14 December 2012: The International Labour Organization (ILO) and partners organized an expert group meeting on green growth and green jobs for youth, on 12-13 December 2012, in Bangkok, Thailand.

The ILO, together with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), organized the meeting to promote green jobs for young people as part of activities under the UN Plan of Action of the Second UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty from 2008 to 2017.

According to DESA, discussions at the meeting addressed good practices and initiatives in the areas of green jobs, green youth entrepreneurship, and innovative financing, highlighting the potential for youth development to accelerate achievements in these areas. ESCAP staff presented macro-economic policies for creating better jobs with lower carbon footprints.

Outcomes of the meeting will contribute to follow-up of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) outcome document with regard to green jobs and youth employment, DESA notes. [DESA Press Release]