Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour to participate in this event and to
contribute some views on the issues you have been examining over
the past two days.  This symposium is a terrific initiative,
and I applaud the current Chair of the Global Migration Group
(GMG), UNICEF's Executive Director, Tony Lake and his staff, for
bring us together.

We live in an era where mobility – whether across
countries or continents – is literally inscribed in the life
scenarios of virtually every young person. Today, 20 percent of all
migrants are youth. 

In this regard, I want to highlight two issues under the rubric
of migration and youth.

I. Global Youth Unemployment

Youth unemployment and under-employment cast a long shadow over
much of the developing and developed world.  The linkage of
this phenomenon to development, or lack thereof, is palpable; and
the global financial crisis has aggravated the situation. 

Everywhere I go in the developing world, youth unemployment is a
major concern and priority for government
leaders.   

This issue was the top priority for a Prime Minister of a
Southeast Asian state I met with last year, where 70 percent of his
country's population of 80 million people are under 30 years of
age.  

Youth migration was also the topic of discussion at a meeting of
Arab Labour Ministers last November in Sana'a.  Yemeni youth
are one of the world's fastest growing urban populations, however,
only one or two of every 30 graduates have the prospects of
employment.  Later, in Djibouti, I also visited that country's
border on the Red Sea, teeming with young migrants attempting to
make the perilous journey to Saudi Arabia – one of the top
migrant destinations.  Many young women, in particular, see
migration as a pathway to empowerment; but it is also fraught with
risk.    

The internet is and will remain a driving force in the desire of
youth to migrate to improve their lives.  Consider the role of
social media in the lives of today's youth:

• 2 billion persons now have access to the internet (in contrast
  to only 390 million people 12 years ago);  
• 247 billion emails are transmitted every day; 
• Facebook now has more than 500 million subscribers;
  and 
• Twitter has some 200 million users; and both are growing
  exponentially.

These social media advances accelerate human movement and give
voice to young peoples' demands for jobs and dignity.  
It is the coalescence of the global youth bulge, mass youth
unemployment, and social media that has served as the catalyst for
the "Arab Spring" we have witnessed across the Middle East and
North Africa.  It is also serving to help many governments to
realign their national interests, more in line with values and
attitudes, such as "dignity."

In Libya, more than 800,000 mainly young, single males have fled
violence in that country.  135,000 of these people –
mainly migrant workers -- have been supported by IOM and UNHCR to
return to their countries of origin.   The problem,
however, is that most will return to the same joblessness that
drove them to Libya in the first place, and now with no more
remittances supporting countless families.  

II. Unaccompanied Children

A related issue to youth unemployment is that of unaccompanied
children. This issue is a direct consequence of massive youth
unemployment.  Out of desperation, many young people flee
abroad, or, in desperation, families send children abroad to
sustain themselves.   

Many, or most, of these children have no official identity
– neither a passport, or, any other means of identity. 
This makes tracing their families near impossible. 
Unaccompanied children need protection and support, and only the
state can provide these essentials.

For those of us whose mandate is migration, these are two issues
that should concern us as regards migration and youth.

Conclusion

The issue before us all, therefore, is how to manage youth
migration responsibly and intelligently – that is, in a
humane and orderly manner.  It requires greater recognition of
the overwhelmingly positive contribution of youths and all other
migrants to our economies and societies.  

This is why I am so grateful to Executive Director Lake and
UNICEF, as GMG Chair, for this initiative bringing us together
around such an urgent theme – and for this opportunity for me
to share some of IOM's views and concerns.