Udenrigsudvalget 2010-11 (1. samling)
URU Alm.del Bilag 108
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SOWCKeyFactsGeneralfactsIn2009,therewereanestimated1.2billionadolescentsintheworld,formingaround18percentoftheglobalpopulation.Anadolescentisdefinedasanindividualaged10‐19bytheUN.Thevastmajorityoftheworld’sadolescents–88percent–liveindevelopingcountries.Theleastdevelopedcountriesarehometoroughly16percentofalladolescents.Adolescents represent only 12 per cent of people in the industrialized world. In contrast, theyaccount for more than 1 in every 5 inhabitants of sub‐Saharan Africa, South Asia and the leastdevelopedcountries.More than half of all adolescents live in Asia, with both South Asia and East Asia and Pacific eachcontainingroughly330millionadolescents.Oncurrenttrends,however,theregionalcompositionofadolescentsissettoalterbymid‐century;by2050,sub‐SaharanAfricaisprojectedtohavemoreadolescentthananyotherregion,marginallysurpassingthenumberineitheroftheAsianregions.Adolescencestodayfaceauniquesetofchallenges,includinganuncertainglobaleconomicoutlookandhighlevelsofyouthunemployment,anincreasingnumberofhumanitariancrisesandconflicts,climatechangeandenvironmentaldegradation,andrapidurbanization.Theseverityofchallengesisexpectedtoworsenoverthenextdecade.Physicalwell‐beingAdolescentsacrosstheworldaregenerallyhealthiertodaythaninpreviousgenerations.Yetin2004,nearly400,000adolescentsdiedofunintentionalinjuriessuchthosecausedbyroadaccidents.Morethan70milliongirlsandwomenaged15–49haveundergonefemalegenitalmutilation/cutting(FGM/C),usuallybytheonsetofpuberty.Theavailableevidencefrom14developingcountriessuggeststhatadolescentfemalesrunagreaterrisk of nutritional difficulties than adolescent males, notably anaemia. For both sexes, obesity is aseriousandgrowingconcerninbothindustrializedcountriesandthedevelopingworld.Worldwide,onethirdofallnewHIVcasesinvolveyoungpeopleaged15–24.TheriskofHIVinfectionis considerably higher among adolescent females and young women than adolescent males andyoungmen.Amongadolescentsaged15‐19inthedevelopingcountries,only30percentofmalesandjust19percentoffemaleshavecorrect,comprehensiveknowledgeofHIV.Adolescentswithdisabilitiesarelikelytosufferformsofdiscrimination,exclusionandstigmatization.Access to transportation, educational facilities and other resources is crucial to ensure thatadolescentswithdisabilitiescanenjoythesameopportunitiesastheirpeers.Itisestimatedthataround20percentoftheworld’sadolescentshaveamentalhealthorbehavioralproblem,withdepressionbeingthemostfrequentlyexperienceddisease.
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Evidence shows that some adolescents engage sexual relations in early adolescence (10‐14 years).To stay healthy and safe adolescents need access to high‐quality sexual and reproductive healthservicesandinformationfromanearlyage.EducationandemploymentAlmost half the world’s adolescents of the appropriate age do not attend secondary school. ThelowestratesofattendanceareinEasternandSouthernAfrica,withnetenrolmentratiosof24percentforboysand22percentforgirls.In 2008, youth were almost three times as likely to be unemployed as adults, and suffereddisproportionatelyfromadeficitofdecentwork.Thismeansthatinmanycasesthefirstexperienceofworkforyoungpeopleisoneofwastedtalent,disillusionment,underemploymentandcontinuedpoverty.ProtectionAround150millionchildrenaged5–14arecurrentlyengagedinchildlabour,withincidencehighestinsub‐SaharanAfrica.Worldwide, UNICEF estimates that at any given moment more than 1 million children are indetentionbylawenforcementofficials.Atpresent,1inevery5adolescentfemalesaged15‐19inthedevelopingworldexcludingChinaaremarriedorinunion.Thisraterisesto28percentSouthAsia,theregionwiththehighestincidence,and59percentinNiger.Adolescentmarriage–definedasamarriageorunionwhereoneormoreofthespousesisage19oryounger–ismostcommoninSouthAsiaandsub‐SaharanAfrica.Newfiguresfrom31countriesinthesetworegionsshowthatmostadolescentmarriagestakeplacebetweentheagesof15and18.InAfrica,25percentofwomenaged20‐24gavebirthbeforetheageof18.InSouthAsiathisratefallsto22percent,marginallyhigherthanLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean(18percent).Adolescentsaresometimestargetedforrecruitmentbymilitarygroups,whethertocarryweaponsandparticipateincombatortoactineffectassexualslavesorothertypesofservitude.ParticipationTherightofchildrentoexpresstheirviewsfreelyonallmattersaffectingthemisaguidingprincipleoftheConventionontheRightsoftheChild.Inadditiontobeingaright,participationstimulatesthefulldevelopmentofapersonality.Throughmeaningfulcivicengagementyoungpeoplepreparetobeactivecitizens.
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