Kabul, 18 January 2015 - Today the Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs launched the first-ever Afghanistan National Youth Policy. The document was presented as a national program for youth, a governmental commitment to address youth challenges, and a capacity building plan for young people to participate in planning and decision-making processes so they can actively contribute to the development of Afghanistan.
The document was officially approved by the Cabinet on the 16th of September 2014 after a detailed study of legislative documents and policies in the region and a close analysis of the Policy in the light of Islamic religious values and principles. The policy is structured in four pillars (Youth employment; Adolescent and youth health; Education, technical and vocational education and training; Participation) and follows international standards.
Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, Mr. Taimor Shah Isaaqzai, said that youth should be identified as drivers of a transformation decade and asked the Afghan Government to invest strategically in youth. He said: "Youth should be identified as drivers of Afghanistan's economy during the transformation decade. Investing in youth is, in fact, investment in economic progress and development, peace and security in Afghanistan."
Key and appropriate interventions are identified in the policy and, through its implementation, youth issues will be among the priorities of the Afghan Government, placing youth development at the forefront of national educational, economic and social development programmes.
"Data show that 63 percent of the population of Afghanistan is below 25 years old. This generation of young people presents a historic opportunity to invest on them and lead the country towards development, security and stability," said Mark Bowden, UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan. "The Policy makes concrete recommendations that need to be considered for a prosperous and stable Afghanistan. In this sense, the UN will be proud to keep supporting the government to guarantee that every Afghan young's person potential is fulfilled," concluded.
The aim of the Afghanistan National Youth Policy is to systematically meet the needs of youth through an inclusive approach, involving all relevant governmental and non-governmental entities, and to design short-term and long-term strategies and programmes to develop youth talents, skills and potential in the economic, social, cultural and political spheres.
A Public High Commission under the leadership of the Second Vice President, H.E. Sawar Danish, has been created together with the membership of inter-sectorial ministers to guarantee the implementation of the Policy. Through a five year strategy and one year action plan, the Afghanistan National Youth Policy will be implemented in collaboration with a technical committee and a working group from the relevant institutions.
The policy has been developed by Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs, as part of the Ministry of Information and Culture, in close collaboration of other government entities such as the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disables, Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Women's Affairs, Ministry of Counter Narcotics, Independent Directorate of Local Governance, Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission, Central Statistics Organization of Afghanistan, National Olympics Committee and the Afghan Civil Society Forum.
Representatives of youth organizations were also involved in developing the Policy as well as international organizations such as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Counterpart International, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), UN Women, , the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
For more information visit: Afghanistan National Youth Policy Webpage
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For more information, please contact:
Sayed Mustafa Saiedi,
Youth Affairs Deputy Ministry's Policy and Program Director,
e mail: smsaiedy448@gmail.com,
telephone: +93 (0) 700217101
Baryalai Helali,
National Youth Strategy Implementation Consultant,
email: baryalai.helali@gmail.com,
telephone: +93 (0)707107191.
