Briefing by Mr. Elliot Harris, UN Chief Economist and Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development as well as a youth social entrepreneur, on the 2020 World Youth Report: Youth Social Entrepreneurship and the 2030 Agenda.
Developing approaches that enable young people to enhance social development of their communities, while promoting income generating opportunities for themselves, hold promises for both individual fulfilment and the acceleration of the delivery of the SDGs. Social entrepreneurship represents one promising and advantageous option for young people as it sits at the intersection of youth employment, youth development and the SDGs. However, self-employment such as entrepreneurship is not a panacea for youth development and in no way releases policymakers from their broader obligation to address the needs of youth in a comprehensive and sustainable manner.
The 2020 edition of the World Youth Report focuses on youth social entrepreneurship with a view to provide partners, including Member States, with policy guidance on how to build ecosystems that enables and supports youth social entrepreneurship. Such an ecosystem comprises entrepreneurial actors and networks as well as economic, educational, financial, institutional and technical conditions conducive to entrepreneurial activity. The success of youth social entrepreneurship rests on an accurate assessment of its merits, opportunities and challenges and on the development and implementation of a cohesive and enabling ecosystem.
The World Youth Report is prepared by the Programme on Youth Unit (PYU) in DISD at DESA.
Official Launch
The World Youth Report on Youth Social Entrepreneurship and the 2030 Agenda was launched in the context of the International Day of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) on 27 June.