Bissau, 12 August 2023 - International Youth Day is celebrated under the slogan: "Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World"..

To mark the date, the United Nations Population Fund and the National Youth Council organised an event in the amphitheatre of the National Institute for Studies and Research, which brought together young people from different youth networks, the government and its development partners to reflect on and raise awareness among young Guineans of their responsibility as active players in social transformation in the present and the future.

This year's theme, "Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World", means that the world is embarking on a green transition - a shift towards an environmentally sustainable and environmentally friendly planet, which is key not only to responding to the global climate crisis, but also to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. A successful transition to a greener world will depend on the development of green skills, including technical knowledge that enables the use of green technologies in professional contexts, as well as a series of values and attitudes that facilitate environmentally sustainable decisions in life and at work.

In Guinea-Bissau, young people (the driving force of society) represent more than 50 per cent of the population.

Guinea-Bissau has ratified several international instruments on the rights of children and young people, both at the level of the United Nations and the African Union.