China’s internal migrants of approximately 150 million moving from rural to urban areas represents the largest movement of people in modern history. These young men and women have contributed to the fast paced economic development of the country. However, while doing so many of them confront challenges including ending up in poor working and living conditions. They have a lack of access to social protection and social exclusion which compounds their vulnerability. The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the protection of the rights and interests of the young migrants. Improving policies on domestic migration has been embraced as essential to the national development strategy.In recent years, the Chinese Government promulgated and implemented a series of new laws and policies to improve migrant workers’ access to equal labor rights, civil rights, basic public services, and social security. However, the sheer scale and complexity of the challenge means that progress remains gradual, uneven, and experimental.

To support the Chinese government to promote the implementation of relevant laws and policies, and to promote the protection of the rights and interests of migrant workers, the joint programme on Youth, Employment and Migration was prepared. This joint programme brings together the work of nine UN Agencies (ILO, UNDP, UNESCO, UNIFEM, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIDO, WHO, UNV) in close coordination and partnership with over twenty national counterparts from government and civil society. It provides an integrated response to the array of needs of young migrants and potential migrants. It will replicate proven good practices and explore innovative solutions through a multi-disciplinary approach to better serve the young migrant men and women, building on the experience and cross-sectoral expertise of a broad range of partners.

The YEM falls under the working scope of the United Nations Theme Group on Poverty and Inequality (UNTGPI).