RUNDU - Deputy youth minister Emma Kantema-Gaomas says stakeholder engagement should generate ideas and stimulate efforts to improve strategies to be embedded into the development plans. She said such includes the induction of the National Youth Policy implementation technical committee, especially considering the fact that Namibia is in the process of crafting the NDP6.

Kantema-Gaomas made the remarks on Tuesday during the official opening of the weeklong induction workshop of the National Youth Policy implementation technical committee in Rundu.

The third version of the National Youth Policy (NYPIII) was launched on 21 July last year, under the theme, ‘Mainstreaming Youth Development into the National Agenda’.

“Though the launch was held at a very sombre time where we were going through a tough wave of the global Covid-19 pandemic, it happened and we are now ready to accelerate the implementation of the National Youth Policy,’’ she said.

The workshop aims to assist stakeholders to understand their specific role in the implementation of the policy, establish the common understanding of the terms of reference for the national technical committee in the context of policy implementation.

It also deliberate on the framework for mainstreaming youth development in the plans of various offices, ministries and agencies, including monitoring and evaluation with specific reference to the implementation action plan.

“The NYPIII provides for a process of deciding what should be achieved and how to achieve these actions efficiently and economically, as well as apportion responsibilities. As such, the policy makes provision for a technical committee to be established comprising of key institutions as identified, to spearhead the implementation of the policy as well as reporting on the progress made,’’ she said.

“The policy also apportions a responsibility to the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service to coordinate the establishment of this technical committee and implementation of the policy, while the National Youth Council is the implementing arm of the NYPIII, since it is the umbrella body of all affiliated youth organisations in Namibia,” Kantema-Gaomas noted.

United Nations (UN) resident coordinator Sen Pang, during the opening, said the organisation is always delighted to engage with the youth ministry and stakeholders in their efforts to contribute to youth development in the country.

“Today marks yet another milestone in the implementation of the youth policy that we jointly launched during 2021. The UN has long recognised that young people are a major human resource for development and key agents for social change, economic growth and technological innovation. Participation in decision making is therefore a key priority area of the UN agenda on youth,’’ Pang noted.

jmuyamba@nepc.com.na