165 million reasons – A call for investment in adolescents and youth in Latin America and the Caribbean

Today’s adolescents and youth are members of the largest cohort of young people in history. In Latin America and the Caribbean, they will no doubt have tremendous influence on the way our shared future takes shape. Will it be one of thriving societies? Or of shrinking opportunities and despair?

Our choices today can make a difference. What we do for and with adolescents and young people will impact our families, communities, societies, and economic and political systems. Globally, the world is home to 1.8 billion young people. Latin America and the Caribbean now has an estimated 165 million people between the ages of 10 and 241 , one in every four people is young. On balance, today’s adolescents and young people are more educated, more mobile, more tech savvy, more aware of their rights.

These attributes offer great hope for the coming years. Yet much more remains to be done to support them in realizing their rights fully. Many of their unique realities and needs are still overlooked. Millions are left behind, shut out of chances to succeed in their lives.