New National Youth Policy Puts Emphasis on Youth Involvement in Governance and Development
The policy's official launch is scheduled for October 31, 2023, at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, coinciding with the commemoration of UN Day.
LILONGWE, Malawi - The Ministry of Youth and Sports in Malawi has announced the upcoming launch of the National Youth Policy for 2023-2028, a comprehensive initiative that places significant emphasis on the active participation of young individuals in leadership and governance roles within the country, writes Memory Phoso.
This focus rectifies a significant shortcoming observed in the previous 2013 policy.
Minister of Youth and Sports, Uchizi Mkandawire, shared these insights during a press engagement held in Lilongwe on Monday morning, leading up to the policy's official launch scheduled for October 31, 2023.
Mkandawire highlighted that the new policy not only addresses the previous gap but also encompasses critical issues such as climate change, the Malawi 2063 vision, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
"In many governance structures, evidence reveals that youth participation is lacking, which is one of the areas we want to prioritize in the policy. Youth involvement in politics is not well defined, which has been a significant challenge for young people. We hope this new policy will amplify this issue so that by 2025, we will have more young voices in parliament and other governance structures," said Mkandawire.
Furthermore, Mkandawire explained that the new policy is set to tackle the issue of insufficient coordination. It aims to foster improved collaboration across all sectors and ministries for the effective implementation of youth-focused activities.
"There have been numerous cases of coordination issues. With this new policy, we expect all sectors to work together, ensuring enhanced coordination in the implementation of youth-focused activities," added Mkandawire.
Rebecca Adda-Dontoh, the UN Resident Representative in Malawi, praised the revised policy as a clear indication of the government's commitment to engaging youths in various activities.
She emphasized that the launch provides an opportunity for all stakeholders to celebrate the resilience of youth and explore ways to make them equal partners in the country's development.
"This is an opportunity to look at youths at different levels, including youth in leadership. How can we support and strengthen their capacity? How can we leverage young people's innovation to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals and Malawi 2063?" said Addai-Dontoh.
The United Nations will provide support to the Malawian government in implementing the revised National Youth Policy, which is set to run until 2028.
The policy's official launch is scheduled for October 31, 2023, at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, coinciding with the commemoration of UN Day.
President Lazarus Chakwera is expected to preside over the event, which will be introduced under the theme: 'Harnessing the youth potential towards the realization of Malawi2063.'