Young people took the stage, rallied in unison, recited poems, wrote essays, delivered speeches and got involved in other activities, forcefully calling for investment in their peers as Nepal observed World Population Day on July 11. The day was more special for young people since it was celebrated under the theme "Investing in Young People", which is fitting for Nepal given that about 35% of the population is below 15 while 57% are between the productive ages of 15-59 years.
Discussions and debates around population and development issues resonated not only among young people across the country but also with senior officials. Minister for Health and Population Khaga Raj Adhikari, at the main Kathmandu event stressed that it's high time for Nepal to start investing in young people.
At the same function, organized by the Ministry of Health and Population in collaboration with UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Central Department of Populations Studies/Tribhuvan University, MoHP Secretary Dr Praveen Mishra said Nepal's future lies with young people. He asserted that all the programmes the ministry is initiating will be youth-focused.
Safeguarding the rights of adolescents and young people and investing in their future is essential for their development and that of their families, communities and countries. Providing quality education, decent employment, effective livelihood skills and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including comprehensive sexuality education, will ensure that every young person's potential is fulfilled.
The United Nations has long recognized that the successful passage to adulthood of young women and men is vital for the continuing development of the societies in which they live. Being a key UN agency for delivering a world where every young person's potential is fulfilled, UNFPA has been committing its full support to efforts that promote young people's aspirations and goals.
In her statement delivered at the main event, Giulia Vallese, UNFPA Representative to Nepal, said that investing in young people and enabling them to exercise their human rights not only benefits young people themselves, but can also help their countries reap the demographic dividend. "Healthy, educated, productive and fully engaged young people can help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. As skilled and informed citizens, they can contribute more fully to their communities and nations," she said.
A youth representative from Y-PEER Nepal, Sabina Acharya, was also one of the speakers at the function. She said young people are a creative and energetic resource and thus the investment in them will not go to waste. "Nepal should invest in its young population to boost their self-esteem so that they could made significant contributions to the country's prosperity."
In addition to the main event on 11 July in Kathmandu which was lit up by with music and dance from a troupe of dancers from ‘Dance4Life', there were a number of activities organized across the country and also a half-day seminar on investing in young people on July 12. In his paper presented in the seminar, a youth representative, Punya Bhandari from Youth Action Nepal, highlighted that like in other countries young people in Nepal have the capability to build the foundation of the country's future. He noted that investing in young people also means shattering all forms of violence, discrimination and inequality that prevent them from reaching their personal and collective potential.
Each year, the day focuses on a key theme of importance related to population and reproductive health, mainly in the context of development and the need to address these issues.
