YOUTH FOR COMMUNITY ACADEMIC AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
(YOCADS)
P.O. Box 4970
Duala, Bushrod Island
1000 Monrovia, 10 Liberia
West Africa

REPORT

The Youth for Community Academic and Development Services (YOCADS) through its Executive Director Mr. Alphonso K. Weah participated in the Joint United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and African Union (AU) High-Level Consultative Meeting on Decent and Productive Work for Youth in West Africa with emphasis on the Mano River Union (MRU) in closed cooperation with United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and the Secretary General’s Youth Employment Network (YEN) which was held in Accra, Ghana from 19-20 February 2007. The meeting brought together Ministers of Trade & Industry and Ministers of youth of the Mano River Union (MRU) Countries (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea) plus Cote d’ Ivoire, as well as Togo, United Nations agencies, the private sector, the MRU secretariat, development partners, and representatives of youth civil society organizations.

The objectives of the High-level Consultative Meeting were:
( 1) To identify country – Specific best practices and priority project and programmes
areas/ concepts for the MRU and Cote d’ Ivoire;

(2) To establish a funding mechanism for programme implementation;

(3) To establish competent programme implementation mechanism for the MRU and
Cote d’ Ivoire

(4) And to develop a set of action –oriented policy and strategy recommendation as input
to the 2007 summit of African Union (AU) Heads of state and governments
devoted to industrial development.

Additionally, participant of the meeting unanimously recognized that the issue of youth employment constitutes a major challenge particularly as it has implications for the political stability of the MRU Countries and Cote d’ Ivoire. The meeting also noted that the governments in the sub-region have made progress towards creating the enabling environment for addressing the issue of youth employment by way of national policies action plans and programmes for job creation. However, many of those policies, plans and programmed have not been fully made operational. Similarly national policies and legislation have been adopted to improve the business environment and facilitate private sector investment and trade.

To conclude, the meeting therefore called for a multi-stakeholder approach that would involve the development and implementation of a youth employment programme for the MRU and Cote d’ Ivoire using best practices as well as the establishment of a fund for it implementation. Further more, to provide support to youth initiatives emanating from MRU Countries plus Cote d’ Ivoire that will be lucrative, cross-border projects in the region because there is an opportunity. In this context, the ministers noted the importance of pursuing a regional approach and supporting initiatives that will be led by youth or young people and civil society.


Kindly see attached the keynote address by Dr. Kandeh F. Yumkella, Director General of UNIDO, a communiqué develop by participant of the meeting, the provisional list of participants confirmed as of 18 February, 2007 and the provisional agenda.




Kindest regards.



Alphonso K. Weah
Executive Director
Cell #: +2315648081

REPORT
Translated into French by: Alphonso K. Weah
YOUTH FOR COMMUNITY ACADEMIC AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
(YOCADS)
P.O. Box 4970
Duala, Bushrod Island
1000 Monrovia, 10 Liberia
West Africa

REPORT

The Youth for Community Academic and Development Services (YOCADS) through its Executive Director Mr. Alphonso K. Weah participated in the Joint United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and African Union (AU) High-Level Consultative Meeting on Decent and Productive Work for Youth in West Africa with emphasis on the Mano River Union (MRU) in closed cooperation with United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and the Secretary General’s Youth Employment Network (YEN) which was held in Accra, Ghana from 19-20 February 2007. The meeting brought together Ministers of Trade & Industry and Ministers of youth of the Mano River Union (MRU) Countries (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea) plus Cote d’ Ivoire, as well as Togo, United Nations agencies, the private sector, the MRU secretariat, development partners, and representatives of youth civil society organizations.

The objectives of the High-level Consultative Meeting were:
( 1) To identify country – Specific best practices and priority project and programmes
areas/ concepts for the MRU and Cote d’ Ivoire;

(2) To establish a funding mechanism for programme implementation;

(3) To establish competent programme implementation mechanism for the MRU and
Cote d’ Ivoire

(4) And to develop a set of action –oriented policy and strategy recommendation as input
to the 2007 summit of African Union (AU) Heads of state and governments
devoted to industrial development.

Additionally, participant of the meeting unanimously recognized that the issue of youth employment constitutes a major challenge particularly as it has implications for the political stability of the MRU Countries and Cote d’ Ivoire. The meeting also noted that the governments in the sub-region have made progress towards creating the enabling environment for addressing the issue of youth employment by way of national policies action plans and programmes for job creation. However, many of those policies, plans and programmed have not been fully made operational. Similarly national policies and legislation have been adopted to improve the business environment and facilitate private sector investment and trade.

To conclude, the meeting therefore called for a multi-stakeholder approach that would involve the development and implementation of a youth employment programme for the MRU and Cote d’ Ivoire using best practices as well as the establishment of a fund for it implementation. Further more, to provide support to youth initiatives emanating from MRU Countries plus Cote d’ Ivoire that will be lucrative, cross-border projects in the region because there is an opportunity. In this context, the ministers noted the importance of pursuing a regional approach and supporting initiatives that will be led by youth or young people and civil society.


Kindly see attached the keynote address by Dr. Kandeh F. Yumkella, Director General of UNIDO, a communiqué develop by participant of the meeting, the provisional list of participants confirmed as of 18 February, 2007 and the provisional agenda.




Kindest regards.



Alphonso K. Weah
Executive Director
Cell #: +2315648081