July 17, 2011
Ad Melkert Welcomes Launch of Iraq’s Youth Status Analytical Report
Baghdad, 17 July 2012: “It is time to develop Iraq’s vision, policies, strategies and plan of action for youth based on the representative participation and leadership of youth”, said Ad Melkert, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq on the occasion of the launch of Iraq’s Youth Status Analytical Report. The report was launched during a conference held in Baghdad on 16 July at the Council of Representatives’ Headquarters with over 300 hundred participants in attendance, including 200 hundred youth representatives.
Compiled by the Baghdad and Al- Rafidain Universities in conjunction with the Ministry of Planning, with the assistance of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the report analyzes youth needs perceptions and priorities in the following areas: Education , Employment , Health and Disabilities, Access to media and technology, Sports, Security, Political and civil society participation, and Poverty.
Commenting on the report, SRSG Melkert noted that a number of youth development indicators were of concern. Enrolment in secondary education is 21%, and illiteracy and youth unemployment rates are high. Unemployment among youth 15-29 years has exceeded 57%. Statistics for early marriage is also high, 42.8% of girls aged 16-18 marry, leading to higher risks of infant and maternal mortality.
“The report provides this government and its various departments with a vital planning tool to address the key concerns of infrastructure, education, health and employment, leading to meaningful improvement in people’s lives to the benefit of the Iraqi society as a whole”, SRSG Melkert said.
“Youth have legitimate concerns about employment opportunities, delivery of basic services and accountability”, SRSG Melkert stressed before calling on the Iraqi decision-makers “to listen to the needs of young people and respond to their legitimate demands and expectations.”
He presented in this regard three recommendations the Iraqi Government and Parliament for consideration by the Iraqi decision-makers when moving forward in promoting youth agenda.
The recommendations are: agreement on an “Agenda for the Future” with policy targets and timelines that will improve the economic and social prospects for young people; establishment of a widely representative “Youth Dialogue Platform” with participants between 18 and 25 years of age for regular consultation with Government and Council of Representatives; and initiate of a “Jobs for Youth” programme that will on a month-by-month basis increase the number of young people provided with a job, training or self-employment opportunity.
“Now it the time to bring civil society and the United Nations together within a coordinated platform to reach consensus on how the future of Iraq should look like through its youth”, SRSG Melkert concluded.
http://www.uniraq.org/newsroom/getarticle.asp?ArticleID=1539
