A conference on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for the Parliaments in the Asia-Pacific Region was held at the State Palace of Mongolia on 12 June. The event focused on ageing, birth and empowering young people.

Over 30 delegates from 13 countries including Japan, China, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Laos, North Korea, Sri-Lanka and Vietnam participated in the forum.

Today, most people are living longer and a significant proportion of the world’s population consists of older people. By 2050, the world’s population of people over the age of 60 will double. This demographic change has strong implications for sustainable development.

In high-income economies, young people’s prospects have plummeted, and there are significant concerns for their position in the labour market and the future of their financial security. The situation is worse for young people in low-income countries, where many workers are involved in informal employment – something the UN’s International Labour Organisation describes as sporadic, poorly paid and falling outside the protection of law.