By Caesar Vallejos
Eagle News Service
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Declaration on the Adoption of the Youth Development Index (AYDI) was adopted today by ASEAN Leaders during the plenary for the 31st ASEAN Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Undersecretary Cariza Y. Seguerra, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Commission-Philippines (NYC) made the announcement in a press statement.
She said the AYDI is the first of its kind and was an initiative of the Philippines through the NYC.
It is envisioned to “significantly contribute to the need of the ASEAN in profiling its youth and determining areas that need greater attention and further investment,” she said.
It “provides a springboard of initiatives on youth development in the region anchored on the domains and indicators reflected in the ASEAN YDI, namely: Education, Health and Well-being, Employment and Opportunity, Participation and Engagement, ASEAN Awareness, Values and Identity,” she said.
According to Seguerra, the declaration recognizes the role of the youth in realizing the ASEAN Vision 2025 and the importance of having regional standards that allow for the measurement and monitoring of various aspects of youth development.
She said the AYDI provides data showing from 2011 to 2015 that education “has remarkably improved across the region.”
However, the areas of employment and opportunity are in need of further youth policy development, she said.
She said it is hoped the adoption of the declaration will translate into the formulation of more relevant youth policies, projects, and activities as well as into the pursuance of advocacies in the areas of economic empowerment and participation.
Seguerra thanked the member States of the ASEAN, “notably Indonesia for being the project leader as we look forward to strengthening the ASEAN region through a more meaningful youth development.”
The Philippines hosted the Preparatory Meeting for the ASEAN Youth Interface with ASEAN Leaders where the ASEAN Youth Declaration was formulated vis-a-vis the ASEAN WorkPlan on Youth 2016-2020.
