Four United Nations (UN) agencies — UNESCO, UNICEF, the UN Youth Office (UNYO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) — have issued a joint call urging governments and partners to prioritize child and youth mental health within global and national policy frameworks. The statement highlights a lack of dedicated international resolutions and underinvestment in prevention, despite evidence of cost-effective solutions.
“Mental health is a fundamental human right, yet children and young people remain largely absent from global policy and financing commitments,” say the agencies in a joint statement. The call outlines measures to elevate mental health as a standalone policy priority and to ensure its integration into future UN resolutions, human rights mechanisms, and national strategies aligned with the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan.
Globally, one in seven people aged 10 to 19 experience mental health conditions, most of which go untreated. The WHO’s latest Mental Health Atlas shows that only 56% of countries have policies addressing child and youth mental health, and less than half provide community- or school-based services for this group. Suicide rates among people aged 10 to 24 have also risen in several countries.
The agencies argue that current efforts remain fragmented, with insufficient coordination between sectors such as education, health, social protection, and climate action. They call for a unified interagency platform to align technical guidance, financing, and accountability mechanisms, and for youth participation in designing, implementing, and evaluating mental health policies.
UNESCO, UNICEF, UNYO, and WHO also urge countries to invest in prevention, promotion, and protection initiatives that connect schools, communities, and digital platforms to support mental well-being. Integrating mental health indicators into education and development data systems, they said, would strengthen accountability and visibility of progress.
Recent findings from UNICEF illustrate the urgency of this agenda. In Mexico, a survey of Generation Z shows both high levels of optimism and significant emotional strain. Seventy percent of respondents feel part of the global community, and 64% believe they can influence its future. Yet 72% say they feel overwhelmed by news and world events, while 75% express concern about the planet’s future, placing Mexican youth among the most worried internationally.
More than half of young Mexicans report having needed help with their mental health, the highest rate among surveyed countries. Stigma remains a barrier, with 56% saying they have faced discrimination in school and 62% at work. Despite this, 87% believe the government should take an active or leading role in supporting youth mental health.
Experts say these findings reflect a broader global trend in which youth optimism coexists with mental health challenges fueled by social, environmental, and economic pressures. The UN agencies’ joint call seeks to transform this concern into coordinated action, positioning mental health as a cross-cutting pillar of sustainable development.
By integrating rights-based, inclusive policies, and investing in early intervention, the UN entities aim to ensure that mental well-being becomes a central measure of progress — and that young people worldwide are not left behind.