By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN
UNITED NATIONS POLICY ON YOUTH PARTICIPATION
The UN’s policy on youth participation centers on the Youth 2030 Strategy, aiming for meaningful engagement, not just consultation, making youth central to achieving SDGs, promoting human rights, and fostering peace, with initiatives like the UN Youth Delegate program and digital platforms enhancing their voice in policy, driven by principles of inclusivity, gender equality, and tackling barriers like digital divides to empower young people as agents of change.
KEY PILLARS OF UN YOUTH POLICY:
·Youth2030: The UN Youth Strategy: The overarching framework (now in Phase 2: 2025-2030) focuses on youth empowerment, SDG implementation, knowledge building, and ensuring youth voices are heard across all UN efforts.
·Meaningful Engagement: Goes beyond tokenism; it’s about tangible youth influence in policy, supported by principles from the Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on the topic.
·Youth as Agents of Change: Recognises young people as crucial for peace, justice, climate action, and sustainable development, empowering them to drive societal transformation.
KEY MECHANISMS & INITIATIVES:
·UN Youth Delegate Program: Young people, selected by their governments, participate directly in UN meetings (like the General Assembly) as part of national delegations.
·UN Youth Office: Acts as a convener and conduit, amplifying youth visions and coordinating efforts across the UN system.
·Digital Platforms: Using technology to understand youth priorities, inform them, and co-create policies.
·Our Common Agenda & Pact for the Future: Calls for greater youth inclusion in global decision-making.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
·Inclusivity and Equity: Removing social, economic, and cultural barriers, especially for young women and girls, to ensure equal access and participation.
·Intergenerational Solidarity: Fostering collaboration and understanding between generations.
·Rights-Based Approach: Upholding youth’s fundamental right to participate, as a core human right.
FOCUS AREAS:
·Empowerment: Building skills, capacity, and opportunities.
·SDG Acceleration: Integrating youth perspectives into achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
·Peace and Security: Supporting youth as peacebuilders and ensuring their needs in post-conflict reintegration.
In essence, the UN policy views youth not just as beneficiaries but as essential partners, providing platforms and strategies to ensure their diverse perspectives and solutions shape a sustainable future.
NIGERIAN POLICY ON YOUTH PARTICIPATION
Nigeria’s youth policy, primarily guided by the National Youth Policy (NYP) 2019-2023, aims to foster youth participation and development by enhancing rights, education, health, and economic opportunities for the large youth demographic (ages 15-29) to contribute to national goals, though implementation faces challenges like funding and coordination, requiring stronger youth engagement in policy making itself for better outcomes.
KEY ASPECTS OF THE POLICY
·Broad Goals: Promote fundamental rights, improve quality of life, and boost youth involvement in national development and achieving SDGs.
·Target Groups: Acknowledges varying needs, categorizing youth into low-risk, vulnerable, and at-risk groups for targeted interventions.
·Focus Areas: Education, health, sports, economic empowerment, civic engagement, and social well-being.
·Framework: Provides guidelines for government, stakeholders, and youth themselves.
CHALLENGES AND NEEDS
·Inconsistent Implementation: Funding gaps, poor execution, and lack of coordination hinder progress.
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