29 November 2016: The UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) 2016 Arab Human Development Report (AHDR) finds growing inequality, increasing conflict and high levels of unemployment for countries in the region, and recommends that Arab States invest in youth’s engagement in development processes. The report underscores the region’s potential development gains from enhancing youth capacities and enlarging opportunities available to youth.
Titled ‘AHDR 2016: Youth and the Prospects for Human Development in a Changing Reality,’ the report finds that all Arab countries increased their levels of achievement on the Human Development Index (HDI) between 1980 and 2010, with gains in education and health. The report also finds, however, that political instability and the global financial and economic crisis have negatively affected the region’s human development, with average annual growth in the HDI falling by more than half between 2010 and 2014, in comparison with growth between 2000 and 2010. Other findings include continued and pervasive discrimination against women, which prevent women from acquiring and using their capabilities, and an overall sense of exclusion and lack of opportunity throughout the region, particularly among youth.
The report highlights the potential of youth to serve as a catalyst for change in the region, and recommends capturing this “domestic momentum.”
According to the report, there are 105 million youth between 15-29, or 30% of the total population, with 60% of the population under the age of 30. The report documents obstacles that Arab youth face in their personal development, resulting in cultural, economic, political and social exclusion of youth. Within this demographic context, the report cautions that unemployment among Arab youth is twice the global average, at nearly 14%, and is predicted to worsen in the future. The report further cautions that Arab economies need to create 60 million new jobs by 2020 to stabilize youth unemployment. Still, the report highlights the potential of youth to serve as a catalyst for change in the region, and recommends capturing this “domestic momentum.”
The report recommends a youth-oriented development model that focuses on building youth capabilities and expanding their available opportunities, including through policy reform and improving access to essential services such as education, health and decent employment. The report makes further recommendations related to meaningful political participation, civil accountability and peace and security.
UNDP launched the AHDR 2016 at an event at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. The AHDR is the sixth in the series of AHDRs published by UNDP. UNDP reports that it sought to involve youth in all phases of the AHDR 2016’s preparation, from youth-focused consultations on the formulation of the report, to a tailored mobile application that allowed youth to contribute their views and a special episode of ‘Shababtalk.’
Alongside the launch event, UNDP Egypt’s Innovation for Development team facilitated the participation of 70 youth from 16 Arab countries in an ADHR Youth Social Innovation Camp, which developed innovative responses to development challenges identified in the report. UNDP will host several post-launch events across the Arab region on maximizing youth’s engagement in the report’s findings and identifying opportunities to implement its recommendations. [UNDP Press Release] [UNDP Launch] [Youth Events] [Publication: Arab Human Development Report 2016: Youth and the Prospects for Human Development in a Changing Reality]