The National Youth Commission and the United Nations Development Programme in Sierra Leone on Sunday marked International Youth Day (IYD) at a ceremony held at the Lagoonda Complex in Freetown.
Under the theme “Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth” the celebrations made a global call to action to develop and engage in partnerships with and for youth.
The Commissioner of the National Youth Commission, Anthony A. Koroma expressed delight and happiness for what he said was the way their international partners had been working with them towards the development of youth in Sierra Leone. He expressed appreciation to UNESCO, UNDP, World Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone for their assistance.
Koroma said that over 800,000 Sierra Leonean youth were determined to work for the development of the country and appealed for more support from government, UNDP, World Bank and UNESCO for the uplifting of the young people of Sierra Leone.
Country Director of UNDP in Sierra Leone,. Mohamed Bachir stressed that his organization was eager to uplift the Youth Commission. He said that two decades of both democratic transition and conflict had impacted on a whole generation of the youth. He renewed his organisation’s commitment to put the agenda of youth at the fore of UNDP programming.
Bachir said that much more needed to be done by all stockholders to improve the situation of the Sierra Leone’s youth in order to contribute to the country’s sustainable peace and development.
The chairman of the Western Region Youth Council, Mohamed Koroma said that one-third of Sierra Leone’s population comprised youth, 75% of whom he said were unemployed. He pleaded that youth should be considered in decision-making. He urged all political parties to consider youth in the awarding of symbols for the November elections.
Koroma called on President Ernest Bai Koroma to create a Youth Parliament for youth issues and concerns to be deliberated.
In his keynote address, the Executive Representative of United Nations Secretary General in Sierra Leone, Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen said that he brought a message from UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon with the theme “To unleash the power of young people, we need to partner with them”. He said that in the 5-year Action Agenda announced at the start of 2012, Mr Ban made “working with young people” a priority, with a focus on issues including employment, entrepreneurship and political inclusion.
This, he said, was because the global economic crisis had hit youth the hardest largely due to the rising inequalities. He said a large number of young people had no immediate prospects and were disenfranchised.
Toyberg-Frandzen said that today’s generation of youth – the largest the world has ever known, and the vast majority of whom live in developing countries – has an unprecedented potential to advance the well being of the entire human family.
Some youth groups expressed concern over the absence of the Minister of Youth Employment and Sport, Paul Kamara who was not even represented at the ceremony.
The celebrations were well attended by various groups drawn from across the city.
