The Fund promotes comprehensive sexuality education for both in- and out-of-school adolescents by promoting supportive national policies, strengthening curricula, training teachers and developing tools to measure implementation in schools. Comprehensive sexuality education is complemented by the use of information communication technologies such as the Internet and social media, improving young people’s access to reliable information.

 

Youth-friendly Health Services

In development, humanitarian and protracted crisis settings, UNFPA promotes the scaling up of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services that respect clients’ right to confidentiality and do not judge, stigmatize or discriminate against them. UNFPA advocates for the elimination of legal and policy barriers to accessing information and services.

 

UNFPA also supports and partners with youth-led organizations in the region and provides opportunities for young people to participate in high-level advocacy events. The Y-PEER, or youth peer education initiative, active throughout the region, trains thousands of young people to be advocates for and sources of factual information on sexual and reproductive health, and to act as mentors to their peers on these important life-shaping issues.

Globally, half of the 1.4 billion people living in countries affected by crises and fragility today are under the age of 20. Many of these young people are among the first to step up to help their communities rebuild. 

UNFPA is a key advocate for ‘The Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action’, a global call to prioritize the needs and rights of young people affected by emergencies.