International Youth Day 2025: Landell Mills and UNICEF evaluations

International Youth Day, observed annually on 12 August, is a global celebration that highlights the challenges and opportunities facing young people today. It aims to recognise their contributions to society, development and peace, and to promote meaningful youth engagement across all sectors.

Young people across the world face a diverse range of challenges shaped by issues such as conflict, inequality, climate change and social exclusion. Examples include:

• In Ukraine, the ongoing war has severely disrupted education and child protection systems, while increasing poverty and mental health concerns among youth.
• In Malaysia, youth face emerging challenges such as climate change, mental health and cyberbullying. Children affected by migration, children with disabilities, and indigenous children experience unequal access to basic services and opportunities.
• In Liberia, deep-rooted gender, human rights, and equity issues significantly affect vulnerable populations in Liberia, particularly children. Low school attendance and poor quality of education remain significant barriers for young people.
• In Afghanistan, girls face restrictions on education, and protection concerns including child marriage and labour are prevalent.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is the United Nations (UN) agency dedicated to providing humanitarian and developmental support to children and adolescents worldwide.

Since 2023, Landell Mills’ Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) division has been providing evaluation services to UNICEF. These evaluations have explored the work of UNICEF to support youth in these various challenges, as well as to promote youth participation.

Our evaluations have aimed to provide accountability, capture lessons learned, and provide actionable recommendations for UNICEF’s future strategies. Through this work, Landell Mills contributes to strengthening UNICEF’s efforts to address youth challenges and promote inclusive participation.

Explore our published evaluations at the links below to learn more about how UNICEF is making a difference in the lives of young people:

• Evaluation of UNICEF’s L3 response in Ukraine – read here
• Evaluation of UNICEF’s Humanitarian Cash Transfer Response to Ukraine Crisis – read here
• UNICEF Malaysia 2022-2025 Country Programme Evaluation – read here
• UNICEF Liberia 2020-2024 Country Programme Evaluation – read here
• UNICEF Afghanistan 2021-2024 Evidence Synthesis – read here