About us
Driving the largest youth movement for empowerment, equality, social inclusion and social justice in Asia and the Pacific.
Youth Co:Lab positions young people front and center in order to solve the region’s most pressing challenges. Co-created in 2017 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Citi Foundation, Youth Co:Lab aims to establish a common agenda for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to empower and invest in youth, so that they can accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation and entrepreneurship. Youth Co:Lab has been implemented in 25 countries and territories across Asia Pacific: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong (SAR), Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vanuatu and Viet Nam.
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our Youth Co:lab
Two-pager
71M
YOUNG PEOPLE
ARE UNEMPLOYED
​
220M
YOUTH ARE NEITHER IN
SCHOOL NOR EMPLOYED
5-7X
YOUTH ARE
MORE LIKELY
TO BE UNEMPLOYED
EMPOWERING YOUTH IN ASIA-PACIFIC
Youth are best prepared now, than any other time in the past, to engage with the world and influence sustainable development. They could be the first generation in history that can eradicate poverty, and the last generation that can reverse climate change. All over the world, young people are responding to present day challenges with innovative approaches and fresh ideas, building bridges and creating the world they want. They are leading development for themselves, their communities and their societies.
COUNTRIES & TERRITORIES
IN ASIA-PACIFIC
25
PARTICIPANTS​
engaged
75K
646
yoUTH-LED STARTUP
CATALYSED & SCALED
POSITIONING YOUNG
PEOPLE FRONT & CENTER IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE REGION’S MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES
In addition to directly supporting youth entrepreneurship, Youth Co:Lab works closely with multiple stakeholders across the region, including governments, civil society and the private sector, to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem and policy environment to better enable young people to take the lead on new solutions that will help meet the SDGs. In its second year (2018-19) Youth Co:Lab has been implemented in 25 countries and territories across Asia Pacific: Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong (SAR), Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vanuatu and Viet Nam.
OUR APPROACH
TO YOUTH
EMPOWERMENT
Our approach to Youth Empowerment means adopting an integrated approach that strengthens individual and institutional capabilities while building an enabling environment that promotes young people’s agency in shaping tomorrow’s world and achieving the SDGs.
Youth Co:Lab works at three levels:
· Downstream: directly empowering young aspiring
or inspiring entrepreneurs;
· Midstream: building the capacity of ecosystem partners to better support youth entrepreneurship;
and
· Upstream: working with governments to strengthen the enabling environment for youth entrepreneurship.