Unlocking the transformative potential of culture for sustainable development is our common ambition and this process is already underway. Culture is firmly anchored in the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment, and Member States themselves are giving it an increasingly important place in the international development programmes, in the fields of education, economic development, development and social inclusion. Over the past twenty years, UNESCO’s Cultural Conventions and programmes have adapted their approaches and instruments to enhance their impact on sustainable development, resulting in new tools to support Member States in their cultural policies. A variety of actors and networks have contributed to enriching and reinforcing cultural policies. Cities, as levers of innovation, have become important actors in harnessing culture to revitalize public spaces, support education for sustainable development, nurture intercultural dialogue and facilitate the integration of vulnerable populations. The increasing involvement of civil society in sustainable development also lays the foundation for more inclusive policies.
The study begins by outlining the EPA’s key provisions in the field of culture. It then examines the institutional landscape and focuses in particular on measures taken by EPA Parties to implement its culture-related provisions. The overall performance of the EPA so far is evaluated with data, practices and other pieces of anecdotal evidence that may reveal the extent to which the EPA has had an impact on cultural activities and actors. It also identifies gaps or missed opportunities that can be addressed in future implementation strategies. Policy recommendations conclude this study. This includes short- to long-term measures to support the implementation of the EPA in the future. They have been formulated to renew hope that trade commitments and cultural policies can be reconciled and can live up to the promises of the 2005 UNESCO Convention and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This paper presents a review of current evidence and ideas relating to the digital gig economy (DGE): contingent (task- or project-based) intangible work delivered digitally and done for money, organised via online outsourcing platforms that are marketplaces bringing together buyers and sellers. Examples of such platforms include Freelancer, Upwork, Amazon Mechanical Turk and Zhubajie/Witmart.
Digital Commerce and Youth Employment in Africa details the uncertainties shaping the future of digital commerce and ‘future-proof’ choices policymakers can make to guide the positive impact of digital commerce on employment.
Doing Business 2019 is the 16th in a series of annual reports investigating the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulation and the protection of property rights that are comparable across 190 economies.
E-mentoring elevates the unique intersection of mentoring and technology by providing mentees and mentors with a diverse field of programs that center availability and accessibility of platforms, eliminate geographic barriers for matches, encourage improvement of social and relationship skills, and offer specialized academic or career related support. MENTOR’s e-mentoring resource offers best practices for e-mentoring programs.
Statistical data confirm the continued rise in the contribution of culture and art to the economy and employment in the EU and worldwide. The number of cultural professionals and artists is growing steadily, while their employment conditions become more and more unstable. This situation spreads to other sectors and needs to be addressed both in terms of social security and benefits, and revenues and taxation aspects. The EU competence in cultural, social and employment policies is limited, consisting of guidance and coordination without any possibility of harmonisation. However, since cultural professionals' EU mobility is sought after and considered important for the preservation of Europe's cultural diversity, the above-mentioned problems need to be addressed at EU level. Cultural education policy could help strengthen the demand for cultural services, contributing to better employment and training of professionals in the sector.
UN Women has developed Empowering Women Migrant Workers from South Asia: Toolkit for Gender-Responsive Employment and Recruitment. The Toolkit provides guidance on ensuring the protection and promotion of the rights of women migrant workers throughout the labour migration cycle.
There are over 1.2 billion adolescents in the world today, an all-time high. The vast majority of these 10-to-19-year-olds live in lower and middle-income countries (LMICs). Adolescence is a transformational phase of human life, but also a period of heightened risk and vulnerability. International literature identifies quality secondary education as a pivotal factor in raising future opportunities for adolescents. This publication explores the critical difference quality secondary education makes for adolescents, especially for adolescent girls and other vulnerable groups, explains VVOB's three priority dimensions of action for quality secondary education, and shares how VVOB puts this approach into practice in Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda, Cambodia, Ecuador and Suriname.
The paper presents a qualitative case study of individuals who were all trained to be online freelancers using digital “gig” work platforms (e.g., Upwork) by “Virtualahan,” a social enterprise based in the Philippines. The findings indicate that online technology-facilitated employment has broader implications than an improved financial situation. Employment through online technology increased the informants self-confidence and how their families perceive them.
This note analyses the gender profile of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEETs) in Georgia and Armenia according to individual and household characteristics, the gender differences in the school-to-work pathways, and the characteristics or risk factors that are correlated to being NEET and their differential effect between men and women.
This report presents a desk review of the financing gap, constraints and policies related to the MSME financing in Bangladesh. It aims to provide relevant policy recommendations thereby presenting an opportunity to address these financing challenges.
This report talks about how the adoption of digital technologies in agriculture varies significantly across countries, with lower current adoption rates in low-income countries. Increasing adoption will require addressing supply-side factors, such as rural network coverage and availability of digital applications, and demand-side factors, including skills and knowledge, trust, affordability, and complementary investments.
This study draws on academic research and IFC’s experience with the private sector in FCS to derive lessons on how to engage with the private sector to foster growth, job creation, and stability.
The Global Jobs Indicators Database (JoIn) presents more than 60 of the standardized labor supply indicators which are most commonly used in country Jobs Diagnostics.The database was compiled from national surveys and subnational microdata which was first harmonized for the Bank-wide I2D2.
In this video, three youth leaders from the Solutions for Youth Employment Youth Advisory Group were interviewed on how they are tackling youth unemployment challenges in their own countries: Federico Silva from Mozambique, Anna Bethune from Jamaica, and Gulcan Yayla from Turkey.
Sport for Development (S4D) camps are special events that deliver S4D activities in a condensed manner over several days or weeks. An S4D-camp is a valuable learning opportunity for children, youth and coaches. This guideline shows what to consider when planning and implementing S4D-camps.
In this video, Sara Enright, Project Director for the Global Impact Sourcing Coalition and Associate Director at Business for Social Responsibility, explains impact sourcing and how it helps the most vulnerable groups. The Global Impact Coalition is a partner of Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE).
Rural youth development focuses on three mutually-reinforcing factors: productivity, connectivity, and agency. The IFAD 2019 Rural Development Report creates a roadmap for development strategies that incorporate a focus on rural youth.
This is a stocktake summarizing evidence on “what works” in youth employment programs on both the supply and demand side. This paper is based on an extensive desk literature review and analyzes the major meta-analysis and literature reviews on both the labor demand side and labor supply.
