31 March 2014: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the ‘UNDP Youth Strategy 2014-2017: Empowered Youth, Sustainable Future.’ The launch took place during a three-day UNDP event on youth and development in Tunis, Tunisia. The strategy focuses on three outcomes: sustainable development pathways through enhanced youth economic empowerment; youth political participation; and youth engagement in disaster preparedness and resilience building.
In response to global calls for youth participation, including through consultations on the post-2015 development agenda, UNDP developed its Youth Strategy to inform its ongoing and future youth policy development and programming. The Strategy employs a human rights approach, identifies youth development challenges and makes recommendations for addressing youth empowerment. The Strategy recommends engaging a broad range of partners, including youth, and identifies strategic entry points for engagement.
The strategy has a four-pronged approach that aims to support and engage youth through: youth and youth organization capacity development; advocacy and mainstreaming youth issues in development planning; empowerment and leadership; and national youth policy development and implementation.
Speaking at the launch, UNDP Assistant Administrator Sima Bahous described today’s youth as “more connected, better informed and with greater creativity than any previous generation.” She said the Strategy emphasizes youth as initiators, collaborators and partners in development.
The youth and development event, which takes place on 31 March-2 April, includes a two-day workshop and forum to discuss approaches and solutions for promoting employment, entrepreneurship and youth participation in political processes and public institutions. The final day will focus on the Arab region, including the implementation of the Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) Action Plan and youth vision. [UNDP Press Release on Strategy] [UNDP Press Release on Forum] [Bahous Statement] [Publication: Draft UNDP Youth Strategy 2014-2017]