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UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA Pre-ADF Symposium on Youth and Governance
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
10 October 2004

1. Background and Justification

Africa’s development challenges in the 21st century are multi-faceted and it’s strive to achieve the millennium development goals will prove to be strenuous unless of course most of the continent’s efforts are directed towards alleviating poverty among its youth. Despite the many initiatives targeted at reducing poverty, the facts indicate that much remains to be done. In general, health conditions are dire, unemployment rate is disproportionately high and literacy rate/enrolment rate remains very low among the African Youth.

With the bulk of the African population below the age of 30, the burden of Africa’s protracted political and economic crises afflicting the continent falls on young people. Today’s youth will become tomorrow’s leaders making decisions that will have enormous impact. The assets and talents of youth should be nurtured to enable for effective human resource development.

Among the many challenges the continent is currently facing, the HIV/AIDS pandemic particularly affects the youth, claiming the lives of half a million young people between the ages of 15-24 by the year 2005. The infection rate is also alarming. UNAIDS recent data further indicates that more than five young people are infected every minute accumulating a hefty 2.6 million of people each year. These astounding statistics highlight the urgency deeming improved measures to mitigate the spread of the disease and reverse the trend.

The potential to engage this very large portion of the population in the continent’s developmental endeavors is also being crippled by low-level economic activities resulting in a high rate of unemployment and underemployment. The sense of vulnerability, idleness, frustration and hopelessness among young people makes them a fertile group for recruitment into armed conflicts. The phenomenon of child soldiers in the many conflicts zones in Africa speaks eloquently to their situation.

The future development of Africa, therefore, rests on the hands of today’s youth and a favorable condition for their socio-economic development and their participation in a democratic system are essentially the prerequisites for reaching the goals set by the various development initiatives. It is therefore, through the participation of the youth that the visions and objectives set by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) could materialize.

The challenge is to mobilize their energies and transform governance systems so that they feel included and represented. There has been a noticeable increase of youth organizations, and governments and international organizations initiatives addressing the concern of youth needs. However, the initiatives by the various groups have lacked the right approaches to effectively engage the youth.

In this context and in recognition of the significant role that youth participation could play in effectively addressing current issues of importance to the continent, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) in partnership with the African Union have decided to hold a symposium on ‘Youth and Governance’. There is an opportunity for the ADF IV to set a new international agenda for the participation of young people

and engagement with youth issues. Therefore exploratory discussions on the issue will be timely, relevant and potentially path breaking. Discussions will cover a wide range of issues from youth representation in political parties; other mechanisms for representation; the case of young women; to the role of young people within the national, sub-regional and regional organizations such as the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

2. Objectives

The pre-ADF youth symposium is therefore aimed at providing a platform for dialogue between various youth groups, experts and individuals on issues of programme planning to enable young people to make contributions to current policy debates. Most importantly, it is intended to bring to the forefront of the ADF IV discussions, the importance of rigorously addressing issues affecting the youth. In this regard, the objectives of the UNECA’s pre-ADF symposium on ‘Youth and Governance’ are to:

· Share knowledge and information, and take stock of the various challenges afflicting Africa’s youth.
· Define policy actions and key recommendations addressing the challenges facing Africa’s youth.
· Establish priorities and identify modalities to impact African leaders, youths, development partners and international organisation in carrying forward the pressing significance of youth development on the governance agenda.
· Consider further the modalities for collaboration in order to create synergies among youth groups.

3. Organization/Structure

The symposium will consist of two plenary sessions and three interactive breakout sessions including panel discussions. The first plenary is planned to provide an introduction to the crisis and challenges facing the continent in general and the young people in particular.

A drafting committee will be constituted for the drafting of the Declaration.

The breakout sessions are also expected to hold in-depth discussions on the following three sub-themes:

Breakout Session I: “Youth and HIV/AIDS”

The HIV/AIDS pandemic highlights the depth and urgency of the governance challenge for Africa’s young people. Establishing a sense of positive futurity among African youth would appear to be essential for not only HIV prevention but also for laying the social foundation for good governance. The group will among other issues consider:

· How is the HIV/AIDS pandemic changing young Africans’ perception of themselves and their future?
· What policies and programmes have been most effective in responding to HIV/AIDS among the young?
· What gender aspects of the pandemic are most relevant to young people?
· What leadership roles can young people play in combating the pandemic?

· What other governance requirements are there, relevant to young people, for combating HIV/AIDS?
· How will the governance implications of HIV/AIDS impact on young people, and how do they envisage responding to these problems?

Breakout Session II: “Youth, Education and Unemployment”

Investment in human resources, notably education, is increasingly recognised as the key to sustainable development. In the context of Africa today, it makes sense to design and build educational systems in partnership with young people. The group will among other issues consider:

· How do young people envisage their education and human resource demands?
· What education policies have been most effective in realizing the right to education?
· What style and content of education is most appropriate for young people’s agendas, especially in the era of HIV/AIDS?
· What regional and international agendas for education and human resource development are relevant to the young?

Breakout Session III: “Youth, Democracy and Governance”

Most political systems condescend to young people, relegating their concerns to the margins, and bracketing them exclusively with issues such as sport and education. Many political parties have ‘youth wings’, but these are often less a means of political apprenticeship than a device for the militarisation of electoral politics. Some countries have experimented with means of reaching out to the young, for example by designating some parliamentary seats for the youth, while Nelson Mandela proposed lowering the voting age to fourteen. In the current context, there is a pressing need to address the challenges of youth and governance, through listening to the views and experiences of Africa’s young people themselves. The group should among other issues consider:

· How can governance systems be reformed so as to provide better and more effective representation of young people?
· What should the minimum voting age be?
· Should there be special mechanisms for the representation of youth?
· What are the appropriate roles for youth wings of political parties, youth clubs, etc.?
· What special mechanisms are required to ensure the effective participation of young women?
· Is there a role for ‘children’s parliaments’?
· What role can young people have in the governance of regional initiatives, including the AU and NEPAD?

4. Expected Outcome

The discussions are expected to:

- Identify the key challenges presently afflicting Africa’s youth.
- Identify key policy recommendations/actions to address the challenges.
- Draft a declaration for adoption and dissemination among other documents.

5. Participants

The participants are expected to be representatives of various youth groups with national, sub regional and continental scope and thematic in orientation. Special emphasis will be given to youth groups that have been actively engaged in youth empowerment and policy advice.

6. Partnerships

The pre-ADF youth symposium will be organized by the Development Policy Management Division (DPMD) of the United Nations Economic Commission (UNECA) in partnership with the African Union (AU) and will be co-sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Assistance and collaboration in terms of discussants, resource persons and participants will be sought from youth groups such as the SADC Youth Movement, African Child Policy Forum, West Africa Youth Forum, NEPAD Secretariat and so forth.

7. Working Language

The sessions will be conducted in English and French. Translations will be provided both in English and French.

8. Dates and Venue

The symposium will be held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the 10th and 11th of October 2004.

9. Contacts

For further information and inquiries, please contact:

The Director
Development Policy Management Division (DPMD)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
P. O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel.: 251-1-511227
Fax: 251-1-514416
Email: kargbo.uneca@un.org

Ms. Emebet Mesfin
Associate Development Management Officer
Development Policy Management Division (DPMD)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
P. O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel.: 251-1 445486
Fax: 251-1 514416/511953
Email: emesfin@uneca.org

Mr. Stephane Oertel
Associate Development Management Officer
Development Policy Management Division (DPMD)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
P. O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel.: 251-1 445030
Fax: 251-1 514416/511953
Email: soertel@uneca.org

Mr. Dawit Tesfaye
Associate Development Management Officer
Development Policy Management Division (DPMD)
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
P. O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel.: 251-1 443141
Fax: 251-1 514416/511953
Email: dtesfaye@uneca.org