don’t ask any “nini.”
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Original source in Spanish