E+E Leader Team
UNDP’s youth programs across Asia and the Pacific have supported over 580,000 young people in 30 countries since 2017, helping them launch 3,200+ enterprises, generate 155,000+ livelihoods, and benefit nearly 14 million people through inclusive value chains.
Why This Matters—Now and for the Future
- A Region of Youth and Urgency: The Asia-Pacific is home to over 660 million people aged 15–24, representing the world’s largest youth cohort. This demographic is confronting pressing issues—from climate change and economic shocks to civic space limitations.
- Transformative Potential of Social Entrepreneurship: A UNDP‑Citi Foundation Youth Co:Lab study found that 84% of surveyed young social entrepreneurs see climate change as a global emergency, with 66% actively offering climate-impact solutions and 68% working to reduce their operations’ environmental footprint.
- Ecosystem Momentum and Investment: Youth Co:Lab has supported 28,000 youth social entrepreneurs, facilitated 155,000 livelihood opportunities, and reached around 13 million beneficiaries. It has also mobilized over US $67 million in partner funding alongside $850,000 from UNDP’s core resources.
- Youth Moonshot: A Vision for 2030: UNDP’s “Youth 2030 Moonshot” aims to scale youth-led innovation across Asia‑Pacific, targeting 7 million social innovations by harnessing partnerships across universities, governments, and civil society.
- Regional Innovation Platforms: UNDP’s Youth Co:Lab is nurturing innovators on a global stage. In 2025, the SDG Sprint Accelerator in Korea offered Asia-Pacific startups working on SDG-aligned green or digital solutions access to mentors, networks, and Demo Day exposure—highlighting the increasing institutional support for youth-led innovation.
Local Solutions, Regional Impact: Country Highlights
- Papua New Guinea: Through the Pacific Green Transformation Project, youth in Bougainville are gaining skills in solar energy, climate resilience, and gender equality in frontline communities.
- Viet Nam: An integrated youth portfolio connects climate innovation, governance, and digital transformation—producing over 700 trained youth entrepreneurs, 75+ incubated startups, and co-authored policy reports by youth UNDP.
- Indonesia: The Skill Our Future initiative, supported by IsDB and Microsoft, has reached 38,000 youth in 2025 alone, training 1,587 facilitators to lead peer-based AI and digital learning in their communities.
- China: Through Movers4Climate, 4,532 volunteer trainers from 315 universities are delivering climate education to rural youth, with a target of reaching 50,000 young people by end‑August 2025 UNDP.
- India: Youth Co:Lab’s innovation challenges have propelled ventures like Digiswasthya, now delivering healthcare to over 2 million lives, while supporting over 280 entrepreneurs from underrepresented areas.
- Singapore: The Youth Action Challenge has empowered 3,100 youth and supported 360 projects, promoting SDG-aligned social entrepreneurship.
Why It Matters: Context & Insight
- SDG Alignment and Youth Agency: These initiatives directly support multiple Sustainable Development Goals—especially SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships)—by empowering youth to lead locally relevant, systemic change.
- Addressing Barriers Head-On: While youth are eager and innovative, systemic barriers—such as limited funding and mentorship—persist. Youth Co:Lab and UNDP strengthen the ecosystem through multi-sector partnerships and targeted diagnostics.
- From Local Roots to Regional Scaling: Solutions birthed in frontline communities (e.g., climate resilience in Pacific atolls or AI training in Indonesia) demonstrate locally rooted relevance and the potential for broader replication.
