World Bank2014-08-212014-08-212007-09https://hdl.handle.net/10986/19614Youth are becoming an increasing priority for countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Youth are an asset that if properly nurtured can stimulate the economic and social development of the region. Countries are searching for effective policies to capitalize on this youth asset and an increasing number of governmental and nongovernmental institutions in the region are involved in youth related-work. This report represents an initial attempt to assess the case for making investment in youth a systematic development priority for the region. It summarizes what is known about the challenges facing youth and the opportunities successful youth embody, and begins to consider the contours of promising cross-sectoral, youth-centered, and inclusive policies for the region and the potential role for the World Bank. It is a first step in the process of setting out the issues to encourage dialogue and discussion among policy makers leading to decisions and eventually actions. The report has two intended audiences. The first are policy makers in the region, particularly those in Governments that are responsible for economic and social policy including Ministries of Finance, planning and economy and line ministries responsible for delivery of social services to youth such as the health, education, social affairs and youth ministries. Second, donors and development organizations such as the World Bank can use the report as an input into thinking about how youth issues may fit into projects and to help formulate priorities toward youth in the future.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO EDUCATIONACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICESACCESS TO INFORMATIONACCESS TO SCHOOLINGADOLESCENCEADOLESCENTADOLESCENT PARTICIPATIONADOLESCENTSADULT LITERACYADULT LITERACY RATEAGE COHORTAGEDAGGRESSIVEAIDS DEATHSALCOHOLAPPRENTICESHIPARMED CONFLICTSAVERAGE LEVEL OF EDUCATIONBASIC EDUCATIONBASIC SKILLSBIRTH RATESBIRTH WEIGHTBRAIN DRAINCAPACITY BUILDINGCARE SERVICESCHILD BIRTHCHILD LABORCHILD WELFARECHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOODCITIZENSCITIZENSHIPCOGNITIVE SKILLSCOMPLETION RATESCOMPLICATIONSCRIMECURRICULADECISION MAKINGDELINQUENTSDEPENDENCY RATIOSDEVELOPING COUNTRIESDIABETESDISABILITYDISADVANTAGED CHILDRENDISSEMINATIONDONOR SUPPORTDROPOUT RATESDROPOUTSDRUG ABUSEDRUG USEDRUGSEARLY ADULTHOODEARLY CHILDBEARINGEARLY DETECTIONEARLY MARRIAGEECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIC INTEGRATIONEDUCATION SYSTEMSEDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTEFFECTIVE POLICIESELDERLYEMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIESENROLLMENTENROLLMENT DATAENROLLMENT RATEENROLLMENT RATESEPIDEMICFAMILIESFAMILY SIZEFAMILY SUPPORTFEAR OF VIOLENCEFEMALE EDUCATIONFEMALE GENITAL MUTILATIONFEMALE ILLITERACYFERTILITYFERTILITY RATESGANGSGENDER GAPGENDER NORMSGENDER PARITYGOOD GOVERNANCEGROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCTGROSS ENROLLMENTHEALTH CAREHEALTH CARE SERVICESHEALTH INDICATORSHEALTH OUTCOMESHEALTH RISKSHIVHIV INFECTIONSHOLISTIC APPROACHHOME COUNTRIESHUMAN CAPITALHUMAN DEVELOPMENTILLITERACYIMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROMEIMMUNODEFICIENCYINFECTIONSINTAKE RATEINTENDED AUDIENCESINTERVENTIONINTERVENTIONSINVESTMENT IN CHILDRENJUVENILESKNOWLEDGE BASELABOR FORCELABOR MARKETLABOR MARKETSLABOR SUPPLYLACK OF INFORMATIONLEARNINGLEARNING OPPORTUNITIESLITERACYLITERACY PROGRAMSLITERACY RATESLOCAL AUTHORITIESLOW BIRTH WEIGHTMALE RELATIVEMALE STUDENTSMATERNAL MORTALITYMATERNAL MORTALITY RATESMIGRANTSMIGRATIONMINISTRY OF EDUCATIONMINISTRY OF HEALTHMINORITYMINORITY YOUTHNATIONAL INITIATIVESNATIONAL YOUTH POLICIESNATIONAL YOUTH POLICYNEEDS OF YOUTHNERNET ENROLLMENTNEW ENTRANTSNUTRITIONOUT OF SCHOOL CHILDRENOUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDRENPARTICIPATION RATESPERSONAL EMPOWERMENTPHYSICAL DISABILITIESPOLICY IMPLICATIONSPOLICY MAKERSPOOR PEOPLEPOPULATION GROUPSPRACTITIONERSPREGNANCIESPRIMARY EDUCATIONPRIMARY SCHOOLPRIMARY SCHOOLSPRISONSPROGRESSPROSTITUTIONPUBLIC AWARENESSPUBLIC HEALTHPUBLIC POLICYPUBLIC SERVICESQUALITATIVE INFORMATIONQUALITY OF EDUCATIONREGIONAL POLICYREMITTANCESRESPECTRETURN TO EDUCATIONRETURNS TO EDUCATIONRISK FACTORSRURAL AREASRURAL YOUTHSCHOOL LEAVERSSCHOOL TO WORK TRANSITIONSCHOOL YOUTHSCHOOLINGSECONDARY SCHOOLSECONDARY SCHOOL ENROLLMENTSSEXUAL ACTIVITYSEXUAL EXPLOITATIONSEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONSSKILLS DEVELOPMENTSOCIAL AFFAIRSSOCIAL CHANGESOCIAL DEVELOPMENTSOCIAL EXCLUSIONSOCIAL INSTITUTIONSSOCIAL NORMSSOCIAL POLICYSOCIAL SECTORSSOCIAL SERVICESSTISSTREET CHILDRENSTREET YOUTHSTUDENT ASSESSMENTSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTTEACHER ABSENTEEISMTEACHERSTEACHINGTEACHING METHODSTECHNICAL ASSISTANCETEENAGE PREGNANCYTEXTBOOKSTOBACCOTOBACCO USETRADITIONAL GENDER ROLESTRAFFIC ACCIDENTSTRAINING OPPORTUNITIESUNEMPLOYMENTURBAN COMMUNITYVIOLENCEVOCATIONAL EDUCATIONVOCATIONAL GUIDANCEVOCATIONAL TRAININGVULNERABLE ADOLESCENTSWAGESWORKERSWORKFORCEWORKING CONDITIONSYOUNG FEMALESYOUNG GIRLSYOUNG MALESYOUNG MENYOUNG PEOPLEYOUNG POPULATIONSYOUNG WOMANYOUNG WOMENYOUTHYOUTH ACCESSYOUTH AGENDAYOUTH DEVELOPMENTYOUTH EMPLOYMENTYOUTH GROUPSYOUTH PARTICIPATIONYOUTH POLICYYOUTH POPULATIONYOUTH UNEMPLOYMENTYOUTH VIOLENCE10.1596/19614