Every year on August 12, people around the world observe International Youth Day. Proposed at the United Nations in 1999, International Youth Day has been an annual event since 2000.
In 2012, the day carries the theme "Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth," a global call to work with youth to build a better world. People ages 15 through 24 make up one-sixth of the world’s population.
“Compared to their parents’ generation, young people have more opportunities and more say in decisionmaking,” said Wendy Cunningham, the World Bank’s coordinator for children and youth.
But Cunningham said that there are more steps to take to help young people thrive. Countries that invest in better education, health care and job training for young adults create economic growth and reduce poverty, according to the bank’s World Development Report 2012.