UNICEF appoints Alexander De Croo as Champion of Generation Unlimited

The children’s rights organisation UNICEF is launching Generation Unlimited today in New York. This is a global partnership that commits to more opportunities for young people between 10 and 24. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo has been appointed as one of the five “Champions” who will promote the new global partnership.

Generation Unlimited will address the global education and vocational training crisis that is currently holding back millions of young people and is threatening progress and stability. Alongside UNICEF and other UN organisations, also the private sector, civil society and of course young people themselves will take up the challenge.

Quality education, training and jobs

The global partnership aims to ensure that young people from 10 to 24 all over the world can have a better access to quality education, vocational training and jobs by 2030. The focus will also be put on human rights, gender equality, non-violence and citizenship.

The new Generation Unlimited partnership is part of the new UN Youth Strategy: Youth 2030 launched today by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. This strategy will be guiding all UN organisations to strengthen young people, to stand up for their rights so that they can unleash their full potential.

Working as Champion

UNICEF has appointed five “Champions” to shape Generation Unlimited. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo is one of them.

Alexander De Croo: “Every boy and every girl deserves a fair chance to make the most of themselves. This is only possible if we invest in education and vocational training, which is a tremendous challenge. Today already, young people make up a quarter of the world population. In 2030, they will be 2 billion. It might sound cliché but it is true: our future is in the hands of this younger generation. We must ensure that no girl or boy is left behind.”

As “Champion” of Generation Unlimited, Alexander De Croo wants to focus in particular on giving more opportunities to girls. Our country is especially active in this area, including through the She Decides-movement co-launched by Belgium last year to strengthen the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women.

Ending child marriages

Minister De Croo has also decided to contribute 8 million EUR to the Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage. This initiative by the UN children’s rights organisation UNICEF and the UN Population Fund UNFPA wants to reduce the number of child marriages. Worldwide, almost 15 million girls under 18 get married every year. That is 37.000 child marriages a day.