Friday May 12, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Somali Cabinet Council approved the National Policy for Somali Youth during its weekly meeting on Thursday in Mogadishu.
The policy, spanning 2023-2030, was presented to the Council by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. This followed a series of dialogues with regional government bodies, along with the development of a cutting-edge digital platform to enable overseas Somali youth to partake in the conversation.
The youth-focused initiative is grounded in ten pillars. These encompass youth employment, idea generation, education, skills advancement, active participation in societal matters, leadership roles, reconciliation, cooperation, and drug abuse prevention and treatment.
Minister of Youth and Sports, lawmaker Mohamed Barre Mohamud, stated that the approval of the National Policy for Somali Youth would result in the establishment of the National Youth Council.
"The majority of the youth took part in the political consultations, and we also established a youth hub to facilitate meetings of youth from around the world.," the minister said.
Despite the lack of consultation meetings in Puntland, the minister underscored that communication with the Puntland ministry was maintained. However, the Puntland officials opted against hosting policy consultation meetings in their state.
"The ministry was careful not to leave anyone out of the national political consultation, and we have created a website or youth hub where young people from the country and abroad meet," the minister added.
More than 60% of the population in Somalia is under the age of 25, and this group consistently faces obstacles from different sides that prevent them from achieving their ambitions.