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Tomorrow, 12 August, will see the commemoration of International Youth Day, which was first designated by the UN General Assembly in 1999, and serves as an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, and an opportunity to raise awareness of challenges and problems facing the world’s youth.

There are currently 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world. This is the largest youth population ever, according to the UN official website. But 1 in 10 of the world’s children live in conflict zones and 24 million of them are out of school. Political instability, labour market challenges and limited space for political and civic participation have led to increasing isolation of youth in societies.

The theme for International Youth Day 2018 is Safe Spaces for Youth. “Youth need safe spaces where they can come together, engage in activities related to their diverse needs and interests, participate in decision making processes and freely express themselves,” the UN website says.