The United Nations is marking International Youth Day on 12 August with a global ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya, highlighting the theme “Local Youth Actions for the SDGs and Beyond.” The event brings together youth leaders, municipal officials and development practitioners to showcase community-based solutions that advance the Sustainable Development Goals and to discuss how local authorities can expand spaces for youth participation. UN agencies stress that demographic trends make youth engagement essential: half of the world’s population is 30 years old or younger, a share expected to rise to 57 percent by 2030. The organisation argues that empowering young people to translate national and international commitments into local action will accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda. The World Health Organization is using the observance to press governments to increase funding for adolescent mental-health services. WHO notes that one in seven adolescents worldwide lives with a mental-health condition and warns that inadequate support can have long-term effects on education, relationships and employment prospects. Regional blocs, including ASEAN, echoed the call, praising the energy and creativity of young people and pledging to work with them to build more inclusive, innovative and sustainable communities.