THE IGAD YOUTH POLICY |

2022

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THE IGAD YOUTH POLICY |2022

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PREFACE

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 FORWARD BY IGAD EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, DR WORKNEH GEBEYEHU

The IGAD Youth Policy (2022) is another first of its kind in the growing
list of impactful IGAD policy documents to have ever been generated
wholly through a participatory, user-centric policy formulation
processes. It is the hallmark of a number of silo-type previous attempts,
efforts and strategies that have been explored and piloted at Member
States, Regional and Continental levels.

The IGAD Youth Policy is a product of a very long and highly

productive stakeholders’ consultative and participatory processes that
dates back to November 2018 when IGAD convened the Regional Youth
Leaders Consultative Meeting on Meaningful Youth Engagement in the
Horn of Africa at the Norfolk Hotel, Nairobi – Kenya. The meeting led
to the infamous “Norfolk Declaration, 2018” that called upon IGAD
Member States to initiate, among other measures, a regional youth network, and to brainstorm on the critical
subject of “Meaningful Youth Engagement” with IGAD.

On the 15th day of November 2021, IGAD hosted a follow-on Regional Consultative Forum on IGAD Youth
Policy in Djibouti. During this meeting, attended by among other, the IGAD Executive Secretary, Dr
Workneh Gebeyehu; MMe Fathia Alwan, the Director of Health and Social Development Division of IGAD;
Mr. David Momanyi, the Executive Director of the Horn of Africa Youth Network (HoAYN); Dr Kijala
Shako, Director of Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media (ACCM) East and Southern Africa
Region at the Save the Children International, it was resolved that the IGAD Youth Policy development
process be hastened, its adoption and implementation be prioritized by the IGAD Secretariat and it
implementation be conducted in a manner that ensure complementarity with other existing and similar efforts
at the member states, regional and international levels.

IGAD further guided the policy drafting by ensuring its full participation in each and every step. This was to
enliven synergy and convergence in the implementation and realization of the goals of the Djibouti
Declaration on Education; the Kampala Declaration on Livelihoods, Jobs and Sustainability; and the New
Djibouti Declaration on Labor and Employment.

The 15th November 2021 Consultative Forum was thus deliberately christened, The Regional Consultative
Forum on the IGAD Youth Policy” since it is in this Forum that the roadmap to IGAD Youth Policy was
conceptualized and strategized. The Forum underscored the importance of the key priority areas identified in
the Youth Policy, alluding that such priorities will have fundamental contributions to the attainment of the UN
SDGs, the AU Agenda 2063 and the IGAD Five-Year Strategy (2021 – 2025).

In December, 5 – 7, 2022, IGAD Peace and Security Division held a 3-day capacity building training
workshop for the Council of IGAD Youth Peace Forum. During this workshop, attended by youth drawn from
IGAD Member States and representing their respective National Union Assemblies, National Youth Councils
(or their equivalents), Unions, Youth Serving Entities and Ministries responsible for Youth Affairs, the
participants resolved to among other strategies, give youth in the Region platforms and opportunities to
express their ideas, opinions and needs to policy and decision-makers, and to mobilize the youth community

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for peace and security at the national and regional levels, and to create a policy, legal, institutional and
program level interventions necessary creating opportunities for the youth of the region to be meaningfully
engaged at and within all IGAD Structures and so to play their pivotal roles in regional peacebuilding, socio-
economic development and ensure mainstreaming of youth-centered development planning, programming and
resource mobilization and allocation at the regional level.

Validation of the IGAD Youth Policy became a central activity at all stages of the policy formulation and
development, bringing together key stakeholders in round table consultative forums and policy validation
workshops. These were intended to ensure that stakeholder feedbacks are imbued into the final policy
document and that ownership was widely spread. In December, 2022, a final policy validation workshop was
conducted at the Tamarind Tree Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. During this workshop, participants added more
value and quality into the Draft Policy that originated from the Djibouti Validation Workshop in December
2021. This led to further crystallization and synchronization of the IGAD Youth Policy by a team of Experts
led by Mr. Richard Ochieng Bonyo, PhD Candidate in Project Planning and Management (Project Planning,
Design and Implementation Specialty) at the University of Nairobi, Kenya assisted by Mr. Desmond Ouma
Ogalo, PhD Candidate in Public Health (Health Management Information Systems) at the Technical
University of Kenya.

It is, however, noteworthy that the successful implementation of the IGAD Youth Policy shall be to a large
extent dependent on the goodwill and material support by the member states and IGAD’s Primary and new
Development Partners and Donor Agencies. To achieve the core purpose of the policy, all policy
implementation actors are challenged to ensure that all their actions and programs are oriented towards
promoting and sustaining meaningful youth engagement at all levels of governance including youth
participation in development planning and implementation, peace building and security, environment
conservation and climate change mitigation, research and development, technology and innovation, sports and
culture among other thematic development planning areas identified in this Policy.

The IGAD Youth Policy, in its spirit and letters, is a resounding testimony of IGAD’s commitment

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The conceptualization and development of the IGAD Youth Policy (2022) are credited to a series of
concerted efforts, dedication and teamwork at the IGAD Secretariat and the Horn of Africa Youth
Network (HoAYN).

IGAD Secretariat would not have been able to accomplish this task without the technical and
professional commitment and support from Member States who provided the strategic direction,
time for consultation and review, and validation of the draft policy.

The role of representatives of the National Youth Councils (NYCs) and Youth CSOs from the IGAD
Member States was quite invaluable and timely.

The goodwill and technical support obtained from the Regional Council of Ministers in charge of
Youth Affairs was quite vital and formed the basis for this policy. In the same breadth, it is
noteworthy to mention Technical Youth Experts from the Ministries responsible for Youth Affairs
and Foreign Affairs whose technical backstopping and support services ensured that the policy
remained true to the policies and development trends within the IGAD Member States.

Much appreciation goes to the IGAD staff at the Secretariat and Specialized Offices under the
leadership of the Executive Secretary H.E Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, Ms Fathia Alwan (Director of
Social Development Division) and Dr Kebede Kasa Tsegaya, PhD (Coordinator of Education
Programme) for providing insights and technical leadership on the content of the Thirteen Policy
Priority Areas described in this Policy.

We likewise recognize and appreciate the enormous support from IGAD Development Partners,
particularly the Save the Children International Regional Programming Unit East and Southern
Africa for the financial and technical assistance support towards the preparation and validation of
this Policy.

Lastly, we most sincerely thank Mr Richard Ochieng Bonyo, PhD Cand. University of Nairobi
(Former Policy and Resource Mobilization Advisor, Executive Office of the Governor, County
Government of Homa Bay, Kenya) and Mr Desmond O. Boi, PhD Cand. Technical University of
Kenya (Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant, Institute of Applied Studies and Research,
Nairobi – Kenya) who led and guided the research, development and production of this Policy.

………………………………………..
Mr. David Momanyi,
Executive Director,
Horn of Africa Youth Network

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 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS USED IN THE POLICY
Terminology Operational definition

Agro-enterprise This means those small businesses operated by IGAD’s innovation, creative
and industrious young women and men, particularly those engaged in
primary production of agricultural produce, value addition, ranching and
feed-lotting, aquaculture, apiculture, floriculture, silviculture and all other
forms of farming and agricultural-related industries and small- and micro-
enterprises
Blue Economy Refers to the profitable and sustainable use of ocean and other large water
body resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and job creation
while preserving the health and general well-being of their ecosystem. The
term also refers to an economy that comprises a range of economic sectors
and related policies that together determine whether the use of ocean
resources is sustainable (UN, 2022)
Creative The Creative Economy is an analytical category that encompasses a very
Economy diverse array of sectors. It includes heritage and cultural products, such as
handicrafts, and it incorporates the software designers that fashion the digital
economy and influence the future of the whole of society (Dubina and
Campbell, 2019)
Creative The UNCTAD’s definition of the Creative Industry is adopted in this policy
Industries document. According to UNCTAD, Creative Industry or Economy implies
creative goods and services including intellectual property, ideas, and
imaginations – in areas such as arts and crafts, advertising, architecture,
fashion and design, film and other audio-visual products, photography,
music, performing arts, publishing, research and development, software,
computer games including computer graphics, electronic publishing and
TV/Radio broadcast series.
Culture Refers to a set of distinctive spirituals, material, intellectual and emotional
features of a society or group of societies and that it encompasses art and
literature, music, creative arts, lifestyles, ways of living together, value
systems, language, worship and belief system, traditions and beliefs.
Decent Work The ILO definition of decent work is adopted by this policy. Decent work
refers to productive work for young women and men in conditions of
freedom, equity, security, respect for fundamental human rights and human
dignity and the work should pay a fair remuneration and benefits to the
employee or worker including all relevant and applicable statutory benefits.
Development These include UN agencies, bilateral and multi-lateral organizations,
Partners philanthropic foundations, international partnerships, international and
regional financing institutions, and other international organizations.

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Diaspora Refers to the movement, migration or scattering of a people, and about this
policy, the youth away from an established or ancestral homeland to new
areas or foreign lands that is not their original homes.
Diaspora Refers to money sent, normally in foreign currencies, by a person in the
Remittance diaspora to his or her home country
Digital Economy Refers to the scientific and technical use or application of information
communication technology to create or adapt, market or consume goods and
services and include among other functionalities; digital banking,
telemedicine, e-commerce, virtual education, mobile technology and
smartphone apps, virtual meetings apps, telemarketing biotechnology
artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), Digital Supply Networks,
Hyperconnectivity Social Media Networks, and all related and connected
purposes.
Economic Refers to the unification of economic policies between and within different
Integration member states of IGAD through the reduction or elimination of tariff and
non-tariff barriers to trade, especially those that limit young women and
men’s participation in regional trade and commerce.
Equity Refers to the principle of fairness, which implies making sure that personal
and social circumstances of the young women and men, for instance, gender,
socio-economic status, ethnicity, religion, and geo-political orientations are
not a barrier to accessing any service or opportunities intended the youth
population or a barrier to achieving youth’s full potential in social, political,
cultural and environmental spheres.
Forced Refers to an involuntary or coerced movement of a person (s) away from
Displacement their home or home region either to IDP Camps or Refugee Camps or to
unknown destinations (dispersion)
Gender The AU GEWE definition of Gender is adopted by this policy. Gender refers
to the social attributes and opportunities associated with being male or
female, and the relationships between women and men and girls and boys, as
well as relationships between women and between men.
Gender-Based GBV refers to all forms of violence – physical, sexual, psychological, and
Violence (GBV) economic violence, as well as the various forms of harmful traditional
practices widely practiced in countries within the IGAD region
Gender Equality The UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women’s
definition of gender equality is adopted by this Policy. Gender equality as
used in this policy implies that women and men, girls and boys, enjoy the
same rights, resources, opportunities and protection.
Gender Equity Gender equity is defined in this policy, therefore, as a process of being fair to
both men and women and to ensure fairness, strategies and measures must
often be available to compensate for women’s historical and social
disadvantages that prevent women and men from otherwise operating on a

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 level playing field.
Green Economy Refers to sustainable development investments those results in improved
human well-being and social equity while significantly reducing
environmental risks and ecological scarcities (UNEP, 2011a). In other
words, it refers to mainstreaming the environment into all socio-economic
development undertakings, poverty reduction and sustainable development.
Inclusion Is the process of improving the terms for at-risk or disadvantaged
individuals’ or groups’ participation in society through enhancing their
abilities and capabilities, creating and availing opportunities for socio-
economic development and empowerment, increasing access to resources
(goods, services and other enabling factors of production), upscaling their
voice and ensuring respect for rights for the full participation in economic,
social, political and cultural life and to enjoy high-quality of life that is
considered normal in the societies in which they live and function.
Inclusive Refers to a process that helps to overcome barriers limiting the presence,
participation and achievement of the youth in processes and activities that
have a direct and or indirect impact on them. The goal of inclusion of the
youth in IGAD processes is defined as a process intended to achieve and
sustain full participation and active engagement of the youth in all IGAD
processes.
Internal The United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement definition
Displaced of IDP is adopted in this Policy. IDP, therefore, refers to the person (s) who
Persons (IDP) have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes and or home areas
or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid
the effects of armed conflicts, situations of generalized violence, violations
of human rights or natural or human-made disasters and catastrophes, and
who have not crossed an internationally recognized state border.
Meaningful The term “Meaningful Engagement of Youth” refers to “an inclusive,
Youth intentional, mutually respectful partnership between the adolescents, youth
Engagement and young adults whereby power is shared, the respective contribution is
valued, and young people’s ideas, innovations, perspectives, skills, expertise
and unique strengths are integrated into the design and delivery of policies,
laws, programs, strategies, funding mechanisms and organizations at
national, regional, continental and global levels”.
Migrant Is any person who is moving or has moved across an international border or
within a state away from his or her habitual (acquired or ancestral) residence,
regardless of (1) the person’s legal status, (2) whether the movement is
voluntary or involuntary, (3) what the causes of the movement are; or (4)
what the length of stay is.
Private Sector This includes local and international pharmaceutical, med ships, and groups
Health Service involved in innovative financing for social impact, charitable foundations of

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Providers companies or individuals, the private health service providers in medical
practices, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, the private health science
educational institutions as well as the industrial/business coalitions,
chambers of commerce, among others.
Quality Quality is a dynamic concept that changes and evolves with time, as well as
the social, economic, and environmental context. Even though there is no
universally accepted definition of the term “Quality”, the IGAD Youth
Policy defines the term in two contexts: (i) Effectiveness of the Meaningful
Youth Engagement Strategies and Processes; (ii) Ability of the Meaningful
Youth Engagement Strategies and Processes to achieve their intended and
desired purposes and outcome.
Regional The concept of regional integration in this policy is used to imply specific
Integration and strategic efforts to be undertaken by IGAD and its Member States
towards the building, nurturing and developing policy, legal, institutional,
programming and budgetary structures and instruments intended to
effectively domesticate implement, monitor, evaluate, research on and learn
from this policy.
Technopreneurs Refers to individuals or groups of youth who set up and operate businesses
or consultancy services related to information and communication
technologies including research and development of ICT Software and
hardware products.
Women The definition by the Office of the Special Advisor on Gender Issues and the
Empowerment Advancement of Women at the United Nations is adopted. According to the
UN (2001), Women Empowerment is concerned with strategic and legally
backed actions and programs that enable women to gain power and control
over their own lives and that it involves strategic and purposive investment
in awareness-raising, building self-confidence and esteem, expansion of
choices and opportunities, increasing access to and control over resources
and actions to transform the structures and institutions which reinforce and
perpetuate gender discrimination and inequality.
Youth Civil These include national and international NGOs, officially recognized Faith
Society Based Organizations (FBOs), CBOs, youth-led and youth-serving trade
Organizations unions, youth-led and youth-focused professional and artisan associations,
cultural and traditional institutions as well as auxiliary entities such as the
National Societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, media
organizations among others.
Youth Youth participation is the active and structured engagement of young people
Participation throughout their own communities, and in the context of the policy, across
the IGAD Region.

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 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

AfCFTA Africa Free Trade Area

AfDB African Development Bank
AGA Africa Governance Architecture
AML Anti-Money Laundering
APAYE Africa Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment
AU Africa Union
AU PSC African Union Peace and Security Council
AUC Africa Union Commission
AYC Africa Youth Charter (2016)
CFT Countering Financing of Terrorism
CNERP Costed National Education Response Plan
COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
COVID-19 Corona Virus Disease 2019
CPAs Ceasefires and Peace Agreements
CPMR Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution
CRRF Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework
CRRF UN Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework
CSOs Civil Society Organizations
DDR Disarmament-Demobilization-Reintegration
DESA Department of Economic and Social Affairs
DFID Department for International Development
DRDIP Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project
EAC East Africa Community
ECA Economic Commission for Africa
ECCAs Economic Community of Central Africa States
ECOWAS Economic Community of West Africa
ECPF Empowerment is among the priority areas in Conflict Prevention Framework
EHoA East and Horn of Africa
EPZ Export Processing Zone
ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific
ESCWA Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
FAO Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations
FCAs Fragile and Conflict Affected States
GBV Gender Based Violence
HESPI the Horn Economic and Social Policy Institute
HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
HoA Horn of Africa
HoAYN Horn of Africa Youth Network
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ICT Information and Communication Technology
IDEA Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
IGAD FTA Inter-Governmental Authority for Development Free Trade Area
IGAD MSs Inter-Governmental Authority for Development Member States
IGAD Inter-Governmental Authority on Development
IGADD Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development
ILO International Labor Organization
JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency
MDAs Ministries, Departments and Agencies
MDGs Millennium Development Goals
MHPSS Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
MMM Migration Management Mechanism
MoCYS Ministry of Culture, Youths and Sports in Southern Sudan
MoYSC Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture
MPFA Migration Policy Framework for Africa (2018-2030)
NAPs National Action Plans
NCMs National Coordination Mechanisms
NEPAD New Partnership for Africa Development
NMPFs National Migration Policy Framework
NYAP National Youth Action Plan
NYC National Youth Council
NYP National Youth Policy
REC Regional Economic Community
RECs/RMs Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms
RMMS Regional Migration Coordination Committee
RMPF Regional Migration Policy Framework
SALW Small Arms Light Weapons
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals
SEZs Special Economic Zones
SRH Sexual and Reproductive Health
SSA Sub-Saharan Africa
SSR Security Sector Reforms
STC Specialized Technical Committee
STI Science Technology and Innovation
TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training
UN United Nations
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UNECA United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNMGCY United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth

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UNSCRs United Nations Security Council Resolutions
USAID United States Agency for International Development
WB World Bank
WHO World Health Organization
Y4P Youth for Peace Africa Program
YCS Youth Culture and Sports

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE iii
FORWARD iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENT v
DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS USED IN THE POLICY vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS x
TABLE OF CONTENTS xiii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xvii
CHAPTER ONE: 1
INTRODUCTION 1
1.0. Chapter Overview 1
1.1. Background Statement 1
1.2. Situational Analysis of Youth and Youth Challenges in the IGAD Region 2
1.2.1. Youth Population Growth and Demographic Dividends for the IGAD Region 3
1.3. Profile of the population of the IGAD Region 3
1.3.1. Prioritized Challenges and Issues Affecting the Youth in the IGAD Region 4
1.3.1.1. Food Insecurity 5
1.3.1.2. Negative Effects of Climate Change 6
1.3.1.3. Poverty 7
1.3.1.4. Policy Coherence with other Continental and Regional Policies and Legal Frameworks 8
1.3.1.5. High Population Growth and Unemployment Rates in the IGAD region 9
1.3.1.6. Weak Economic Activities and Low Levels of Industrialization and Trade 10
1.3.1.7. Regional Insecurity & Peace Agenda 10
1.3.1.8. Gender Inequalities 11
1.4. Previous Attempts to Mainstream Youth Agenda into the Global and Continental Development Frameworks 12
1.5. National Policy, Legal and Institutional Frameworks 12
1.6. IGAD Youth Policy Rationale and Justification 3
1.7. Roadmap to Developing the IGAD Youth Policy 4
1.8. Theories and Concepts Underpinning Policy Development 5
1.8.1. Categories of Youth in Society 5
1.8.2. Definition of the term, “Youth” 1
1.9. Scope of the Policy: Youth Populations upon Which the Policy is Applicable 1
CHAPTER TWO: 2
POLICIES, LAWS, PROGRAMS AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
AND EMPOWERMENT IN AFRICA 2

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2.0. Historical Development of Youth Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional Frameworks in Africa 2
2.1. The United Nations Youth-Focused Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional Frameworks 2
2.2. African Union (AU) Youth-Focused Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional Frameworks 3
2.3. NEPAD Youth-Focused Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional Frameworks 4
2.4. IGAD Youth-Focused Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional Frameworks 5
CHAPTER THREE: 6
THE IGAD YOUTH POLICY FRAMEWORK AND MEANINGFUL YOUTH ENGAGEMENT PILLARS 6
3.0. Chapter Introduction 6
3.1. The IGAD Youth Policy Framework 6
3.1.1. Motto 7
3.1.2. Vision Statement 7
3.1.3. Mission Statement 7
3.1.4. Policy Objectives 7
3.1.5. Core Values and Principles 7
3.2. Meaningful Youth Engagement 9
3.2.1. Operational Definition of the term, “Meaningful Youth Engagement” 9
3.2.2. Policy Implications for Meaningful Youth Engagement 10
3.2.3. Pillars of Meaningful Youth Engagement 10
3.3. Strategies for Meaningful Youth Engagement with IGAD and within IGAD Processes 13
CHAPTER FOUR: 16
PRIORITIZED YOUTH ISSUES, STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND ACTION PLANS 16
4.0. Chapter Introduction 16
4.1. Priority No. 1: Legal, Institutional and Programming Framework for Meaningful Youth Engagement in the
IGAD Region 16
4.2. Priority Area No. 2: Youth Peace and Security in the IGAD Region 19
4.3. Priority Area No. 3: Youth, Environment and Climate Change 22
4.4. Priority Area No. 4: Youth Migration and Forced Displacement 25
4.5. Priority Area No. 5: Youth Education and Skills Development 30
4.6. Priority Area No. 6: Youth in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) 31
4.7. Priority Area No. 7: Youth and Agriculture 35
4.8. Priority Area No. 8: Youth, Sustainable Livelihoods and Co-Generation of Decent Work 38
4.9. Priority Area No. 9: Youth and Regional Economic Integration 43
4.10. Priority Area No. 10: Youth and Health 47
4.11. Priority Area No. 11: Youth, Gender Equity and Inclusion 50
4.12. Priority Area No. 12: Youth Culture, Sports, and Creative Industries 53
4.13. Priority Area No. 13: Youth in the Diaspora 56
CHAPTER FIVE: 59
THE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 59

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5.1. Chapter Introduction 59
5.2. The IGAD Summit of Heads of State and Government 59
5.3. IGAD Council of Ministers 60
5.4. The Committee of Ambassadors 61
5.5. The IGAD Secretariat 61
5.6. The IGAD Executive Secretary 62
5.7. IGAD Sectoral Council on Gender, Children, Youth, Social Protection and Community Development 63
5.8. IGAD Youth Advisory Board 63
5.8.1. Functions of the Board 63
5.8.2. Composition of the IGAD Youth Advisory Board 64
CHAPTER SIX: 65
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN 65
6.1. Chapter Introduction 65
6.2. IGAD Youth Policy Implementation and Coordination Mechanism 65
6.3. Policy Institutional Framework and Meaningful Youth Engagement Strategy 66
6.4. Policy Domestication Mechanism and Roles of Member States 67
6.5. IGAD Youth Policy Dissemination and Popularization Strategies 68
CHAPTER SEVEN: 69
MONITORING, EVALUATION, RESEARCH, LEARNING (MEARL) AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
69
7.1. Introduction 69
7.2. Theories Underpinning Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Knowledge Management 69
7.2.1. Theory of Change 69
7.2.2. Systems Theory 70
7.2.3. Institutional Theory 71
7.2.4. Incremental Theory 71
7.2.5. Rational-Choice Theory 71
7.2.6. Programme Evaluation Theory 72
CHAPTER EIGHT: 73
SIGNING, RATIFICATION, ENACTMENT AND COMING INTO FORCE OF THE IGAD YOUTH POLICY
AND OTHER TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS 73
8.1. Policy Signing, Ratification, Enactment and Enforcement Procedures 73
8.2. Harmonization of Regional Policies, Legislation and Institutional Framework 73

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 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The IGAD Youth Policy is one such an important sectoral policy paper and a regional youth
development and empowerment framework that is carefully engineered to support the past and
present attempts by IGAD and its Member States with regards to designing and implementing
effective and meaningful youth engagement strategies within a Regional Context, without
prejudicing actions and programs at Member State’s level. The aim is to streamline the contribution
of the youth in addressing challenges that are quite pertinent to them as well as Governments of each
IGAD member States. Through this policy, it is visible that the youth in the Region will immensely
contribute to the achievement of the mandates, vision, mission, strategic objectives and development
frame of the IGAD Region.

The Policy is a progeny of the IGAD Strategy 2021 – 2025 that acknowledges that youth play a
critical role in regional peace and security, enterprise development, research and innovation, as well
as other critical sectors that drives regional integration and economic development and prosperity.

IGAD takes note of the fact that the region is predominantly youthful with over 60 percent of its
population under the age of 25. It is also noted that the challenge of youth unemployment remains
very high across the Region, making the youth susceptible to extremism, radicalization, and
eventually become either perpetrators or victims of violent conflicts. This scenario indicates the fast-
changing trend in the political and economic importance of meaningful youth inclusion and
engagement in all aspects of society including politics and governance.

Although the youth bulge in the Region and its subsequent demographic age structure provides a
good opportunity for economic growth, the harnessing of youth demographic dividend requires
adequate, structured and tailored meaningful youth engagement structures supported by a robust
policy, legal, and institutional frameworks as well as appropriate stakeholders’ engagement
approaches that promotes partnerships and collaborations at different levels of policy interventions.
The present IGAD Youth Policy is intended to create strong and purposeful multi-sectoral and multi-
partner collaboration framework for sustainable youth development in the IGAD Region. It adopts
an all-inclusive systems’ approach that guarantees meaningful youth participation in all IGAD
Structures and also within the respective Member States’ organs of governance and public
administration for development facilitation.

Development of the IGAD Youth Policy takes cognizance of the existing policies, legislations and
institutional frameworks at the Member States, Regional and International Levels and ensures that
best practices in promoting meaningful youth engagement are adapted and emboldened in the IGAD
Youth Policy while addressing critical gaps that impedes meaningful youth engagement through
proposed policy implementation structures and actions to be taken by different actors and
stakeholders at different levels. Roles of the IGAD Secretariat, IGAD Member States, Youth, Youth-

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Led and Youth-Serving Organizations as well as Development Partners/Donor Agencies are
specified and elaborated.

When fully implemented, the IGAD Youth Policy shall address some of the age-long challenges
affecting youth in the Region. These challenges, as elaborated in Chapter Four of the Policy, include
but not limited to: (i) Food Insecurity, (ii) Negative Effects of Climate Change; (iii) High population
growth and unemployment rates; (iv) Weak economic activities and low levels of industrialization
and trade between and among Member States; (v) Regional Insecurity and Peace Agenda; and (vi)
Gender Inequality.

To address the identified and prioritized youth challenges in the Region, the Policy has singled out
thirteen (13) thematic priority areas within which youth development planning and funding shall
target. These are: (i) Legal, Institutional and Programming Framework for Meaningful Youth
Engagement in the IGAD Region; (ii) Youth Peace and Security; (iii) Youth Environment and
Climate Change; (iv) Youth Migration and Forced Displacement; (v) Youth Education and Skills
Development; (vi) Youth Science, Technology and Innovation (STI); (vii) Youth and Agriculture;
(viii) Youth, Sustainable Livelihoods and Co-generation of decent work; (ix) Youth and Regional
Economic Integration; (x) Youth and Health; (xi) Youth, Gender Equity and Inclusion; (xii) Youth,
Culture, Sports and Creative Industries; and (xiii) Youth in the Diaspora.

The policy is organized into eight (8) chapters with chapter one presenting a detailed introduction to
the Policy; chapter two discusses the policies, laws, programs and institutional framework for
youth development and empowerment in Africa, with specific focus on the IGAD Region; chapter
three presents the IGAD Youth Policy Framework and its implications on the quest for Meaningful
Youth Engagement by highlighting core pillars for meaningful youth engagement; chapter four
identifies and lists the prioritized youth issues to be tackled by the policy and therefore states the
strategic objectives and proposed action plans against each stipulate issue; chapter five is an
extension of chapter four and a precursor to chapter six as it focuses on Policy implementation
institutional framework with chapter six elaborating on the policy implementation matrix and
performance monitoring plan. Chapter seven is a critical chapter that focus on monitoring,
evaluation, research, learning (MEARL) and knowledge management while chapter eight gives the
road map to the signing, ratification, enactment, coming into force of the IGAD Youth Policy and
other transitional provision.

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 CHAPTER ONE:

INTRODUCTION

1.0. Chapter Overview

The chapter highlights the policy background including the situational analysis of the youth and
their challenges in the IGAD Region. The chapter also presents historical attempts to mainstream
the youth agenda into the global and continental development frameworks and further illustrates
how these previous attempts informed the need for an official IGAD Youth Policy through the
Policy rationale and justification. Basic theories and concepts applied in the policy are explained
to enhance clarity and focus of the policy as is applicable the youth in the IGAD Region. Chapter
1 also discusses the scope of the policy, that is, the youth populations upon which the policy is
applicable and admissible. Chapter conclusion is presented at the end of section.

1.1. Background Statement

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was created in 1996 as a successor of

the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD) that was founded earlier
in 1986 to particularly deal with issues of drought and desertification in the Horn of Africa.

Following the ravaging impacts of drought, widespread famine, ecological degradation and
adverse economic hardships in the Horn of Africa (HoA) Region, six countries in the HoA Region
that is Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda took the lead action between 1983
and 1984 through the United Nations (UN) to establish an intergovernmental body for the
development and drought control in their Region. The State of Eritrea became the seventh
member after attaining its independence in 1993 in 2011, the State of South Sudan joined IGAD.

On 21 March 1996 in Nairobi, the Assembly of Heads of States and Government signed the
“Letter of Instrument to Amend the IGADD Charter”, thereby establishing a revitalized IGADD
with a new name and broadened mandate. IGADD was transformed into, “Intergovernmental
Authority on Development (IGAD). IGAD’s new expanded areas of focus as stipulated in Article
7 of the Agreement Establishing IGAD, enlists the objectives of IGAD as follows1:

❖ Promote joint development strategies and gradually
harmonize macro-economic policies and programs in
the social, technological and scientific fields;
❖ Harmonize policies concerning trade, customs,
transport, communications, agriculture, natural
resources and environment, and promote free
movement of goods, services, and people within the
Region.
❖ Create an enabling environment for foreign, cross-
border and domestic trade and investment;
❖ Initiate and promote programs and projects to achieve
regional food security and sustainable development of
natural resources and environmental protection, and
encourage and assist efforts of Member States to
collectively combat drought and other natural and
man-made disasters and their consequences;

1
https://igad.int/about/?tab=aims-and-objectives

1|Page
❖ Develop and improve a coordinated and
complementary infrastructure, in the areas of
transport, telecommunications and energy in the
Region;
❖ Promote peace and stability in the Region and create
mechanisms within the Region for the prevention,
management and resolution of inter-State and intra-
State conflicts through dialogue;
❖ Mobilize resources for the implementation of
emergency, short-term, medium-term and long-term
programs within the framework of regional
cooperation;
❖ Facilitate, promote and strengthen cooperation in
research development and application in science and
technology.
❖ Provide capacity building and training at Regional and
national levels; and
❖ Generate and disseminate development information in
the Region

The IGAD Region stretches over an area of 5.2 million Km2 and comprises all IGAD Member
States that include Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.

The IGAD Region has a population of over 230 million people characterized by high natural
population growth rates with an average population density of approximately 30 persons per Km 2.
However, there exist significant variations in the population density between the IGAD Countries
ranging from 14.5 persons per Km2 in Somalia to above 95 persons per Km 2 in Uganda. The
population density variations are even much more pronounced between different ecological zones.

Rapid urbanization has recently been witnessed across IGAD Region, occasioning rural-to-urban
migration, especially among young persons aged between 15 and 35. The most populated cities
are Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Khartoum each with populations above three million. The challenge
of urbanization and consequently migration possess a great threat to Regional stability especially
where the Region’s main economic backdrop is agriculture (crop production, livestock husbandry,
and aquaculture/fishing). The bulging population in the Region relies heavily on its primary
farming activities for food and nutrition, export earnings, and as a source of employment for over
80% of the IGAD Regional Population.

The founding of IGAD was guided by an experiential and Region-centric vision in which the
founding member states that people in the IGAD Region would develop a regional identity, live in
peace and harmony and enjoy a safe environment where poverty is alleviated through appropriate
and effective sustainable development programs. Consequently, the IGAD is expected to be the
premier Regional Economic Community (REC), that is, a vehicle for achieving sustainable
development and prosperity in the Region through the achievement of regional peace, security and
integration.

Successful realization of the IGAD mandate, however, is a function of the extent to which all its
critical stakeholders are rallied behind the IGAD Vision and Mission Statement. In the past, the
critical mass of this stakeholder, the youth, have not been able to be “Meaningfully Engaged” with
and within IGAD Structure.

As noted in the First High-Level Ministerial Conference on the Role of RECs, Regional
Mechanisms (RMs) and Governments in promoting the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda in East

2|Page
and HoA Regions (2021), the African Union (AU) delegate observed that there has been a shift in
the AU with recognition on the role of youth in building sustainable peace and security in the
continent citing various policy and program frameworks that have been established to promote
and strengthen youth role in the area of peace and security. Chief among the strategies already put
in place by the AU include the AU Youth Peace Ambassadors and the Continental Youth
Framework. Despite the excellent involvement of youth in the development of the AU’s
Continental Youth Framework, the delegate decried low levels of awareness and utilization of this
policy document by youth in Africa and challenged other delegates to step up awareness and
uptake of these instruments by other youth at various levels.

From the above analogy, the role of the youth in addressing issues common to them in the IGAD
Region came into very sharp perspective and traces of previous attempts to mainstream youth
issues at the National, Regional, Continental and Global levels are now a necessity area of focus
for sustainable development planners and Regional peace and security advocates in the IGAD
Region.

The visible weak point towards successful mainstreaming of Youth Agenda into National,
Regional, Continental and Global Policies, Laws, Programs, Budgets and Resource Allocation
Basket is now a priority, a vacuum that the IGAD Youth Policy and Action Plan now addresses.

1.2. Situational Analysis of Youth and Youth Challenges in the IGAD Region

In the year 2016, just two years before the Horn of Africa Youth Network (HoAYN) started the
process of developing an IGAD Regional Youth Policy and Action Plan, the Economic
Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA),
and with the support of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), begun
implementation of a project on “strengthening the capacity of Governments in the ESCAP, ECA
and ESCWA Regions to respond to the needs of youth in formulating inclusive and sustainable
development policies”.

The aims of the project are to deepen policymakers’ understanding of the challenges faced by
youth in their Region, and to provide them with examples of best practices in order to enhance
their capacity to develop effective and innovative youth policies to address the regional youth
challenges common to youth within specific RECs. The project also seeks to encourage the active
engagement of young people in the processes of formulating and implementing such policies in
order that development can be inclusive, youth-sensitive, and sustainable while dynamically being
responsive to emerging challenges and phenomena such as climate change, COVID-19 and related
pandemics and emergence of the digital age.

In this section, the Policy looks into the youth population dynamics in the IGAD Region and
prioritized challenges and issues affecting the Youth within the IGAD Region.

3|Page
1.2.1. Youth Population Growth and Demographic Dividends for the IGAD Region
In 2016, AU Member States agreed to dedicate the year 2017 to the youth of Africa under the
theme “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through investments in Youth”. This decision
reinforced the commitment of AU Member States to Aspiration 6 of the AU, “An Africa where
development is people-driven, unleashing the potential of its women and youth” of the AU
Agenda 2063 with emphasis on the aspiration that young Africans are meaningfully engaged and
empowered for the best interest of the continent and all its RECs, including IGAD.

With the mandate from the heads of State and Governments, the African Union Commission
(AUC) and other partners developed a roadmap that will guide the implementation of the
continental initiative through programs, activities, establish key milestones and concrete actions
including establishment of Regional Youth Policies and Programs capable of aiding Africa to
immensely benefit from Demographic Dividends caused by a bulge in Youth Population in
Africa.

Bearing in mind that Africa has the youngest population, and the youth population is estimated to
grow exponentially into the next millennium, the youth demography presents to the African
continent a huge dividend to be harnessed for socio-economic transformation and regional
development aspirations.

As a result, the roadmap was built on 4 thematic pillars: Pillar 1: Employment and
Entrepreneurship, Pillar 2: Education and Skills Development, Pillar 3: Health and Wellbeing, and
Pillar 4: Rights, Governance and Youth Empowerment. These pillars were developed with
accompanying actions and deliverables to assess implementation and progress.

1.3. Profile of the population of the IGAD Region

Africa is a youthful continent as it has the largest proportion of young people, with the region
currently experiencing a youth bulge. Africa’s population has nearly trebled from its estimated
478 million in 1980 to the 2015 estimate of close to 1.2 billion, among whom 35% are aged 15-35
years, and is projected to increase to 1.5 billion by 2025 and 2.4 billion by 20502.

The IGAD region exudes these traits with the youth population dynamics in the region showing
that about 55% of the estimated 300 million people in the area are in the youth age bracket 3. This
proportion is projected to rise in the near future, with the observation that more than 1.4 billion of
the 2.45 billion (57%) people estimated to be added to the global population between 2017 and
2055 will be added in Africa6. Just like the case of the whole of Africa, the population proportion
within the age of 15 – 35 years is significantly high, 29%-37%, in six HoA Countries of Ethiopia,
Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Uganda.

2
https://www.afdb.org/en/knowledge/publications/tracking-africa%E2%80%99s-progress-in-figures/human-
development
3
https://igad.int/documents/7-igad-state-of-the-region-v9/file

4|Page
The total population of the IGAD Region in 2010 was 207.5 million (Male =104 million, Female
= 103.5 million). Over the last decade, there has been a steady increase of 53.7 million (Male =
26.6 million, Female = 27.1 million). Consequently, the estimated population by 2019 was 261.2
million (M=130.6 million, F=130.6 million). Although the average annual growth rate between
the years 2010-19 for the IGAD Region stood at 2.3 percent, there are variations in growth rates
between countries4.

The working-age population in the IGAD Region increased from 119.9 million (M=57.0 million,
F= 62.9 million) in 2010 to 155.6 million (M=74.3 million, F=81.3 million) in 2019. There was an
increase of 29.8 percent compared to the year 2010, which can impact the labor market and the
economy5.

The IGAD Region recorded 93.3 million (M= 47.6 million, F=45.7 million) people and 118.6
million (M=60.5 million, F=58.1 million) people in the labor force in 2010 and 2019,
respectively, representing a 27 percent increase. The number of men in the labor force is higher
than the number of women in all the years, although the proportion of women in the working-age
population is higher. The labor force participation rate for the IGAD Region for the year 2019 was
76.2 percent, with men having a higher proportion (81.3%) than women (71.5%). Therefore, there
shall be a need for policies and programs to address such gender disparity6.

The reality that IGAD Region as is the case with other RECs in Africa is a youth population
presents an opportunity to harness and optimize youth potential and ingenuity through regional
integration approaches including the development of regional youth policy and its implementation
action plan. The approach is expected to identify, prioritize and address common challenges
impeding youth prosperity and integration in the IGAD Region while creating enviable platforms
for youth in the IGAD Region and by extension, across Africa to face their challenges united.

A comprehensive Youth Policy and Action Plan as is now presented is an inevitability that
Member States of the IGAD have to embrace and support.

1.3.1. Prioritized Challenges and Issues Affecting the Youth in the IGAD Region
The IGAD State of the Region Report (2020) has identified the mitigating effects of drought and
environmental degradation, boosting agricultural production, maintaining peace and security,
together with facilitating sustainable management of natural resources and protecting the
environment as the major long-term objectives of IGAD since 1986 7. According to the Report, the
high population growth rates in the IGAD Region lead to bulging youthful populations, who
unfortunately are not being harnessed for effective development. Other issues noted in the Report
4
IGAD Migration Reports (2021)
5
ibid
6
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5af581a9ed915d0de537b9f6/East_African_Regional_Analysis_of_Youth_
Demographics.pdf
7
IGAD State of the Region Report, 2020

5|Page
include poverty, climate change, weak economic bases, gender inequalities, and insecurity – all
which contribute to the socio-economic and political challenges that the region faces. In addition,
limited access to financial services and low public funding of youth-centric interventions and
programs, factors that exist in all the Member State economies, and which require proactive
legislation to turn around. Indeed, dependence on donor project-based development funding
cannot be sustainable.

In particular, the following issues are prioritized by the IGAD as requiring strategic and
sustainable mitigations:

1.3.1.1. Food Insecurity

Over 70 percent of the landscapes in the IGAD region consist of lowlands with arid, semi-arid or
dry sub-humid zones, receiving less than 600mm of rain annually. Prolonged dry conditions, flash
floods, and recently increased desert locust swarms, negatively affect incomes and livelihoods in
the region. Rapid population growth and general economic decline also contribute to food
insecurity. Inadequate investment in land governance issues to improve tenure security for men
and women, coupled with the challenge created by insecurity and conflicts continue to undermine
the region’s potential in food production. Moreover, the effects of climate change have
exacerbated these. Despite the enormous land potential of land for agricultural activities, the
persistence of insecurity in S. Sudan, Somalia, and Sudan has negatively affected food production
and caused food insecurity8.

In 2019, the worst hit countries with food insecurity were those suffering from conflict and
insecurity. In South Sudan, for instance, 59% were food insecure, while Somalia registered 22%
and Sudan 14%. The case of Djibouti, with rural food insecurity of 53%, is mainly due to a lack of
arable land for agriculture9.

The oil-producing countries also suffered the additional challenge of unstable revenues to run
public sector functions. Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia's food shortages are modest. The segments
of the population most affected by food insecurity live in rural areas, refugees, and young children
in the conflict-prone areas, as well as those affected by conflicts and weather-related disasters10.

In 2019, the worst hit countries suffering from conflict and insecurity were South Sudan (59%),
Somalia (22%), and Sudan (14%). There was little land put under crop production. In the case of
Djibouti, with rural food insecurity of 53%, it is attributable to a lack of arable land for
agriculture. The oil-producing countries also suffered the additional challenge of unstable
revenues, which affected the running of public sector functions. Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia
suffered modest food insecurities. Therefore, the primary drivers of food insecurity remain

8
ibid
9
ibid
10
ibid

6|Page
conflict and insecurity, climate shocks, and economic turbulence, which continue to erode
livelihoods and destroy lives (FAO, 2019).

Over 25 million people are food insecure in the IGAD region, even though this reflects a decline
from 70 million in 2016. Yet several resources, especially vast tracts of idle land and untapped
opportunities in the fisheries sector and abound in the region. This is, therefore, a region with
abundant potential, yet one that suffers from continued dependence on food imports as well as
high levels of malnutrition – although these (measured by stunting prevalence) had declined from
37.9% to 34.5% in 201811.

The major constraints and challenges to food security are climate change and variability, and
shrinking resources, declining soil fertility, and land degradation, and prevalence of pests and
diseases – including 44 trans-boundary animal diseases that require sustained surveillance. Others
include poor seed quality, inadequate institutional frameworks relating to food production, poor
extension services, and pre-and post-harvest losses. Dependence on rain-fed agriculture, low
uptake of technological applications, limited use of irrigation, ineffective control of crop and
livestock pests, limited commercialization of agricultural production due to lack of infrastructural
linkages to markets, lack of information on market outlets, and minimal value addition to raw
products all contribute to food insecurity.

1.3.1.2. Negative Effects of Climate Change

IGAD (2022), observe that despite all the efforts at national and regional levels, the deterioration
of the environment and natural resources has continued unabated. For instance, forest cover in the
region has deteriorated substantially, with Uganda (56%) registering the highest level of forest
cover reduction followed by Somalia (23%), and Sudan (18%).

Good practice in Kenya is the establishment of centers of excellence on the management of

natural resources that, among other things, integrate women’s indigenous knowledge of
environmental issues into conservation efforts, including environmental policies and laws.

High involvement of women at the grassroots level in Ethiopia facilitates knowledge transfer in
matters of natural resources management. The major constraints and challenges in the sector
consist of climate change and variability, and shrinking resources, declining soil fertility, and land
degradation. These have led to increased economic costs to governments, caused food insecurity,
malnutrition, and loss of livelihoods in affected areas, especially in the arid and semi-arid areas of
the IGAD Region.

Despite possessing significant natural and human resources that could propel the region towards
self-reliance, the IGAD region remains one of the world’s poorest, a reality that now beckons on
11
Stunting (moderate and severe): percentage of children aged 0–59 months who are below minus two standard
deviations from median height-for-age of the WHO Child Growth Standards. Source: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank
Group Joint Malnutrition Estimates, March 2020 Edition. Stunting prevalence 1990-2019.

7|Page
all parties within the region to re-think strategies for dealing with adverse effects of climate
change while dealing with the immediate need of youth demographic dividend in the IGAD
Region.

The IGAD Youth Policy takes climate change as a serious issue of concern if the ultimate
potential of the Region is to be exploited and sustainably utilized to ensure sustainable
development, growth and expansion of the IGAD Region’s Economic Potential.

1.3.1.3. Poverty
Poverty, youth radicalization, terrorism, “modern-day-slavery”, and climate change are closely
inter-related related. The poorest and most disadvantaged groups tend to depend on climate-
sensitive livelihoods like agriculture, which makes them disproportionately vulnerable to climate
change effects. This forces them to engage in unsustainable environmental practices such as
deforestation to sustain their well-being and livelihoods. Degradation of natural resource-based
sectors, therefore, hinders local, national and regional economic growth, reduces agricultural
yields, and affects negatively on people’s health and welfare12.

Despite the progress of some Member States in improving the welfare status of households,
overall poverty in the Region remains high. Poverty in the region is also stifled by tenure
insecurity for women, youth, pastoralists, and other vulnerable groups, which exclude them from
gainful economic activities using available parcels of land as a primary factor of production.

IGAD (2020) also argues that despite possessing significant natural and human resources that
could propel the region towards self-reliance, the IGAD region remains one of the World’s
poorest. Poverty reduction and economic growth cannot be sustained without well-functioning
ecosystems. Although national development plans seek to increase economic diversification,
natural resource-based sectors are expected to continue to be critical for poverty reduction and
growth.

The Policy seek to address some of the major constraints and challenges that propels poverty
including: climate change and variability, shrinking natural resources, declining soil fertility
caused by land degradation, inadequate drought and pest tolerant crop and fodder varieties,
limited scale-up of the productive ones, the constant introduction of alien species into the region,
the prevalence of pests and diseases – including trans boundary animal diseases which need
sustained surveillance – and, prevention and control of diseases, including vaccination.

It is envisaged by the Policy that through these critical interventions, agriculture will be attractive
and beneficial to the youth, who in-turn shall exploit their acquired knowledge and skills to ensure
innovative solutions are cascaded and utilized to optimize agricultural production and value
addition in all sectors of agriculture in the Region.

12
IGAD State of the Region Report 2020

8|Page
1.3.1.4. Policy Coherence with other Continental and Regional Policies and Legal
Frameworks
According to IGAD (2020) and ECA (2016), Youth-Oriented and Youth-Focused Policy
coherence is generally poor in most of the Member States. The AUC Strategic Plan (2014 – 2017)
seek to mainstream women and youth in all AUC and continent-wide activities. In particular, the
aspiration #6 of AU Agenda 2063 seeks to attain ‘an Africa where development is people-driven,
unleashing the potential of its women and youth’.

Despite the existence of the AUC’s Continental Youth Framework, at the operational level, the
IGAD Region generally exhibits low implementation capacity and is riddled with outdated youth-
focused legal and regulatory frameworks that operates ineffectively in silos or as stand-alone
interventions. The challenge of weak policy, legal and institutional framework is complicated
further by the very fragile nature of the regional socio-political environments where countries or
members states manifest differentiated levels of integrating or mainstreaming youth issues in their
development planning, policies, legislation, programming, budgeting and resource allocation
agenda.
IDEA (2022) study on “Youth Participation and Engagement in Peace and Security in Fragile and
Conflict Affected States (FCAS) in the East and Horn of Africa (EHOA)” indicate that AU and all
its RECs have adopted several normative instruments targeting youth in the region. The
instruments include Charters, Protocols, Declarations, Policies and Programs that addresses the
needs of young people broadly and more particularly in relation to peace and security. The
instruments are: the AU Constitutive Act (2000), AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) Protocol,
The African Youth Charter (AYC) (2006), Youth Division Programs of the AU and its RECs,
Silencing the Guns by 2020 Initiative, AU Theme on Youth in 2017, The Youth for Peace (Y4P)
Africa Program, Interfaith Dialogue on Violent Extremism, The African Union Youth Envoy
Action Plan 2019/2020, and the 1 million by 2021 Initiative.

Lessons learnt and successes recorded through the implementation of these frameworks of
interventions on youth have greatly motivated and guided the development of the IGAD Youth
Policy (2022) as an amalgamation of several pieces of efforts at Member States, Regional and
Continental levels.

However, these normative instruments have not succeeded in unifying all the ongoing member
states and regional strategies on youth development and empowerment, a gap that the IGAD
Youth Policy seeks to cure.

It is apparent that no previous attempts at policy, legislation, and institutional, programming,

resource mobilization and allocation framework levels have never yielded a regional Youth Policy
and Action Plan. It is also apparent that these past attempts have not aided the creation and
establishment of a Regional Youth Development Mechanism (RYDM), neither at the AU nor

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IGAD level, a lacuna that is now intended to be filled by the IGAD Youth Policy and Action Plan
(2022).

1.3.1.5. High Population Growth and Unemployment Rates in the IGAD region
Hailu (2020) observe that Africa has the greatest challenge of rising youth population against
persisting poverty levels and low labor marker growth and expansion. Sub-Saharan African (SSA)
Countries, according to ILO (2016), is a home to 70% youth population who are under the age of
30 years, and relatively more than 20% are young people between the ages of 15 and 24. ILO
(2020), on the other hand, report that youth are more vulnerable to unemployment with 43.7% of
the global unemployed people being youth while in SSA, 60% of the unemployed people are
youth.

Study by HESPI (2017) showed that in IGAD Countries, despite the recent economic growth
rates, positive policy, and legislative actions on health and education, a higher rate of youth
unemployment and the slow pace with which new jobs are created remain a critical challenge for
the IGAD Region.

The UN (2018) observe that IGAD Countries have the fastest growth rate of population and the
largest share of their population is children and young adults, two-thirds of the population are
under the age of 25. The UN (2018) also concur with ILO (2016) that youth unemployment in the
IGAD Region is a serious issue that needs a multi-pronged and multi-level attention of both state
and non-state actors if the surge is to be reversed. UN also observe that IGAD countries produces
some of the very productive, creative, innovative, skilled and appropriately trained and educated
graduates from their TIVETs and Universities, but the challenge remains how to engage these
graduates meaningfully in the economic development of their countries and communities.

IGAD recognizes that the rapidly growing population in the region is largely dependent on natural
resource-based sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism, forestry, land, water, and mining.
This tendency has a great potential to exert pressure up on the diminishing natural resource
potential in the region, further creating risks and threats to regional peace and security if not
appropriately tackled.

Although certain national, regional and continental development plans seek to increase economic
diversification, commodity-based concentration on natural resource-based sectors cannot generate
adequate employment opportunities especially for the educated, trained and appropriately skilled
youth in the IGAD Region.

Youth unemployment, underemployment and or misemployment remain remarkably high and

often disproportionate across Member States except Ethiopia and Uganda. Consequently, the

10 | P a g e
region exhibits high dependency ratios. Educational re-orientation and skills development must be
up-scaled for the youth if the region is to benefit from the youth bulge dividend13.

1.3.1.6. Weak Economic Activities and Low Levels of Industrialization and Trade
IGAD (2020) observe that the relatively weak and fragmented economies of the IGAD Member
States and the ongoing insecurity in some of the Member States, together with the current
inadequate inter-state infrastructure, present major barriers to regional economic cooperation and
integration. The region’s markets remain extremely fragmented, with poor (though improving)
infrastructures that raise the costs of transport between and within countries. The inter-linkages
with and between the international markets and IGAD region are also weak. In a few of the
Member States, market-based policies have not been fully embraced. Intra-regional trade stands at
a paltry 5%.

Without a defined trading framework in the region, IGAD (2020) notes that industrial
development will continue to remain constant across all Member States pending implementation
of IGAD FTA. Slow ratification and implementation of agreed protocols to facilitate economic
cooperation and integration, specifically trade and movement of capital and people across borders
continue to pose challenge to the envisaged IGAD FTA, with the most affected population being
the youth in businesses, enterprises and innovative sectors of the economy.

The IGAD Youth Policy seeks to institute measures aimed at accelerating increased access to
finance, technical assistance including business and enterprise incubation support services for the
youth in the IGAD Region. The policy also seeks to mobilize private sector actors and
development partners towards supporting the youth in research, innovation and technological
development and use of research findings to accelerate Regional Development and Integration.

The IGAD Youth Policy will play a vital role in the regional efforts to ensure economic viability,
stability and prosperity. The Policy will ensure that all the identified priority action areas are
exploited in line with the considerable economic potential and natural resource endowments of the
IGAD Region and its Member States.

1.3.1.7. Regional Insecurity & Peace Agenda

Increasingly, insecurity is taking the form of transnational organized crime. Illegal and illicit trade
and organized crime originating in one country and transiting into another, and yet implemented
in another different one – aided by market forces –contribute to this morbid scenario of IGAD’s
Regional Insecurity.

Studies by Riechi (2016), Daniel (2016), and Adebayo (2013) in Hailu (2020) by shows that a
surging youth population combined with unemployment and other factors can lead to violence and
breach of regional peace and security. The studies also observe that the urban youth

13
IGAD State of the Region Report (2022)

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unemployment in particular is exacerbated by rural-urban migration; rural migrants believe that
more jobs and social opportunities are in urban areas, but in the cities, they find themselves
without a job and with limited social networks. Unemployment has social as well as economic
consequences for young people. Unemployed young people are forced to find alternatives to
generate income, including activities in the survival- type informal sector and criminal activities
(Mpofu and Chimhenga, 2016).

The sub-regional conflicts in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula constitute an unstable
zone of cross-border insecurity and informal networks that link the IGAD region with the Arabian
Peninsula. Additionally, recurrent droughts exacerbate existing conflicts over scarce natural
resources in certain parts of the IGAD region, including parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda,
Kenya and South Sudan. Water scarcity and diminishing livestock grazing fields are some of the
most emerging trans-boundary issues responsible for sparking off conflicts since most of the
region’s available freshwater resources exist in shared rivers such as the Nile, Omo, Baro, Juba,
and Shebelle.

To this end, youth are considered the most essential ingredients either in escalating or quelling
regional insecurity in so far as tensions related to access to and utilization of available natural
resources in the Region is concerned. In this regard, socio-economic improvements of the region
in general will reduce tensions and related insecurity.

1.3.1.8. Gender Inequalities

IGAD (2020) notes that there are pervasive gender inequalities discernible in the region in various
dimensions, including access to health, water, education, information, employment, credit, land,
policy inputs, and decision-making power. The economic, social, and political status of women is
relatively lower than that of their male counterparts. Cultural practices, religious beliefs, and
access to socio-economic opportunities and participation in decision-making processes underlie
gender inequalities in the IGAD Region. These inequalities are manifested in the form of gender-
based violence (GBV), human rights abuse, limited participation in decision-making processes,
and leadership roles.

GBV refers to all forms of violence – physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence, as
well as the various forms of harmful traditional practices widely practiced in countries within the
IGAD region. Conflict related to sexual violence is also prevalent in countries where on-going
civil unrests and conflicts exit.

The IGAD Youth Policy is a step in the very right direction. It is intended to put forward measures
and mechanisms aimed at ensuring gradual but focused mainstreaming of gender and gender
issues at the policy, legislation and institutional framework development levels and that gender-
sensitive youth development planning, programming, budgeting, resource allocation and

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utilization, program implementation monitoring and evaluation become increasingly more gender-
oriented.

As a result, the IGAD Youth Policy submits to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) number
5 on Gender Equality, especially with regards to the Goal 5. C “Adopt and strengthen sound
policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of
all women and girls at all levels” and targets set for this particular SDG5C.

1.4. Previous Attempts to Mainstream Youth Agenda into the Global and Continental
Development Frameworks
The AU and RECs have adopted several normative instruments, including Charters, Protocols,
Declarations, Policies and programs that address the needs of young people broadly and
concerning peace and security. The instruments are: - AU Constitutive Act (2000), AU Peace and
Security Council (PSC) Protocol, The African Youth Charter (AYC) (2006), Youth Division
Programs, Silencing the Guns by 2020 Initiative, AU Theme on Youth in 2017, The Youth for
Peace (Y4P) Africa Program, Interfaith Dialogue on Violent Extremism, The African Union
Youth Envoy Action Plan 2019/2020 and the 1 million by 2021 Initiative.

In the AU, RECs/RMs across Africa have also initiated a series of policies and programs on youth
development or mainstreamed youth issues into their peace and security agendas. In particular, the
following efforts have been explored: -

• The Economic Community of West • Common Market for Eastern and

African States (ECOWAS) has included Southern Africa (COMESA) has also
youth empowerment among the priority mainstreamed youth participation in
areas in its Conflict Prevention policy, democracy and socio-economic
Framework (ECPF); development;

• Inter-Governmental Authority on • Economic Community of Central

Development (IGAD) mainstreamed
youth into its Regional Strategy but most
programs are domiciled in its health
portfolio;
• East African Community (EAC)
launched a Youth Policy and instituted a
Youth Ambassadors Program to promote
youth engagement;
African States (ECCAS) has developed a
regional program to strengthen the
capacities of young people in
management of association, crisis and
conflict prevention, and youth
contribution to early warning for peace
and security in Central Africa.

1.5. National Policy, Legal and Institutional Frameworks

At member country level, several attempts have been put in place with an aim of mainstreaming
youth issues in the National Government Development Planning and Financing instruments
(policies, legislation, programs, budgets and resource allocation baskets). Here are some of the
efforts by country: -

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1. Burundi: The youth sector in Burundi is covered by various ministries and institutions
(ministries in charge of youth, interior, education, health, etc.) and is characterized by a
multitude of interventions and approaches coordinated by the Ministry of East African
Community Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture. Burundi’s National Youth Policy 2016-
2026 defines five strategic priority areas to address the main problems facing Burundian
youth, as identified by the Government: Girls’ and boys’ access to employment and self-
development; Education of youth in citizenship, peace and patriotism; Improving access to
youth-friendly health services; Youth participation in governance and leadership
development; and Communication, partnership and coordination.
2. Ethiopia: The National Youth Policy recognizes the need for inter-ministerial
cooperation: the development of the National Youth Policy is thus coordinated by the
Ministry of Youth and Sports and implemented with the support of diverse stakeholders
such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, as well as NGOs and youth
federations. According to the National Youth Policy, NYP (MoYSC, 2004), the
implementation strategy of the policy emphasizes the establishment of Youth Councils to
“coordinate and integrate various youth associations, clubs, movements etc. and serving as
a bridging with stakeholders”. The role of the government in implementation which is to
direct, coordinate, integrate and build the capacity for the implementation of the policy and
work with governmental and non- governmental organizations including youth councils.
3. Kenya: The Ministry in charge of Youth through a defined coordination structure leads
the institutional framework for the implementation of youth issues. The structures include:
(a) National level: Youth activities will be coordinated by the Ministry in charge of youth
affairs; (b) Sectoral level: various ministries, departments and agencies (MDA’s) will
ensure the mainstreaming and coordination of youth priority areas in their respective
sectors; and (c) County level: County Governments will mainstream youth priority areas in
their plans and programs. National Youth Legislative Frameworks in Kenya is quite robust
and has kept evolving over time since the past two decades. Notable legislative
frameworks focusing on youth development and empowerment in Kenya include but not
limited to the following: Constitution of Kenya (2010); National Youth Service Act;
Youth Enterprise and Development Fund Order, 2007; National Youth Policy, Sessional
no. 2 of 2007; Women Enterprise Development Fund, 2007; National Youth Council Act,
2009; Medium and Small Enterprise Act, 2012; Technical and Vocational Education and
Training Act, of 2013; Uwezo Fund (Public Finance Management Act, 2014); National
Employment Authority Act, 2016; and National Youth Service Act, 2018
4. Uganda: In 1993, Uganda established The National Youth Council through the National
Youth Council Statute 1993. The Government of Uganda adopted a National Youth Policy
for the first time in 2001. The National Youth Policy 2001 was reviewed to keep abreast
with the ever-changing youth needs. The Uganda National Youth Policy (NYP) 2016 is
therefore responsive to the multitude of needs of the young people and recognizes their
heterogeneous nature. To operationalize the policy, National Youth Action Plan (NYAP)
was developed. Institutional Framework: The Ministry responsible for youth (Ministry of

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 Gender, Labor and Social Development) plays the leading role in the implementation of
the NYAP - management, decision-making, setting of standards, quality assurance,
capacity building, technical support supervision, monitoring and evaluation.
5. South Sudan: The South Sudan Youth Development (draft) policy was developed and
validated in 2019. Effectiveness of its implementation however is dependent on the
involvement of young people not only in the development of the policy, but in the
implementation and follow-up so that the programs have a real impact on youth situation.
The policy aims to promote youth participation in democratic processes as well as in
community and civic affairs. It also advocates the creation of a supportive social, cultural,
economic and political environment that will empower the youth to be partners in
development as well as seek to provide an opportunity for improving the quality of life for
all Youth in South Sudan. The Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports (MoCYS) in South
Sudan is the one responsible for youth affairs and the national youth policy, promotion of
youth activities and projects, youth services, youth organizations, youth centers and
hostels, youth sport activities, and developing policies on youth development. The South
Sudan National Youth Union is an independent non-political, non-profit-making
institution with an essential policy tool guiding the country on its approach to youth
development. The mission of the Union is twofold; Youth Empowerment, Development,
Youth Participation, and Voluntary services in Nation Building and Decision Making.

1.6. IGAD Youth Policy Rationale and Justification

In the IGAD Member States, the youth comprise a larger segment of the total population, which
presents both opportunities and challenges. The lives of many youths are marred with poverty,
inadequate education and skills, inadequate work /employment opportunities, exploitation,
exposure to violent extremism, diseases such as HIV/ AIDS, drugs and substance abuse, civil
unrest, and gender discrimination among others.

The environment where youth live within the IGAD Region presents a number of challenges and
risks that undermines the traditional social support systems, which inhibit the capacity of the
youth to negotiate and explore the opportunities to facilitate their transition into quality and self-
determining adulthood.

Member States have made efforts to initiate and implement various youth development programs
and projects, in inter alia the following areas: employment, health, education and training as well
as participation in the integration processes. Despite these efforts, the youth continue to
experience numerous challenges that hamper the full exploitation of their potential.

The major constraints that hinder the Member States from effectively addressing the youth
challenges include lack of appropriate and comprehensive policies, inadequate resources
(technical and financial), lack of proper coordination mechanisms and clear institutional structures
to support the realization of synergies in tackling youth challenges in the Region.

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IGAD recognizes that youth are a crucial asset and an important key resource in social economic
and political development of the community. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Community
to ensure that the youths’ energies and skills are harnessed and nurtured to promote the social
economic and political development of the region. Consistent with this commitment, the youth
have a responsibility as well, and a duty to ensure that their aspirations, hopes and dreams are
fully realized through participatory engagement in all the IGAD integration processes.

This policy document, therefore, seeks to institutionalize youth focused programming within the
IGAD development and integration processes as well as set benchmarks and guidelines for
Member States’ mainstreaming of youth issues in national development and governance
processes. It is a framework to consider development and participation of the youth at the center
of all IGAD integration processes.

1.7. Roadmap to Developing the IGAD Youth Policy

The IGAD Youth Policy document has walked a long journey, a journey of self-reflection,
retrospective and refocusing of youth issues in the IGAD. The journey began in November 2018
with a Regional Youth Leaders Consultative meeting on meaningful youth engagement in the
Horn of Africa. The major outcome of this session was the “Norfolk Declaration” that initiated the
long processes of forming a regional youth network besides calling upon all relevant regional
youth serving organizations and stakeholders to brainstorm on the critical subject of “Meaningful
Engagement of the Youth with IGAD”.

The outcomes of the 2018 Consultative activities led to the drafting of the IGAD Youth
Engagement Strategy (2019) which upon adoption by IGAD has now led to the drafting of the
IGAD Youth Policy (2022).

To bring on-board High-Level Policy makers and Intergovernmental think tanks, IGAD organized
and hosted a High-Level Ministerial Conference on the Role of Governments and Regional
Mechanisms for Youth Peace and Security in the IGAD Region. This session was held in Djibouti
in November 2021.

Between 7 and 12 December 2021, IGAD engaged youth led and youth serving organizations and
Stakeholders in a Regional Youth Consultative Forum for the East and Horn of Africa Region to
disseminate the draft IGAD Youth Policy and to develop an Action Plan for Youth Peace and
Security in the East and Horn of Africa Region.

The recommendations from the Regional Youth Consultative Forum led to the crystallization and
prioritization of IGAD Youth Policy wherefore in 2021, the IGAD convened a Consultative
Forum on the Development of IGAD Youth Policy. The Forum held in Djibouti was attended by a
rich mix of top technical and policy formulation expatriates drawn from the Ministries of Youth
Affairs in the IGAD region, IGAD Divisions, Youth Representatives from various National Youth

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Councils and Youth CSOs. The purpose of this Forum was to build and galvanize synergies and
rally the critical stakeholders towards the ultimate formulation and development of the IGAD
Youth Policy.

At the onslaught of COVID-19, the youth from the East and HoA were guided, through series
online consultations, to continue contributing to the development of the IGAD Policy. A record
number of 300+ youth participated in these sessions.

The above high-level and inter-organizational consultative forums were conducted to solicit for
ideas to enrich the policy, besides aiding its dissemination to as wider audience and geographical
reach as practically possible within the IGAD region.

The validation of IGAD Youth Policy in Nairobi on the 19 th and 20th December 2022 was a
culmination of all the above participatory consultative processes. During the validation meeting in
Nairobi, participants critically reviewed and gave inputs into the draft IGAD Youth policy with an
aim to finalize the draft IGAD Youth Policy and Action Plan, before its submission to the 49th
Council of Ministers Summit of IGAD in 2023.

1.8. Theories and Concepts Underpinning Policy Development

1.8.1. Categories of Youth in Society

The IGAD Youth Policy provides a unique opportunity for improving the quality of life for all
IGAD youth. However, certain categories of youth have been identified and singled out for
special attention by the Policy Implementers and Actors due to their levels of vulnerability and
circumstances of living. These groups, therefore, needs special policy-oriented programming,
budgeting and resource allocation at continental, regional and national levels. These categories of
youth include:

(a) The youth in armed conflicts and (m)Youth with disabilities

disaster areas (n) Youth who are terminally ill
(b) The youth refugees and internally (o) Pastoral and nomadic youth
displaced youth (p) Youth in learning and training
(c) The unemployed youth institutions
(d) The semi-illiterate and illiterate youth (q) Youth living with HIV/AIDs and
(e) The female youth migrants other terminal illnesses
(f) The urban youth migrants (communicable and non-
(g) The rural youth communicable diseases)
(h) Youth in the informal sector (r) The school drop-outs or out of school
(i) The street youth (street urchins) youth
(j) Domestic Servants or Helpers (s) Youth in prison
(k) Orphaned youths heading households (t) Youth recently released from prisons
(l) Youth in security agencies (u) Youth in the diaspora

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 (v) Youth athletes and sports persons (y) Youth hunters and gatherers
(w) Youth addicted to drugs and other (z) Youth with mental handicap and
substances of abuse mental retardation
(x) Employed youth below the age of 18

1.8.2. Definition of the term, “Youth”

The African Union Constitutive Act and the African Union Commission strategic plan (2004 –
2007) gave due priority to the youth development and empowerment in Africa. The AU and AUC
underscored the importance of youth participation and involvement in the development of the
continent. The AU and AUC commitments has placed a burden on the AU, its RECs and Member
States to come up with applicable and or operational definition of the term, “youth”.

Definition of “youth” varies from country to country and from agency to agency. According to
youthpolicy.org, Eritrea does not have a youth policy but draws its definition for the term youth
from the 2012 Economic Outlook Report by African Economic Outlook that described youth as a
person between the ages of 15 to 24 years. The African Economic Outlook (2012) study on youth
employment in Sudan also defines youth as persons between 15 and 24 years.

According to Youth 4 Peace (Y4P), South Sudan law is silent on a legal definition of youth.
However, other institutions and documents define youth as being between 15 and 35 years old,
and states that youth represent 70% of the total population of the South Sudan.

The Uganda’s country youth profile uses two different categorizations of youth. The Uganda
National Youth Council (NYC) classifies youth as individuals aged between 18 to 30 years, while
revised Uganda National Youth Policy uses the 15 to 30 years. The Commonwealth identifies
young people as being aged between 15 to 29 years while in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Youth Policy
(2004) considers youth as persons aged between 15 to 29 years, whereas Kenya’s National Youth
Policy (2006) defines youth as persons resident in Kenya and aged between 15 to 30 years and
takes into account the physical, psychological, cultural, social, biological and political definition
of the term “youth”.

The AU defines youth as people between the ages 15 to 35 years. The AU definition of “youth”
was developed after research was conducted on the State of the African Youth, commissioned by
the African Union Commission. For the purpose of the IGAD Youth Policy (2022), youth is
defined as [persons] between the ages of 15 and 35 years consistent with the definition of youth in
the African Youth Charter (2006)

1.9. Scope of the Policy: Youth Populations upon Which the Policy is Applicable
The IGAD Youth Policy is designed to address all the youth issues and challenges enlisted and
described in this policy and shall be tenable within all IGAD Member States including Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya. The policy shall be enforceable at
national and regional level using policy domestication tools and apparatus applicable to a given
member state.

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 CHAPTER TWO:

POLICIES, LAWS, PROGRAMS AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS FOR YOUTH

DEVELOPMENT AND EMPOWERMENT IN AFRICA

2.0. Historical Development of Youth Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional

Frameworks in Africa
Youth are the strength, wealth, and drivers of development and innovation in a country that seeks
to tap into the post 21st Century info-tech opportunities. Over the years, many efforts have been
attempted to galvanize and exploit the youth potential by both public and private sectors where
some efforts yielded favorable results, while others flopped. This policy attempts to trace some of
these efforts through the journey into the UN, AU, NEPAD, IGAD, IGAD MSs, HoAYN, and
Youth CSOs youth policies, legislations, programs and institutional frameworks aimed at
supporting the Africa Youth Agenda. Particular attention is put of IGAD Member States for
purpose of this policy.

2.1. The United Nations Youth-Focused Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional
Frameworks
The UN, in its Youth 2030 Policy and Programming Framework, holds that the world today is a
home to the largest generation of young people in history, 1.8 billion aged between 10 and 24.
Close to 90% of the young population lives in developing countries, where they constitute a large
proportion of the population (between 70 to 90%) in most countries.

The Youth 2030 Strategy of the UN observe that youth are increasingly connected to each other
by internet and other mobile communication devices like never before and by these seamless
connections, youth today demand to contribute to the resilience and prosperity of their
communities, nations and regions. The youth propose creative and innovative solutions drive
social progress and inspiring political change. The UN’s role is clearly cut building on its unique
global convening role, its mandate to serve the world’s peoples its role as a partner and broker.

The UN Youth strategy is anchored on the UN’s critical role as a source of protection and support
for young people and a platform through which youth needs can be addressed, their voices
amplified and their meaningful active engagement advanced and sustained.

Youth development and youth engagement is classified as cross-cutting issues in the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with youth targets put under several SDGs and
interrelated. Youth Agenda is also anchored in the UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs)
2250 (2015) and 2419 (2018) that acknowledged that young people play an important and positive
role in the realization of sustainable development, prevention of crises, and in the advancement of
peace.

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The UN Youth strategy 2030 enlists the following strategies identified by UN member states as
essential in promoting youth development globally:

i. Mainstreaming structures that ensure youth focal point function in each UN Country team
and mission, to support the system- wide country level coordination on youth.
ii. Creation of youth engagement platforms including youth advisory boards, within each
relevant UN entity to provide a channel for input and feedback from young people on UN
work and status of related SDG targets.
iii. Provision of dialogue opportunities, both online and offline, between young people and
UN Senior Managers, including Secretary General.
iv. Provision of capacity building and orientation briefing on youth issues and needs to
resident coordinators, UN entity Representatives, and other senior management positions.
v. Developing and regularly updating role of experts on youth issues and expand it to become
more inclusive and diverse.
vi. Strengthening youth internship programs within UN using a minimum quality standard
across the UN for internship Programmes and advance efforts to ensure adequate
compensation of interns and widening the intern Programme; and
vii. Talent management through expansion and replication in UN entities successful human
resource modalities for attracting and retaining young professional Programme,
Management Reassignment Programme, Fellowship Programmes, and UN youth
volunteers.

Youth Policies Programs and Institutional Framework within the UN takes cognizable of the
following five (5) top priority areas:

 First priority: Youth Engagement, participation, and advocacy – aim to amplify youth
voices for the promotion of a peaceful, just and sustainable world;
 Second priority: An informed and healthy foundation – aim is to support young people’s
greater access to quality education training and health services.
 Third priority: Economic empowerment through decent work – aim is to support young
people’s greater access to decent work and productive employment.
 Fourth priority: Young and human rights – protect and promote the rights of young
people and support their civic and political engagements.
 Fifth priority: Peace and resilience building – aim is to recognize young people’s
important and positive contribution to peace and security, prevention of violence, disaster
risk reduction, humanitarian and climate actions.

2.2. African Union (AU) Youth-Focused Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional
Frameworks
Cognizant of the Africa’s burgeoning young population, AU has prioritized the empowerment of
young people as central to achieving its vision of Agenda 2063. One of the mechanisms for
addressing challenges faced by the over 75% of the continent’s population under the age of 35 is

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the African Youth Charter (2006). The charter is a right-based framework that guides the
engagement and empowerment of youth in Africa. The Charter enshrines youth rights, duties and
freedoms. It has espoused the action plans that guide continental programming, and the African
Plan of Action on Youth Empowerment (2019-2023).

Article 28 of the AYC (2016) mandates the AUC to collaborate with governments, non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) and development partners to identify best practices on youth
policy formulation, implementation and encourage the adaptation of principles and experiences
sharing whereas Article 26 (a) of AYC (2016) calls for young people to be custodians of their own
development.

AUC’s youth engagement strategy is anchored on youth ownership of their development

outcomes, youth-led accountability and building capacity of young Africans to undertake these
responsibilities.

World’s Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond (UN, 2010) preceded the
AYC (2006). The UN Programme of Action had 10 priorities areas including education,
employment, hunger, poverty, health, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure-time
activities and girls and young women’s participation. The Programme also factored in five other
emerging issues that the IGAD Youth Policy has now taken into consideration. These issues are:
(a) Globalization, (b) Information and Communications Technology (ICT), (c) HIV/AIDS, (d)
Youth and armed conflict, and (e) Intergenerational relations.

The African Youth Report on Expanding Opportunities for and with young people in Africa
(UNECA, 2009) contributed to the youth development agenda by undertaking analysis of the
major problems and providing recommendations to enable Africans Member States of AU to
tackle those problems. Proposed strategy was that each individual RECs and MSs were to develop
their own youth policies, laws and Programmes. Top priority areas enlisted were youth education
and employment, health and political participation.

UNECA (2009) recommended that access to post-primary education, particularly for girls;
curricular development; economic growth; active labor market policies; e.g., Youth
internships/training, entrepreneurship; other national-level policies affecting the youth, for
instance, poverty; data collection and research should guide youth policies and program
development. Other action areas highlighted include health services and its holistic strategies as
well as political participation. The Report, however, noted the need for a more synchronized and
harmonized Continental and Regional Youth Policy Framework with clear Monitoring,
Evaluation, Research and Learning Strategies to fully document and communicate progress and
persistent challenges of past and present Youth-related policies, legislations, programs and
institutional frameworks and actions – a gap that the IGAD Youth Policy intends to contribute
towards curing.

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2.3. NEPAD Youth-Focused Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional Frameworks
The 2001 New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) – a program of the AU adopted in
Lusaka, Zambia on July 11, 2001 – included the goals of achieving the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) that explicitly and implicitly concern youth. It is through these early NEPAD
initiatives that the African Youth Leaders established some of the ongoing youth networks to
coordinate their efforts to advance the goals of the MDGs and those of other development
partners.

First, in 2005, NEPAD developed a Strategic Framework for a NEPAD Youth Programme (2005-
2015) that was christened, “Toward the African Youth Decade.” The Framework described the
context for AU/NEPAD’s support for African Youth. In the Framework, 14 challenges were
identified as follows: - Relevant, accessible and quality education; Decent and productive
employment; Globalization and migration; Hunger and poverty; Peace and security;
Environmental degradation; Participation, Rights and Youth Leadership; Young People’s Health;
HIV/AIDS; Challenges Facing Young Women; Challenges of indigenous knowledge and
traditional Heritage; Challenge of special group of young people; Challenges of African people
in the diaspora; and Institutional challenges.

Concisely, the framework provided for the development of the NEPAD Youth Programme along
with mechanisms for the inclusion of Young Africans in AU/NEPAD decision-making processes,
emphasizing the significance of involving young people in the socio-economic development and
advancement of Africa, and mainstreaming of youth issues into the full range of AU/NEPAD’s
work.

The IGAD Youth Policy draws critical lessons from the NEPAD’s Youth Programme framework
especially relating to institutional framework development including the convention of IGAD
Youth Summit with the IGAD Executive Secretary strengthening of Youth CSO’s and Youth
development agencies, and strategies for mobilizing public and private sector support for
meaningful youth engagement and empowerment within then region. Also adopted the NEPAD
Framework are the principles guiding then design, implementation and monitoring of youth
policies and programs in Africa; Rights and Responsibilities for Youth Empowerment; and
strategies for African Youth Empowerment and Development.

2.4. IGAD Youth-Focused Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional Frameworks

The formulation of the IGAD Youth policy (2022) is a pristine step towards formalizing and
legalizing youth engagement with IGAD and its member states. The [policy draws its legal basis
from the Article 14.2 of the AYC (2006) that calls upon AU member states and RECs to facilitate
the participation of young people in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of
national and regional development plans, policies and poverty reduction strategies. Article 26 of
the AYC (2006) states that one of the responsibilities of youth is to “become the custodians of
their own development” whilst Article 26 (9d) promotes young people to “partake fully in citizen
duty including voting, decision making and governance”.

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Whereas attempts to accelerate implementation of AYC (2006) was significantly made in 2019
through the launch of the African Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (APAYE, 2019-2023).
The program has not succeeded in strengthening youth roles in and benefits from REC youth
actions and programs. However, in noting the prevailing gaps in achieving meaningful youth
engagement, the African Youth Commission (AUC) appointed the first ever-special envoy on
youth, Ms. Aya Chebbi, under youth Advisory Council to further engage and advocate for
meaningful youth engagement by AU RECs and member states.

The IGAD Youth Policy takes cognizance of the persisting gaps and weaknesses in the
continental and regional policy, legal, programming and institutional frameworks for achieving
and sustaining meaningful youth engagement with IGAD and in IGAD processes. Consequently,
the IGAD Youth Policy (2022) has embraced a participatory, inclusive and user-centric policy and
program design and formulation approach, an approach that now synchronizes all past and present
attempts and concerted efforts to prioritize and mainstream youth issues into respective IGAD
Member States and IGAD Regional Development Plans, Policies, Legislations, Programmes and
Budgets.

Most recently, IGAD developed its Regional Strategy (2021 – 2025) that draws its vision and
mandate from the IGAD Region’s vision 2050. The Strategy’s overarching goal and objectives is
on building and accelerating regional integration and cross-border cooperation among member
states in accordance with Article 7 of the Agreement establishing IGAD.

As a key partner in pursuing and implementing the AU Agenda 2063, and in line with the
individual member state’s commitments to the attainment of the UN’s SDGs 2030, the IGAD
Secretariat in partnership with Regional Youth Networks and Youth CSOs have now developed
the IGAD Youth Policy (2022). The Policy prioritizes “Meaningful Engagement of the Youth” in
all IGAD processes and governance system, noting that the policy is the first of its kind within
IGAD. It is envisaged that through the Policy, the Region stands a better chance to tap into and
benefit from continental and regional youth demographic dividend and other related emerging
economic opportunities, especially, in the Green Economy, Blue Economy, Silicon Valley (ICT)
and other innovative and talent-based sectors including creative arts, sports and performing arts.

CHAPTER THREE:

THE IGAD YOUTH POLICY FRAMEWORK AND MEANINGFUL YOUTH

ENGAGEMENT PILLARS

3.0. Chapter Introduction

The chapter presents the motto of the policy, the policy vision and mission statements, and core
values and principles guiding the policy interpretation and application. The chapter further
introduces the concept of meaningful youth engagement and presents the pillars for a meaningful
youth engagement that include inclusivity, non-discrimination, equity, participation, ownership

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and sense of belonging, protection, prevention, partnership for goal achievement, and
disengagement and re-integration. Summary of the chapter elucidates the highlights of the chapter
contents.

3.1. The IGAD Youth Policy Framework

The Policy Framework presents the key policy statements regarding the motto, vision, mission,
objectives and core values and principles of the IGAD Youth Policy and in particular, as these
relates to the Youth Agenda in the IGAD Region.

3.1.1. Motto
“Resilient, Peaceful & Prosperous Youth”

3.1.2. Vision Statement

The policy envisages a resilient, peaceful and prosperous IGAD Region where youth are
empowered and enjoy high quality life.

3.1.3. Mission Statement

The policy mission is to promote meaningful youth engagement and active participation towards
the realization of a resilient, peaceful and prosperous IGAD Region

3.1.4. Policy Objectives

The objectives of the IGAD Youth Policy and Action Plan are follows: -

i. To establish policy, legal, programming and institutional frameworks and structures for
meaningful youth engagement and facilitate their active participation towards the
realization of a resilient, peaceful and prosperous IGAD Region;
ii. To provide a tool for engaging member states to mainstream youth issues in policies,
programs, laws, budgets and resource allocation baskets at both Regional and National
Levels;
iii. To be the basis for meaningful youth engagement with IGAD and its organs in the co-
design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, research, learning and knowledge
management of youth-centered socio-economic and socio-political development plans and
programs;
iv. To ensure effective youth engagement and participation in Regional Peace Building
Initiatives, Conflict Prevention and Management, Socio-Economic Development and
Regional Integration.

3.1.5. Core Values and Principles

The key principles that underpin the policy are:

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1) Accessibility, Equity and Gender Equality
The policy subscribes fully to the principles of equal opportunities and equal distribution
of services and resources to all, regardless of sex, age, religion, political affiliation, color,
creed or any other grounds. The policy also endeavors to promote principles of gender
equity and equality through promotion of gender mainstreaming at public policy
formulation stage, budgeting process, institutional development and resource allocation
and utilization. The policy seek to entrench the principles and practice of equitable access
to and benefits from socio-economic development opportunities both at Regional and
Member States levels.

2) Accountability, Good Governance, and Transparency

The policy seek to promote the values of good governance characterized by principles of
fair administration of justice, equity, inclusivity, transparent and accounting public
governance and adherence to the rule of law both at Regional and Member States Levels.

3) Collaboration, Capacity Building, Networking and Partnerships

The Sustainable Development Goal, (SDG17) recognizes the important role played by
collaborations, networking and partnerships for enhanced SDGs achievement, especially
about addressing global challenges and phenomena affecting more than a single country,
and that has high likelihood of scaling upwards beyond transnational boundaries.

The IGAD Youth Policy framework places at the center of its success the vitality of
Collaboration, Capacity Building, Networking and Partnerships between and among IGAD
Member States and the AU, UN, Bilateral and Multi-Lateral Development Partners, the
Private Sector, Universities and Research Institutions, and youth-serving CSOs in the
IGAD region.

The policy avers that the potential benefits of forging and sustaining strategic and goal-
directed networks and partnerships are manifold and that the IGAD’s ability to mutually
and or exclusively engage its partners has always been the main strengthen of IGAD in the
pursuit of its core mandates. Lessons learnt by IGAD in its previous engagement with its
partners will therefore form a rich basis for position the IGAD Youth Policy into the
negotiations and partnership building platforms as shall be convened by IGAD from time
to time.

While recognizing the value of inter-agency cooperation between IGAD and its key
partners, the relationship between IGAD and the HoAYN in developing this policy will
not end at the promulgation of the policy. The relationship between IGAD and HoAYN
shall metamorphose into a working engine that will ensure all the youth within IGAD
Region are brought on board as primary actors in policy implementation, monitoring,
evaluation, learning and knowledge management through generations.

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 Whereas IGAD will forever remain grateful to the inputs by both development partners
and youth CSOs during the formative stages of formulating the IGAD Youth Policy,
IGAD will also continue to strengthen and deepen these partnerships for effective policy
implementation, monitoring, evaluation, learning and knowledge management. IGAD will
also continue to seek new partnerships to help optimize policy implementation processes,
outputs, outcomes and hence guarantee significant benefits to and impacts on the youth
within the IGAD Region.

IGAD Youth Policy and Action Plan’s integrity, impartiality, independence, effectiveness,
efficiency and economy is its main bargaining tool with Development Partners and Private
Sector Players in Youth Development and Empowerment in the IGAD Region.

The purpose of this policy, therefore, is to ensure that there is a consistent IGAD-wide
approach to tackling youth challenges and issues within IGAD Member States. The policy
also intend that the Member States shall use it as a source document for National-Level
Youth Programming and Development Planning as well as for all purposes and intents of
building partnerships and collaboration networks with IGAD at the center of all youth-
related actions at Member State Level.

4) Inclusivity and Participation

The principle of inclusivity and participation, as a design thinking approach, draws its
bearing from the “Social Inclusion Theory” by David Pocock (1957). The theory holds
that social inclusion is the process of improving the terms and conditions on which
individuals and groups in a society take part in designing their own futures. Such terms
and conditions relate to improving their individual and collective abilities, creating and
availing opportunities for inclusion and participation, and upholding the dignity of the
disadvantaged groups including persons living with terminal illness and disabilities.

In practice of this principle, IGAD shall ensure that a policy analysis, historical analysis
and socio-biological correlates of either youth inclusion or exclusion in social, political,
cultural and economic dimensions is conducted regularly and reported to the IGAD Heads
of States and Governments’ Annual Summit for review and auctioning.

The purpose of the IGAD Youth Policy is to ensure that youth are significantly engaged in
economic, social, cultural and political life, as well as create structures and processes that
maintains the state of meaningful youth engagement at all levels of decision-making and
regional development.

Inclusion and Participation is a catalyst to ensuring that youth issues and challenges are
reflected significantly in all sectors of the Regional Development Planning, Budgeting,

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 Resource Mobilization, Programmes Development and Implementation. Policy also
provides a framework for youth-centered development Programmes monitoring,
evaluation, knowledge management and lesson sharing conducted and recommendations
therefrom acted upon by relevant stakeholders.

3.2. Meaningful Youth Engagement

3.2.1. Operational Definition of the term, “Meaningful Youth Engagement”

For the purpose of this policy, the term “Meaningful Youth Engagement” draws its definition
from United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth (UN MGCY, 2017) and
youthpower.org (2020). The term “Meaningful Engagement of Youth” refers to “an inclusive,
intentional, mutually respectful partnership between the adolescents, youth and young adults
whereby power is shared, respective contribution are valued, and young people’s ideas,
innovations, perspectives, skills, expertise and unique strengths are integrated into the design and
delivery of policies, laws, programs, strategies, funding mechanisms and organizations at national,
regional, continental and global levels”.

3.2.2. Policy Implications for Meaningful Youth Engagement

The IGAD, in its subscription to the AU’s African Youth Charter (AU, 2016) and the UN MGCY
(2017), affirms that young people have fundamental right to actively and meaningfully engage in
all matters that affect their lives and well-being. IGAD further affirms that the importance of
meaningful youth engagement in co-creation, co-design and participatory development and
implementation of their desirable futures and in all development efforts cannot be over-
emphasized.

IGAD is committed to the protection and promotion of the rights of all young people. To this end,
the IGAD Youth Policy intend to ensure the youth are centrally positioned in all development
strategy setting, development planning and resourcing, programs implementation monitoring
evaluation research and knowledge sharing of all policies, laws, programs, and initiatives that
affect and or protect the youth in the Region.

For the purpose of IGAD Youth Policy, meaningful youth engagement is to be realized through
promotion of formal and informal child-led, youth-led and child-and-youth-serving public interest
federations, unions, organizations, platforms, associations, councils, networks, movements,
mechanisms, structures and other youth-focused and youth-serving entities (hereinafter referred to
as “youth entities”), including their members and interested parties and stakeholders in the design,
development, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, research, learning and knowledge sharing
of all sustainable development youth-related policies, laws, programs and institutions at all levels
within IGAD and its Member States.

3.2.3. Pillars of Meaningful Youth Engagement

The following nine pillars’ outlays core characteristics of “meaningful youth engagement”

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 Self-Organized: In the context of the AYC (2016) and the UN MGCY (2017), the Self-
Organized pillar implies autonomy and being free from external influence nor control nor
pressure. IGAD shall ensure that the youth within the region, using their formal and
informal organized and legitimate structures, can and will decide the best structures,
working styles and engagement strategies that best serves their needs, interests and
development aspirations as captured in this Policy.

 Legally Mandated (Rights-Based): In the context of the constitutive mandate of IGAD,

this pillar implies the imperative to engage youth in all IGAD processes through legally
established and operating youth entities, and that all youth engagement with IGAD shall
be enshrined in the IGAD’s Handbook and Rules of Procedure or modalities. To abide by
this principle, IGAD shall mainstream the Youth Policy and actions that make it clear that
the “youth” in the conversation have an equal say in all decisions-making processes
including but not limited to scope of this policy.

 Designated: The IGAD Youth Policy is developed and domiciled within existing IGAD
Structures. For effective, qualitative, proactive and sustainable implementation of the
policy, IGAD shall ensure that the policy is designated to an IGAD Division and that
appropriate structures are established and resourced to avoid unnecessary competition with
other organs or divisions within IGAD or with Member States’ structures and organs.
IGAD shall create designated seats at the Summit and Secretariat through which the voices
of the youth will blossom and actions voiced and championed.

 Well Resourced and Capacitated: The IGAD affirms that meaningful youth engagement is
a right and not a privilege for the young people in the region. The IGAD also affirms that
because youth population in the Region is over 80% of the total regional population as at
December 2022, youth population presents great opportunities as well as threats towards
successful exploitation of the Demographic Dividend presented to the Region by the
bulging youth population. The IGAD Youth Policy therefore implore upon all the Member
States to tap into the demographic dividend by significantly and sustainably arranging
their budgets at national and regional level for the meaningful engagement of the youth as
per the context of this policy.

 Accountable: Meaningful engagement and participation of the youth calls for elaborate
and distinct respective engagement structures at Regional and National Levels
characterized by accountable and transparent transactions, project/program
implementation and reporting, feedback mechanisms and sustainability strategies. The
IGAD Youth Policy creates a mechanism for increasing accountability of duty bearers on
all matters related to youth development and empowerment strategies formulation
including policies, laws, programs, initiatives, campaigns, advocacies and related
interventions within the Region.

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 Inclusive and Non-Discriminative: The operational definition of the term “Inclusion” is
the process of improving the terms for at-risk or disadvantaged individuals’ or groups’
participation in society through enhancing their abilities and capabilities, creating and
availing opportunities for socio-economic development and empowerment, increasing
access to resources (goods, services and other enabling factors of production), upscaling
their voice and ensuring respect for rights in order for the full participation in economic,
social, political and cultural life and to enjoy high quality standard of life that is
considered normal in the societies in which they live and function.

The IGAD Youth policy shall ensure that no single youth in the IGAD Region is excluded
nor discriminated against on any of these basis: age, sex, disability, nationality, race,
ethnicity, origin, religion, economic or any other status, but shall instead create favorable
conditions for all youth to thrive and attain their optimal self-actualization levels through
enhanced opportunities, access to quality and affordable education, access to youth-
friendly and responsive health services, access to requisite resources for youth
development and empowerment, increased youth voices at all IGAD Levels of operations
and enshrine the respect for rights in all IGAD Processes and Procedures.

 Gender Equity and Equality: The IGAD Youth Policy principle on equity and gender
equality derives its bearing from the Article 3 of the African Charter on Values and
Principles of Public Service and UNFPA (2005) definition of Gender Equity. Gender
equity is defined in this policy, therefore, as a process of being fair to both men and
women and that to ensure fairness, strategies and measures must often be available to
compensate for women’s historical and social disadvantages that prevent women and men
from otherwise operating on a level playing field. Gender in the context of this policy
means the economic, social, cultural and political attributes and opportunities associated
with being male or female.

The Policy shall in all its pursuits and endeavors strive to guarantee equal enjoyment of
rights and privileges by men and women of all socially valued goods and services, socio-
economic development and youth empowerment opportunities as well as resources
available for these particular policy principle.

 Youth Participation and Inclusion: The IGAD Youth Policy defines youth participation
as the active and structured engagement of young people throughout their own
communities, and in the context of the policy, across the IGAD Region. The policy shall
ensure effective and mutually beneficial youth participation in decision-making processes
at IGAD; sports, arts and creative sectors, research, innovation and industrialization
processes within IGAD region; development of the blue and digital economies; climate

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 change mitigation and interventions; job-creation and peace building across the entire
IGAD Region.

During implementation phase, Member States shall be called upon to consider ways to
increase inclusive representation of youth in decision-making at all levels for the
prevention and resolution of conflicts, co-create and co-design appropriate socio-economic
development programs and projects at Regional and Member State Level and to participate
in all processes of public governance and administration with an aim of ensuring greater
youth participation and gender equality. All relevant actors should take into account, as
appropriate, the participation and views of youth when negotiating and implementing the
IGAD Youth Policy and its attendant pieces of legislations and agreements.

 Ownership and Sense of Belonging: IGAD Youth Policy recognizes the implications of
the concept of “ownership and belonging” as very imperative to the successful
development and future implementation of this policy. Relying on lessons learnt from the
Trends in Cognitive Sciences Volume 23 Issue No. 2 of February 2019 (pg. 102 – 113),
IGAD affirms that youth ownership of and feelings of belonging to processes and actions
aimed at addressing their common issues and challenges matters a lot if the suggested
policy actions are to attain their desirable ends (impacts).

In the process of translating the policy into laws and subsequently into programs and
actions, IGAD shall ensure meaningful engagement and effective participation of the
youth at all levels to enrich their sense of ownership and belonging throughout policy
implementation and review phases.

3.3. Strategies for Meaningful Youth Engagement with IGAD and within IGAD
Processes
IGAD Youth Policy has adopted strategies for meaningful youth engagement as derived from the
Global Consensus Statement on Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement. The strategies
were developed after very extensive research-based deliberations and consultations with and
between state and non-state actors, development and research agencies, policymakers, youth civil
society organizations and youth-serving CSOs, health practitioners and all others who seek to
work with the youth in an inclusive and equitable way in the African Continent. These strategies
are:

(a) Support youth leadership by facilitating opportunities for decision-making in all stages of
programs and initiatives. This includes working with adolescent and youth-led
organizations as a core partner, creating and/or supporting youth-centered and youth-
focused development policies, laws, programs/projects and interventions. The support is
also appropriately important in establishing a youth advisory group or council at different
levels of decision-making and governance with a clear structure for influencing the
direction of regional youth organization and leadership, youth affairs management and

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 implementation of youth social-development initiatives, and reserving spaces for young
people on the planning and decision-making groups and fora. Supporting youth leadership
also includes ensuring that these roles are clearly defined and young people are adequately
supported in every way to ensure that they can influence decisions, policies, legislations
and programs.
(b) Member States to make a solid commitment to discuss and agree upon the roles,
responsibilities, and expectations together with young people, preferably in a written
agreement. These discussions should explore the aim, goal, and purpose of engagement
with young people to ensure mutual accountability at Member State Level. Before
engaging youth at the Country-Level, young people should be involved in determining
how their participation will take place, its scope, purpose, and potential impact, and how
or what they would like to contribute. After engagement, young people should receive
clear feedback on how their participation has influenced outcomes, and given
opportunities to participate in follow up processes or activities, including monitoring and
evaluation of young people’s participation and its overall impact in regional
transformation and realization of sustainable development goals and the AU Agenda 2063
among other compelling regional development blueprints.
(c) Establish a clear method for addressing and responding to feedback from all formal and
informal youth engagements. This include regular discussion with young people on
whether or not their views and ideas are being heard, adopted. Mainstreamed into the
Regional development planning instruments including policies, charters, treaties, laws,
budgets, programs and projects.
(d) Create and identify opportunities for young people and support them to advocate for issues
and causes of their choice, and to share their experience and knowledge as experts by
connecting young people with key population networks, mentoring young people to speak
at advocacy events, and hiring young people as members of staff within ranks and file of
IGAD and IGAD member States.
(e) Support sustained engagement and ongoing relationships between young people’s
organizations and the IGAD. This may include providing young people with enough time,
space, and other necessary resources for meetings with different IGAD Divisions and
Specialized Entities and to multiply their impact and reach within the Region, including
before, during, and after major IGAD Youth Conventions and Special events.
(f) Build skills and knowledge of young people and the adults working with them as a
mechanism for fast tracking the realization of IGAD Youth Policy Objectives and
Aspirations. Capacity building in this regard will entail provision of technical and
professional support to the youth regarding the development of their policy-oriented
programs and projects, country-level policies and laws, and resource mobilization
strategies. Youth ability for effective engagement with other stakeholders, decision-makers
and development partners is also a requirement for effective IGAD Youth Policy
implementation and therefore shall be considered by IGAD as a necessity.

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(g) IGAD shall use language (s) and communication methods that are understandable,
respectful, and accessible to everyone within the region by avoiding overly technical
language and jargon, developing material for disabled young people, and providing
translation support to those who should require it.
(h) IGAD shall strive to provide young people sufficient support and resources, including
financial resources, in a timely manner. This includes giving appropriate priority to
funding and officially collaborating with adolescent and youth-led organizations in pursuit
of this policy and its objectives. It also includes heightened transparency and diversity in
funding arrangements by allocating funds to young people in an equitable way and
ensuring sufficient funds are available to guarantee that participation is truly accessible for
a range of young people. Within culturally appropriate boundaries, young people will be
compensated for their participation in recognition of their skills, expertise, innovations,
and time.
(i) Provide enabling environments and ensure that adequate time and resources are made
available to youth so that they are prepared and have the confidence and opportunity to
participate in high-level decision-making. These approaches should be mindful of the
differing levels of support needed, based on the age and evolving capacities of young
people, and acknowledge that the expertise and participation of some youth may draw
from adverse personal experiences that could trigger emotional trauma that may require
the provision of psychological support.
(j) Promote gender equality and the empowerment of girls and young women in all IGAD and
IGAD Member States’ development policy and legislation planning and budgeting
processes. This includes implementing gender-sensitive measures to facilitate the
engagement of girls and young women in participatory governance and socio-economic
development activities. By meaningfully engaging women and girls, IGAD will transform
gendered social norms by legitimizing their engagement in decision-making arenas at both
Regional and National Levels.

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 CHAPTER FOUR:

PRIORITIZED YOUTH ISSUES, STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND ACTION PLANS

4.0. Chapter Introduction

The chapter presents a detailed description of issues and challenges affecting youth development
and empowerment in the IGAD Region. The issues enlisted in this chapter were identified and
prioritized through inclusive and participatory consultative processes culminating to a validation
and input session in Nairobi, Kenya on 19 and 20 December 2022. The processes identified 12
issues as follows:

4.1. Priority No. 1: Legal, Institutional and Programming Framework for

Meaningful Youth Engagement in the IGAD Region
The youth in the region face major inclusion and participation barriers in relevant programs,
projects, and decision-making structures as well as effective contribution in civic and political
processes. The limited participation of educated, unemployed, globally exposed, and
technologically savvy youth has led to frustration and a sense of disfranchisement, which, if left
unaddressed, may threaten community cohesion, peace, stability and security

i) Policy Objectives:

To mainstream youth agenda in all IGAD processes and structures.

ii) Legal and Institutional Framework Bearing the Priority #1

The policy objective emanates from the key mandates and functions of IGAD related to
coordination, harmonization, tracking progress through appropriate monitoring and evaluation
systems, providing platforms for dialogues, and sharing best practices.

iii) Strategic Actions:

The implementation and strategic priority areas of this policy will be founded on meaningful
youth engagement. The policy will build on the present momentum to ensure successful
intervention on the pressing youth needs.

In order to mainstream meaningful youth participation in all IGAD processes, the following
actions, at different levels, are proposed as follows: -

i) IGAD Member States

Member States shall work towards

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 i) Establishment of National Youth Councils (NYCs), Agencies or their equivalents where
they do not exist and guarantee their meaningful engagement and participation in the
context of the IGAD Youth Policy Framework.
ii) Facilitate the creation or strengthening of platforms for youth participation in decision-
making at local, national, regional, and continental levels of governance;
iii) Give priority to policies and Programmes including youth advocacy and peer-to-peer
Programmes for marginalized youth
iv) Provide inclusive access to information in diverse formats including ICT (Print and
Electronic), sign language, braille and such other formats such that the youth become
aware of their rights and opportunities to participate in decision making and civic life
v) Provide technical and financial support to build the institutional capacity of youth
organizations.
vi) Include youth representatives as part of delegations to national, regional and international
meetings.
vii) To promote effective youth participation in all IGAD processes through well-established
national and regional coordination mechanisms
viii) Encourage best practice replication among member states such as establishment of
National Youth Service Schemes to bolster regional peace building efforts, regional
integration and development.
ix) Put in place mechanisms to facilitate coordination and networking amongst youth and
youth serving organizations both at the regional and international level

ii) IGAD Secretariat

The IGAD Secretariat, headed by Executive Secretary, shall work towards

i) Assisting member states in formulating regional programmes/projects in the priority

areas enlisted in the IGAD Youth Policy (2022);
ii) Facilitate the coordination and harmonization of regional development policies and
programmes to ensure effective and functional mainstreaming of the IGAD Youth
Policy priorities in the IGAD member states’ development plans and budget
frameworks;
iii) Mobilize resources to support policy implementation including financing of regional
development programmes/projects emanating from the IGAD Youth Policy
interpretation and application in the quest for Regional Youth Development and
Empowerment;
iv) Reinforce Regional and National infrastructures necessary for successful
implementation of regional youth development projects and programmes within the
provisions of the IGAD Youth Policy;
v) Put in place mechanisms to facilitate coordination and networking amongst youth and
youth serving organizations at the national, regional and international level;

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 vi) Institute deliberate efforts to establish linkages between the IGAD youth and youth
organizations with continental and global organizations with similar objectives;
vii) Promote the role of youth in culture, sports and creative industries within the region;
viii) Work through member states and other relevant actors and stakeholders to ensure
effective and impactful policy implementation; policy oversighting at national and
regional levels; and policy monitoring, evaluation, research and development, learning
and knowledge management; and
ix) Establish an annual IGAD Youth Forum, hosted by the Executive Secretary, as a
regional platform for youth engagement with the IGAD leadership.

iii) Youth, Youth-Focused and Youth-Led Organizations

Youth, youth-focused and youth-led organizations shall

i) Take active role in the sensitization and awareness creation on the IGAD youth policy.
ii) Mobilize requisite resources necessary for effective implementation of the policy.
iii) Take active roles in the implementation of IGAD youth policy in the best interest of
the youth at regional and sub-regional levels.
iv) To work with and through national and regional stakeholders to ensure, the policy is
cascaded and implemented in all levels.
v) Promote knowledge sharing and best practice learning.
vi) Participate in monitoring, evaluation, research and learning.

iv) Bi-Lateral and Multi-Lateral Development Partners

Development Partners shall;

i) Provide technical assistance in the implementation of the policy.

ii) Contribute financial support for implementation of the policy at the regional and sub-
regional levels.
iii) Work with implementing partners to track policy impact and contribution to the
realization of the sustainable development goals and indicators.
iv) Participate in the regional and sub-regional meetings convened for the purpose of
review the progress implementation. 
v) Support monitoring, evaluation, research and learning related to the policy
implementation.
vi) Work with key stakeholders to facilitate policy dissemination, awareness creation, and
capacity building activities for effective implementation of the policy.
v) The Media

The media will

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 i) Popularize the policy through hosting the IGAD representatives to discuss the policy in
various media houses;
ii) Support policy advocacy programmes at national, regional, continental and global
level; and
iii) Champion the youth agenda as a way to promoting youth issues awareness and
ongoing actions to address the same.

4.2. Priority Area No. 2: Youth Peace and Security in the IGAD Region
iv) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 6

The IGAD, as revitalized in 1996, is mandated to deal with peace and security issues in the
Region. With its extended mandate to cover political and economic development issues, IGAD
established its “Political and Humanitarian Development” which was later in 2003 renamed
“Peace and Security Division (PSD)”.

The IGAD Youth Peace and Security strategies are anchored on various UN and AU documents
for Youth, Peace and Security including but not limited to the following:

i) UN Security Council Resolution 2535 of 14 July 2020. This Resolution on Youth,

Peace and Security established regular biennial reporting requirement on youth, peace
and security by the Secretary-General and contained provisions aimed at the
mainstreaming of the youth peace and security agenda into the work of the UN
Secretariat.
ii) UN Security Council Resolution 2419 of 6 June 2018. This was a Resolution,
unanimously adopted, reaffirming the important role that youth and youth-led civil
societies can play in promoting peacebuilding and sustaining peace.
iii) UN Security Council Presidential Statement (S/PRST/2019/15) of 12 December
2019. This statement on the role African Youth can play in the prevention and
resolution of conflicts and as a key aspect of the sustainability, inclusiveness and
success of peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts on the continent.
iv) The UN Secretary-General’s Report on the Issue of Youth, Peace and Security
dated 2 March 2020. The Report was submitted pursuant to Resolution 2419 (2018),
in which the UNSC requested the Secretary-General to submit a Report on the
Implementation of Resolutions 2419 (2018) and 2250 (2015). This was the first Report
on youth and peace and security since the Security Council adopted Resolution 2250
(2015) in which the essential role of young people in mitigating, preventing and
resolving conflicts and in sustaining peace and security was recognized. The Report
noted that when young people are meaningfully engaged and included in all phases of
the peacebuilding process, the benefits are clear. The Report also indicated that the
success of implementation of any peacebuilding process is a function of the extent to
which member states support the implementation of the youth and peace and security
agenda’s five pillars of Resolution 2250 (2015). The pillars are: -
a. Promotion of Political participation of young people to human rights mechanisms;

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 b. Education reforms and employment policies
c. Increased recognition by national authorities of local and national peace efforts and
initiatives driven by the young people
d. Translating youth peace and security agenda into broader policy frameworks in
order to ensure strategic and coordinated action at the national level; and
e. Allocating financial resources and supporting inclusive youth participation
f. The African Union Commission Continental Framework for Youth, Peace and
Security. The Framework defines Youth, Peace and Security as “conscious actions
and processes to protect young people from participation in, and the ill effects of,
violent conflicts and insecurity, and to promote and support their contributions to
peace efforts in conflicts and post-conflicts situations”. The Framework takes
cognizance of various instruments and programs of the AU relevant to Youth,
Peace and Security. These include: - the AU Constitutive Act (2000); AU Peace
and Security Council (PSC) Protocol; the African Youth Charter (2006); AU Youth
Division Programs; the AU Agenda 2063 Aspiration 4; AU Theme on Youth in
2017; Silencing the Guns by 2020 Initiative AU’s Engagement with Civil Society
as guided by Article 8 (10) (c) and the Rules of Procedure 21 and 22 of the PSC.
The Article 8 (10)(c) allows for the Civil Society participation in Conflict
Prevention, Management and Resolution (CPMR), training and advocacy activities
of the PSC as being pivotal to the advancement of AU’s Youth, Peace and Security
Agenda; The African Governance Architecture (AGA) Platform; Youth 4 Peace
(Y4P) Africa Program; Interfaith Dialogue on Violent Extremism; AU Youth
Envoy Action Plan 2019/2020; The 1 million by 2021 Initiative; National and
Regional (RECs and RMs) Initiatives on Youth, Peace and Security, and Global
policy initiatives on Youth, Peace and Security including UNSCR 2250 (2015),
UNSCR 2419 (2018), and UNSC Presidential Statement on 12 December 2019.

v) Policy Objective

To ensure meaningful youth participation in promoting good governance, peace and security for
stability, regional integration, and development in the IGAD Region.
vi) Strategic Actions

1) UN Security Council and UN Mechanisms for Peace and Security in the IGAD Region

The UNSC and UN Mechanisms for Peace and Security shall

1) Encourage and support meaningful youth participation in regional peace and security
efforts, including as relevant with respective UN Mission Mandates within the IGAD
Region;
2) Systematically engage with diverse groups of young people and representatives of
youth organizations during country visits that the Council undertakes; and

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 3) Expand and systematize UN Mechanisms’ support to IGAD Youth Policy
Implementation concerning the IGAD’s role in promoting meaningful youth
participation in promotion of Regional Peace and Security.
4) Ensure the integration of youth and peace and security agenda into the UN’s strategic
and planning documents, IGAD Regional Peace and Security Status Analysis, IGAD-
led youth and peace and security efforts and actions and support IGAD Youth Council
in developing Conflict Prevention and Resolution tools at the Regional and Member
States’ levels.
5) Support IGAD to establish a network of youth and peace and security focal points at
the Country and Regional levels and build on existing human and technical resources
within IGAD and IGAD Member States to ensure dedicated capacities with regard to
youth and peace and security within IGAD Region.
6) Build IGAD’s capacities to protect children and young people from recruitment into
militia and armed groups

2) IGAD Secretariat

The IGAD Secretariat shall

i) Operationalize the IGAD Youth Forum for Peace, and amplify the youth voice in
promoting peace and security in the region;
ii) Conduct capacity building on conflict prevention, management and resolution for
youth
leaders of the member states;
iii) Promote regional experience sharing platform
iv) In conformity with all applicable International Laws, Treaties, Charters and Protocols
on Youth and Peace and Security, take specific actions and elaborate measures to
ensure the protection of civilians, including young women and men, in particular
young human rights defenders and peacebuilders, during and after armed conflicts.
v) Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the IGAD
Youth Policy provisions on Youth Peace and Security feeds into Meetings of the
Council of Ministers in charge of Regional Affairs, Security and Foreign Affairs; and
subsequently to Summits by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

3) IGAD Member States

The IGAD Member States shall

i) Strengthen the capacity of youth and youth organizations in peace building, conflict
prevention, management and resolution through the promotion of intercultural
learning, civic education, tolerance, human rights education, good governance,
democracy, mutual respect for cultural, ethnic and religious diversity, the importance
of dialogue and cooperation, responsibility, solidarity and international cooperation;

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 ii) Institute mechanisms to promote a culture of peace and tolerance amongst youth that
discourages participation in acts of transnational security threats and organized crimes;
violence, terrorism, violent extremism, xenophobia, racial discrimination, gender-
based discrimination, foreign occupation and trafficking in arms and drugs;
iii) Mobilize youth for the reconstruction of areas devastated by war, bringing help to
refugees and war victims and promoting peace, reconciliation and rehabilitation
activities;
iv) Develop dedicated local, national and regional roadmaps for meaningful youth
engagement and participation in peace and security;
v) Enhance meaningful participation of young women and men in peace and security
processes and throughout negotiations of peace agreements;
vi) Increase funding for the implementation of IGAD Regional Peace and Security
Agenda, including accessible resourcing for organizations led by and focused on
young people within the Region.
vii) In conformity with all applicable International Laws, Treaties, Charters and Protocols
on Youth and Peace and Security, take specific actions and elaborate measures to
ensure the protection of civilians, including young women and men, in particular
young human rights defenders and peacebuilders, during and after armed conflicts.

4) Bi-Lateral and Multi-Lateral Development Partners

The Development Partners shall collaborate with IGAD, IGAD MSs and IGAD Youth Forum to

i) Facilitate the transition of FCAS from fragility to resilience and from conflict to peace;
ii) Develop and roll-out methodologies to support the humanitarian-development-peace-
resilience nexus targeting youth as core actors and beneficiaries;
iii) Support the implementation of IGAD guidelines, policies, action plans and tools for
conflict early warning, conflict prevention, conflict sensitivity analysis, resilience and
peace building;
iv) Conduct joint studies and resilience analysis to enable active, functional and balanced
youth engagement in fragile and conflict situations in the IGAD region;
v) Support the establishment of Center of Expertise for Cooperation on Resilience, Peace
and Security Programs for Women, Youth and Children in the IGAD Region;
vi) Provide expertise and technical backstopping for cooperation on efficient Youth
Engagement in Peace and Security Processes including negotiations of and actions on
Ceasefires and Peace Agreements (CPAs); Security Sector Reforms (SSR); arms
control, anti-money laundering (AML); and countering the financing of terrorism
(CFT), Disarmament-Demobilization-Reintegration (DDR); Mine actions and
explosives; and Small Arms Light Weapons (SALW) in the IGAD Region;
vii) Provide financial, expertise and capacity building to strength youth organizations’
capacities for effective engagement and participation in peace and security processes;

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viii) Support IGAD to implement youth social and Economic Development Priorities
enlisted in this Policy in a green and human rights friendly manner as a means to
achieving sustainable peace and security in the IGAD Region; and
ix) Liaise with the Office of the Executive Secretary of IGAD to organize and host the
annual IGAD Youth Forum as a platform for reviewing impacts of Meaningful Youth
Engagement in Regional Peace and Security Processes and to use the outcomes of such
forums to strengthen the gains made while deepening factors propelling resilience,
peace, security and sustainable regional development.

4.3. Priority Area No. 3: Youth, Environment and Climate Change

i) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 3
The youth being a vulnerable group are worst affected by climate change effects, with
vulnerability to climate change, and the capacity for adaptation and mitigation being
strongly influenced by livelihoods, lifestyles, behavior and culture. The African Union
Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022 – 2032)
upon which the IGAD Youth Policy (2022) Priority Area No. 3 is anchored envisages
a sustainable, prosperous, equitable and climate Africa. This vision is expected to be
realized when African Union Member States through their respective RECs work
together towards provision of a continental and regional framework for collective
action and enhanced cooperation in addressing environment and climate change issues.

In particular, the continental framework seeks to promote actions that improve young
women and men’s livelihoods and well-being, promote adaptation capacities of
individuals, communities, nations, regions and the continent to the adverse effects and
impacts of climate change, and achieve low-carbon emissions and sustainable
economic growth and development.

The African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action
Plan (2022 – 2032) relevance to the IGAD Youth Policy (2022) is found in its guiding
principles, especially principle number 4 that call upon all member states to leave no
one behind by ensuring a whole of economy approach through intersectionality
development and climate change mitigation approaches using a common but
differentiated approach in climate change policy formulation, development, program
design and implementation among other youth, environment and climate change
mitigation considerations.

ii) The Policy Objective

To ensure youth participation in the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation,

research and learning of national and regional development plans, policies and
strategies in environment protection and climate action.

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iii) Strategic Actions
a. IGAD Secretariat and IGAD Member States shall;
i) Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing
the IGAD Youth Policy provisions on Youth, Environment and Climate
Change feeds into Meetings of the Council of Ministers in charge of
Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, and subsequently to
Summits by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
ii) Initiate a green and blue economy financing, including increasing inflows,
grant efficiency and impact of funding on youth and other more vulnerable
groups in the communities;
iii) Support renewable and clean energy, energy efficiency and national Just
Transition Programmes;
iv) Promote domestic Nature-Based Solutions and focus on biodiversity through
work on youth-led and youth-CSO driven sustainable land and environment
management, forestry, oceans and large water bodies conservations as well as
eco and agro-tourism;
v) Build resilient agriculture by focusing on inclusive economic development,
green collar, blue collar and orange collar jobs while reducing over-reliance on
white collar jobs and jobs that generally contribute to land and environmental
degradation; and
vi) In collaboration with Development Partners and Specialized Agencies, support
Member States to develop and sustain their green and resilient symbiotic
cities, including a focus on water (flooding and water resources and drought
management) and enhancing information, communication and technology
application in urban planning and management.
vii) Adopting path-ways towards Transformative Climate-Resilient Development
viii) Enhancing and facilitating the means towards implementation of climate-
smart, climate-resilient and climate-sensitive agricultural and infrastructural
development including design and implementation of Regional Climate
Finance Mechanisms.
ix) Promoting enhanced youth-centered climate policies, actions and strategies
that ensures and advances the principles of inclusivity, equity, polluter pays,
multi-sectoral and multi-level approach, and participatory climate governance
and institutional coordination.

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4.4. Priority Area No. 4: Youth Migration and Forced Displacement
i. Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 4

IGAD covers a diverse region with a population of over 230 million, comprising areas of
high potential for rapid economic growth and investment and areas prone to violent
conflict, political instability, and humanitarian crises (IGAD Regional Strategy, 2016).

The IGAD Region is one of the world’s largest refugee producing and hosting areas, with
up to 11 million forcefully displaced persons (RMMS, 2017). Most of the displacement in
the Region is protracted, lasting 10 years on average, as for refugees from Eritrea, Somalia
and South Sudan. In line with trends in global displacement and mixed migration in the
HoA has become more complex over the last five to ten years. It has also increased in
volume, fueled by political, socio-economic, and environmental factors.

According to FAO and IGAD (2019), a serious challenge in the management of migration
in the region is the lack of a normative and policy framework on migration at the national
level and regional level. With the exception of Kenya and Uganda, which have taken steps
towards the development of national migration policies, countries in the IGAD region lack
solid and comprehensive national policies on migration and forced displacement. Some
countries have legislation governing certain aspects of migration, in particular, criminal
laws governing human trafficking; others have policies governing internally displaced
persons and labor migration, but none of these policies is linked nor do they portray a
comprehensive package to effectively manage migration flows in and from IGAD Region.

The weak policy, legal and institutional framework on the management of migration and
forced displacement of persons (migrant workers - regular and irregular, refugees,
smuggled migrants, trafficked persons, unaccompanied children, environmental migrants,
stranded migrants, and victims of exploitation and abuse) is a threat to attainment of
regional peace and security, besides being a stumbling block to the realization of all other
SDGs in the region.

One of the glaring cases is Djibouti, which is a transit, source, and destination country for
men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking, economic
migrants from East Africa attempting to travel across the sea to Yemen and other Middle
East locations; and asylum seekers and refugees (OECD, 2015). There are reports of
women and girls forced into domestic servitude or prostitution and Djiboutian and foreign
children forced to beg, to work as domestic servants, or to commit theft and other petty
crimes.

On the contrary, migration has attracted remittances and diaspora investment, and
provided the much-needed economic support to women and men within sending and
receiving communities. The bulk of the economic gains from migration accrue to migrants

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 and their families (including women and children), and these gains are often large.
Essentially migrants can earn salaries that reflect industrial-country prices and spend the
money in cities and towns. At a transnational level, a review of current literature suggests
a similarly complex reality regarding the impacts of remittances.

The following policy, legislative and institutional frameworks has guided prioritization
and mainstreaming of youth migration and forced displacement as an IGAD Policy
imperative:

i. 3rd IGAD Scientific Conference on Migration and Displacement: The IGAD Scientific
Conference brought together researchers, policy makers, practitioners and international
institutions to share their experiences, knowledge and give policy recommendations on
how IGAD and its Member States can more effectively protect vulnerable groups and
increase the resilience of migrants, refugees, displaced persons and host communities to
better mitigate the impact of changes of inclusion and social cohesion. The IGAD
Secretariat, in cooperation with its development partners including Government of
Germany through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the
World Bank and the Sweden International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
organized the conference themed “Inclusion and Social Cohesion: Connecting research,
data and policy “, at the Radisson Blu Upper hill, Nairobi on Tuesday 1st – Thursday 3rd
November 2022.

ii. IGAD Regional Migration Policy Framework (RMPF): The RMPF is the first of its
kind in Africa inspired by and developed in response to the AU Banjul Decision
EX.CL/Dec.304 (IX), and places a particular emphasis on regional specific concerns such
as migration and pastoralism, migration and human security and internal displacement due
to political instability amongst many others. The RMPF also provides critical guidelines
for IGAD MSs on how to develop National Migration Policy Frameworks (NMPFs),
providing strategies for realizing systematic and harmonized migration management
within the IGAD Region, but also encourages IGAD MSs to take into account their
national specificities and situational uniqueness while developing own NMPFs.

ii. Policy Objective

To establish mechanisms for orderly migration including management and prevention of

forced displacement of youth within and from the IGAD region.

iii. Strategic Actions

In order to successfully cascade and effectively implement the IGAD RMPF in the best
interest of young women and men in the Region;

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1) IGAD Secretariat shall
i. Develop youth-focused strategies for poverty reduction, job creation, enterprise
development, industrialization through increased value addition in agriculture,
improved lifestyles and working conditions while developing skills sets that would
best address the root causes of youth migration and displacement in and from the
IGAD Region;
ii. Promote the signing, ratification and domestication by IGAD MSs of all
International Instruments (Treaties, Protocols, Agreements, Charters and
Conventions) relating to Migration and Forced Displacement including the IGAD
RMPF and its enabling programs and projects intended at strengthening youth
participation in the same.
iii. Fast track adoption and implementation of appropriate protocols intended to
progressively achieve meaningful youth engagement and participation in the design
and implementation of Regional Free Movement of Persons Protocols, Right of
Residence and the Right of Establishment including access by the young women
and men to gainful, decent and legal employment within the IGAD Region without
adversely affecting the employment of local nationals in countries of destination.
iv. Include youth migration and displacement in the framework of IGAD Regional
Development Planning, Project/Programme Planning Design and Implementation;
Resource Mobilization and Allocation; Policy and Programme Monitoring,
Evaluation, Research, Learning and Knowledge Management in order to deepen
response to root causes of youth migration and displacement in the Region;
v. In collaboration with its Development Partners, formulate viable and pragmatic
policies and programs for environmental protection and conservation, management
of human and wildlife conflicts, drought mitigation and early warning and
response, flood mitigation and early warning and response and pandemics
outbreaks mitigation and early warning and response as some of the major causes
of youth migration and displacement in the IGAD Region;
vi. Promote the establishment, consolidation and deepening of democracy in all the
IGAD MSs based on transparent, regular and participatory democratic processes,
respect for and observance of human rights and the rule of law and to support pan-
African institutions and initiatives reflecting these objects and principles including
promoting the implementation of the Strategic Framework for A NEPAD Youth
Programme (2005 – 2015) within IGAD as a complementary follow-on program.
vii. Support national programmes for disarmaments, demobilization, detoxification and
reintegration of former and demobilized combatants with particular attention to the
predicament of child soldiers, abandoned spouses and others who were denied care
and support during and immediately after armed and or violent conflicts;
viii. Support sustainable and purposively meaningful engagement of young women and
men in all facets of conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding

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 processes by facilitating active youth participation in peace negotiations and other
regional diplomatic initiatives.
ix. Urge and support IGAD MSs to domesticate IGAD Youth Policy Actions on
Youth Migration and Forced Displacement at National Level by supporting the
formulation of appropriate NMPFs within each of the IGAD MSs where such
policies do not already exist.
x. Engage IGAD Development Partners (UNEP, UNHABITAT, UNHCR, OCHA,
UNDP, UNFPA, SIDA, WB, GIZ, JICA, DFID, USAID, IOM, Save the Children
International, World Vision among other) to provide requisite technical, financial,
and other assistance which enable a holistic approach to management of migration
and forced displacement which instituting viable prevention and control measures
thereto.
xi. Encourage and promote adaptation and implementation of RMPF and NMPFs at
the local levels by both State and Non-State Actors/Public and Private Sectors to
ensure optimization of policy and program impacts on targeted region(s) and
nation(s).
xii. Encourage youth participation in the formulation, development, implementation,
monitoring, evaluation, research on and learning from IGAD Youth Policy on
Migration and Displacement with an aim of improving policy, programs and
institutional frameworks at National and Regional Levels.
xiii. Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the
IGAD Youth Policy provisions on Youth Migration and Forced Displacement
feeds into Meetings of the Council of Ministers in charge of Foreign Affairs,
Internal Security and Defense and subsequently to Summits by the Assembly of
Heads of State and Government.

2) IGAD Member States shall;

i. Strengthen national policies, structures and laws to establish and sustain an effective inter-
and intra- agency coordination and integrated approaches at national level through among
others, incorporating and harmonizing the IGAD Youth Policy provisions on Migration
and Forced Displacement into national policies, legislation, programs, projects and
budgetary allocations.
ii. Adopt and domesticate all international instruments on migration and displacement
including instruments that sanction the human trafficking in all forms and manner.
iii. Institute policy and legislative actions on forced labor, protection of children and young
women and men from involvement and participation in armed and or violent conflicts.
iv. Sanction illicit cross-border trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as
addressed in the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 UN Convention
of Psychotropic Substances, 1988 UN Convention on Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances.

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 v. Create standards, procedures, guidelines and protocols based on reliable data, law and
policy, for all youth returnees, re-admission and re-integration of returned youth
immigrants consistent with existing regional, continental and international instruments
pertaining to management of migration and displacement.
vi. Provide returned migrants with appropriate identity documents to permit their due
recognition and acceptance, as well as facilitate full participation in IGAD and in its
individual member states in the same way as nationals who had not migrated.
vii. Develop and institutionalize mechanism for continuous monitoring and reporting on the
situation of refugees and or returnees within IGAD MSs with an aim to ensuring that their
welfare and well-being is guaranteed and provided and that they are able to effectively
contribute to national and regional social and economic development regardless of their
refugee status;
viii. Strengthen national border management and control capacities through enhanced capacity-
building measures, collaborations, intelligence sharing, surveillance and technical co-
operation to ensure orderly and purposeful migration into and out of the IGAD Region.
ix. Work with specialized Agencies such as IOM, UNHCR, ILO, and Interpol to have orderly,
secure and risk-free return, re-admission and re-integration of returned or returning youth
migrants; and
x. Establish focal points within relevant Ministries and devise national contingency plans for
enhancing youth and youth organizations’ capacities to address root causes and impacts of
migration and displacement, while developing and implementing programs and projects
aimed at mitigating these root causes and impacts of migration and displacement on young
women and men.
xi. Facilitate discussions of free movement of labor within the IGAD region
xii. Coordinate engagements with the Regional Economic Communities to fast track the
implementation of the various protocols that support free movement of labor.
xiii. Security and protection for the youth in line with the Global Compact for Migration
(GCM) to ensure safe mobility for the youth; and
xiv. Outline cross-border policies that protect and safeguard young people

3) Development Partners;
In order to better deal with the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement of
young women and men (including children) in the IGAD region, development partners shall
support programs and actions intended at: -

 Fostering resilience, stability, and security within the IGAD Region;

 Helping IGAD and IGAD MSs to create socioeconomic and job opportunities for young
people
 Building regional and national legislative, institutional, and operational capacities to
improve overall migration governance, management and outcomes.

4) Youth and Youth Organizations shall;

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 IGAD and Youth Organizations shall collaborate on broad variety of Regional Migration
and Forced Displacement Management issues including but not limited to:
a. Cooperate in awareness-raising among potential migrants and capacity building
for governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions in
counter-trafficking, provision of safe shelter and protection services,
counseling and guidance services, provision of medical services to migrants on
transit and in refugee camps as well as assist in facilitating return and re-
integration.
b. Collaborate with specialized migration and displacement management agencies
in each of the three stages of assisted voluntary returns: pre-departure,
transportation and post-arrival with an aim to ensuring safety and security of all
returnees from countries of origin to their host countries.
c. Participate in Calls for Proposals, Grants Applications and other donor-driven
interventions as shall from time to time be floated for the purposes of
implementation of the Policy.

4.5. Priority Area No. 5: Youth Education and Skills Development

1) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 5

The IGAD Regional Education Policy Framework and the Djibouti Declaration on
Education for Refugees, Returnees and Host Communities forms the basis for the Priority
Area No. 5. The Regional Education Policy Framework advocates for accessible,
equitable, relevant, inclusive and quality education in all the IGAD Member States. IGAD
asserts that education and skills development remain central to the quest for a successful
regional integration agenda of IGAD. SDG 4 also informs the policy priority on education
that seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
learning opportunities for all by 2030.

2) Policy Objective

To establish and strengthen technical and finance mechanisms that support inclusive,
cohesive and skills-oriented training for sustainable development in the region.

3) Strategic Actions

In order to ensure accessible, equitable, relevant, inclusive and quality education in all the
IGAD Member States,

a. IGAD Member States shall;

i. Develop a roadmap for the elaboration of a regional qualifications framework
(RQF);
ii. Develop a Costed National Education Response Plans (CNERP),
iii. Implement appropriate career guidance for the youth;

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 iv. Develop and implement apprenticeship programs for the youth to facilitate school
to work transition;
v. Promote entrepreneurship training in school curriculum in all levels of education.
vi. Adopt policies that promote and support innovative ideas in readiness for the
fourth industrial revolution.

b. IGAD Secretariat shall;

i. Ensure effective and practical implementation of the Djibouti Declaration with
emphasis on the need for developing and implementing: (a) regional education
quality standards; (b) regional skills development for refugees; (c) Inclusion of
refugees into national education systems: (d) accreditation and certification of
education programs and (e) financing, partnership and monitoring in support of
refugee education.
ii. Fast track the adoption and implementation of the IGAD Regional Qualification
Framework at Member State’s and Regional Level by providing Member States
with the much-needed support to build and strengthen mechanisms to recognize
and assess equivalency of educational standards/qualifications at national, regional
and international levels.
iii. Establish and operationalize regional teacher training program;
iv. Establish and operationalize the IGAD Council of Higher Education with an
advisory Board; and
v. Launch and scale-up, through local and international resource mobilization and
partnerships, a regional scholarship program to provide inclusive access to higher
education among refugees, returnees and host communities.
vi. Establish scholarship schemes for the youth to access higher learning in her
member states;
vii. Support the harmonization and recognition of professional training and
certifications among member states.
viii. Establish a regional innovation hub/center of excellence that supports innovation
and technological advancement.
ix. Organize an annual award for the youth in innovation and award the best
innovators within the IGAD region or member states.
x. Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the
IGAD Youth Policy provisions on Youth Education and Skills Development feeds
into Meetings of the Council of Ministers in charge Basic Education, TVET and
Higher Learning and subsequently to Summits by the Assembly of Heads of State
and Government.

4.6. Priority Area No. 6: Youth in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)
1) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 6

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The sixth priority intervention area finds its bearing in the IGAD Regional Education Policy
(2020). The 1996 Agreement Establishing IGAD empowers the organization, among others, to: -

i) Develop common policies, strategies and programs aimed at ensuring sustainable

development, peace, stability and social wellbeing in the region; and
ii) Foster inter- and intra-state/cross-border, regional and international cooperation in
education, science, technology, research and development and application in the fields
of science and technology; and
iii) Provide regional platforms for dialogue and sharing best practices in the field of
science, technology and innovation; and
iv) Mobilize resources (technical and financial) for the implementation of emergency,
short term, medium term and long-term programs in innovation, science and
technology within the framework of sub-regional cooperation; and
v) Follow-up implementation of commitments and track progress

Article 37 of the 1996 Agreement Establishing IGAD underlines the importance of regional
cooperation on human resources, science and technology as well as investment in technology
research and development. To this effect, Member States are called upon to “undertake concerted
measures to foster cooperation in human resources development, and greater utilization of human,
technical know-how and institutional capabilities to adopt a regional plan for the joint
development and utilization of critical information and communication technologies, knowledge,
skills, technological inventiveness and techno-preneurship ingenuities in the region. Member
states are also encouraged to develop centers of excellence in their respective jurisdiction.

Article 38 of the 1996 Agreement Establishing IGAD urges member states to promote cooperation
in the development of science and technology through -

i) Establishment and support of scientific and technological research and institutions in

the various fields of science and technology; and
ii) Creation of conducive environment for the promotion of science and technology; and
iii) Exchange of scientific information, personnel, technology transfer within and among
IGAD member states, and the promotion and publication of research and scientific
findings; and
iv) Establishment of common ethical guidelines for research in science and technology
within the region.

To support the foregoing foundational and normative provisions on the promotion of science,
technology and innovation in the region, the IGAD Youth Policy (2022) is informed and guided
by the following SDG targets and other critical instruments: -

i) The 2030 SDGs, especially Goal 9 Target 9.5: Enhance research and upgrade
industrial technologies. This target seeks to enhance scientific research, upgrade the
technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing
countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the

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 number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and
private research and development spending.
ii) SDGs Goal 9 Target 9.B: Support domestic technology development and
industrial diversification. This target seeks to support domestic technology
development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a
conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value
addition to commodities.
iii) Target 9.C: Universal access to information and communications technology. The
target seeks to significantly increase access to information and communications
technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least
developed countries by 2030.
iv) The AU Agenda 2063, in particular its sectoral strategy on the Science, Technology
and Innovation Strategy for Africa (STSA, 2014), the Continental Strategy for
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and the AU Continental
Education Strategy for Africa (CESA, 2016 – 2020).
v) The IGAD Five-Year Strategy (2015 – 2020), which provided extensive coverage
and emphasis on education, science, technology and innovation; and
vi) The Nairobi Declaration and Plan of Action of the IGAD Heads of State and
Government; and
vii) The Djibouti Declaration and Plan of Action on Education for Refugees, Returnees and
Host Communities in the IGAD Region.

2) The Policy Objective

To support the creation of an enabling environment that promotes science, technology and
innovation (STI) within the IGAD region.

3) Strategic Actions

The implementation and strategic priority areas of this policy is founded on the age-old
history of scientific discovery and technological innovation that characterizes the IGAD
Region. The policy will build on the present momentum to ensure that Africa’s rich
indigenous knowledge systems and practices are applied as stepping-stones into the
gigantic Africa’s ICT potential while continuously generating and applying modern and
appropriately needs-oriented ICT solutions to solve our persistent socio-economic
problems and to increase wealth through SMART Job Creation in the ICT sector.

In order to promote science, technology and innovation within the IGAD region;

i) IGAD Secretariat

The IGAD Secretariat shall

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 i) Establish and strengthen Regional Centers of Excellence in Science, Technology and
Innovation;
ii) Promote indigenous knowledge and best practices, and scale-up proven indigenous
technologies to commercial level from patenting and application of Regional
Copyright Laws and Patenting Regulations;
iii) Establish an IGAD Regional Intellectual Property Rights Agency (RIPRA) to protect
and promote the rights of young innovators and scientists engaged in
creative/innovative undertakings, both within IGAD Region and overseas, provided
they are IGAD Citizens by virtue of the application of the Rule of Origin principles.
iv) Strengthen regional and international cooperation in science, technology and
innovation including in research on indigenous knowledge on STI.
v) Establish a regional fund for STI targeting youth aged between 15 and 35 to support
engagement in research, innovation and dissemination of findings including
commercialization of innovations from within the IGAD Region.
vi) Establish a Regional STI Database and Knowledge Management/Transfer System that
enables effective STI exchange within and among IGAD Member States.
vii) Implement IGAD Regional Qualifications Framework and the relevant provisions
pertaining to TVET
viii) Establish regional centers of excellence in TVET and STI and link them with STI
Innovation Hubs and Incubators at the Regional and Member State Levels.
ix) Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the IGAD
Youth Policy provisions on Youth in Science, Technology and Innovation feeds into
Meetings of the Council of Ministers in charge of Science, Technology and Innovation
or equivalent Ministries and subsequently to Summits by the Assembly of Heads of
State and Government.

ii) IGAD member states

The IGAD Member States shall

i) Increase investment in science, technology and innovation with emphasis on research

and innovation/discoveries in the Region;
ii) Provide enabling policy, legal, budgetary and program implementation frameworks
and incentives for technology generation and dissemination;
iii) Enhance the role of ICT in improving learning and training outcomes, promoting
innovation and developing techno-preneurship skills among the youth within each of
the IGAD Member States.
iv) Develop and implement scholarship, fellowship and other motivation programs and
schemes aimed at supporting talented scholars and researchers in STI.

iii) TVETs and Higher Learning/Research Institutions

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The TVETs and Higher Learning/Research Institutions shall

i) Ensure the quality of TVET and High Education STI Programmes are industry and
labor market-oriented and capable of addressing and solving local social-economic
development challenges;
ii) Determine the levels and profiles of applicable STI TVET programs;
iii) Conduct regular training and learning needs assessment to identify skills sets required
in industry and labor market;
iv) Establish inter- and intra-institutions’ platforms for sharing knowledge, experience,
skills, innovation and best practices in STI teaching, learning and training;
v) Adopt policies and strategies that promote STI profitability and mobility;

4.7. Priority Area No. 7: Youth and Agriculture

1. Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 7

The IGAD Youth Policy priority 7 draws its strength from the lessons learnt from the
implementation of Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
CAADP started in 2003 and its vision, goal and principles were recommitted at the Twenty-First
Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The Malabo
Declaration redefined the CAADP set of targets and goals – referred to as the “Accelerated
Agricultural Growth and Transformation Goals 2025”. The Malabo Declaration (June 2014)
outlined seven commitments aimed at bolstering African Agriculture upon which the CADDP
Results Framework 2015 – 2025 is originated and now upon which the role of the youth in the
IGAD Region is now being strategically placed through this policy as the Region seek to sustain
the CAADP momentum through results and impacts.

Meaningful engagement of the youth in the implementation of the CAADP Results Framework
2015 – 2025 is therefore a critical and integral component of the efforts geared at enhancing
capacity for agricultural transformation and the attendant desired results. For this purpose, IGAD
in collaboration with the AU and AUDA NEPAD will continue to explore strategies and
approaches for ensuring youth engagement in agriculture development planning processes, policy
design and implementation processes, and agricultural projects and programs design and
implementation process.

2. Policy Objective

To ensure youth participation in the design, implementation, monitoring, research, learning and
evaluation of agricultural development plans, policies, programs and strategies at the national and
regional levels.

1. Strategic Actions
In order to deepen, strengthen and sustain meaningful youth engagement in agriculture;

1.1. IGAD Secretariat shall;

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 1. Support member states in co-designing and co-development of youth-focused
agricultural development frameworks that support expansion of Regional Economic
opportunities, wealth creation, poverty alleviation, food and nutrition security and
shared prosperity.
2. In collaboration with bi-lateral and multi-lateral development partners, establish
special fund for Youth in Agriculture to enable the youth to contribute towards the
implementation of CAADP and other Regional Agricultural Programs aimed at
improving agricultural production and productivity, value addition and increased trade
in agricultural commodities at the national, regional and international levels.
3. Facilitate intra-Regional Trade and Value Chain Development inclusive of young
women and men.
4. Launch and implement IGAD Youth Agricultural Exchange and Fellowship Programs
designed around specific outcome areas of CAADP and with intention of improving
access to knowledge, information, emerging agricultural technologies and innovations.
5. Increase Regional resilience to impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture through
improved early warning systems and risk management in the agriculture sector.
6. Promote Regional Research and Development in Agriculture through improved
regional capacity to generate, analyze and use empirical data, information, knowledge,
inventions/innovations and other research findings to boost regional agricultural
production and productivity.
7. In collaboration with all relevant regional stakeholders, improve management of
natural resources for sustainable agriculture to thrive.
8. Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the IGAD
Youth Policy provisions on youth and agriculture feeds into Meetings of the Council of
Ministers in charge of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and subsequently to
Summits by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

1.2. IGAD Member States shall;

i. Ensure meaningful engagement and participation of the youth in the design, development,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of National Comprehensive Agriculture
Development Program (NCADP) for the Youth.
ii. Support the establishment, development and strengthen of Youth CSOs to be effective and
accountable institutions with requisite capacities to implement agricultural policies and
programs while remaining true to their vision and mission statements.
iii. Support their youth to participate in the IGAD Youth Agricultural Exchange and
Fellowship Programs
iv. Strengthen capacity for evidence-based planning, policy implementation and review and
grant management for both state and non-state youth-focused institutions and programs.
v. Improve multi-sectoral coordination, partnerships and mutual accountability in all sectors
related to agriculture and youth participation.
vi. Increase public-private investment in youth-related agricultural projects/programs.

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vii. Increase capacity, at national and sub-national levels, for data generation, collation,
analysis, interpretation and application in policy formulation, program planning and
implementation as well as for purposes of resource mobilization and allocation to youth-
driven agricultural transformation in the IGAD Region.

1.3. Youth and Youth CSOs

1) Actively participate in the design, development, implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of National Comprehensive Agriculture Development Program (NCADP) in
their respective countries.
2) Acquire and utilize skills, knowledge and expertise in agricultural value chain
development, agro-processing, sales and marketing and agricultural produce and other
commodities and
3) Support the establishment, development and strengthening of Youth CSOs where they
do not exist to be effective and accountable institutions with requisite capacities to
implement agricultural policies and programs while remaining true to their vision and
mission statements.
4) Participate in call for proposals by IGAD or its development partners aimed at
supporting IGAD Youth Policy Priority Area No. 7.
5) Regularly examine and align national and sub-national agricultural goals, targets and
related performance indicators in NCADP with those in the CAADP Results
Framework (2015 – 2025)
6) Promote multi-sectoral coordination, partnerships and mutual accountability in all
sectors related to agriculture and youth participation.
7) Rally unity of purpose among Regional Youth CSOs around a common national and
regional youth engagement in and benefit from Regional Agricultural Development
Programs (RADPs)
8) Examine, refine, strengthen and align youth agricultural development projects/programs
using lessons learnt and experiences gained from Youth Agricultural Exchange and
Fellowship Programs to be promoted from time to time by IGAD and its Member
States;
9) Research and publish research articles in peer-reviewed journals to help build the body
of knowledge and best practices in Youth and Agriculture in the IGAD Region.

1.4. Agricultural Research Institutions

1) Heighten agricultural knowledge and technology to make agriculture increasingly
attractive to the youth in the digital age
2) Provide a platform and space for research scientists in agriculture to develop and share
best youth-led agriculture practice and leadership that have the potential to engender
inclusive agricultural growth and development, economic growth, benefit smallholder
farmers, and boost food and nutrition security and end hunger across IGAD Region.
3) Create pro-poor agricultural technologies

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 4) Facilitate knowledge exchange processes on agricultural production systems, market
intelligence and consumption trends.
5) Establish partnership between research-centric and non-research-centric agricultural
development institutions and organizations.
6) Improve linkages between research and program design and implementation with youth
at the center of planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, research, learning
and documentation of lessons and experiences.
7) Generate empirical evidence that demonstrate the efficacy of proposed and or ongoing
youth-focused agricultural development programs and projects and whether such
interventions or proposed approaches have the potential and capacity to meet the
present and future food and nutrition security needs of the IGAD Region while fostering
Regional Resilience, with the goal of guiding policy decisions at the regional and
national levels.

4.8. Priority Area No. 8: Youth, Sustainable Livelihoods and Co-Generation of Decent
Work
1) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 8

The sustainable livelihoods approach is a holistic approach that tries to capture, and
provide a means of understanding, the fundamental causes and dimensions of poverty
without collapsing the focus onto just a few factors (e.g., economic issues, food security,
environmental, political instability etc.). The concept of youth sustainable livelihood and
decent work is emerging out of the realization by development partners, NGOs, CBOs,
Faith-Based Organizations, governments and host communities that youth can and should
be key pillars, actors and players in the strengthen, rebuilding and transformation of their
nations and communities.

According to Save the Children International (2018), 500 million of today’s youth are not
in employment, education or training and that ¼ of the young women and men cannot find
work that pays more than US$1.25 per day – the international threshold of extreme
poverty. ¾ of young workers ages 15 to 29 are engaged in informal work, the sector where
most exploitative and hazardous work conditions occur14.

USAID (2008) observes that when youth are appropriately engaged and adequately
prepared for roles in the worlds of work, family life, and civil society, then the youth can
be definite assets for national and regional development. On the contrary, when states and
governments ignore the large number of youths with minimal attachment to the formal
sector, youth can also become profoundly a de-stabilizing force, hence the relationship
between youth empowerment and regional peace and security15.

14
https://www.savethechildren.ca/building-sustainable-livelihoods-for-adolescent-and-youth-empowerment/ accessed
on 10th January 2023
15
https://edc.org/sites/default/files/uploads/EQUIP3-Livelihoods-Guide.pdf accessed on 10th January 2023

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The IGAD Youth Policy Priority Area No. 8, therefore, is informed by the fact that the
absence of sustainable livelihood and decent work opportunities for the youth in the IGAD
region has been and remains a major impeding factor to regional peace, security,
development and prosperity. The symptoms of this lacuna in policy and programs for
sustainable livelihoods and decent work is seen in increased crime rates, violent extremism
and youth radicalization, poor health, disease, and increase in mental health breakdowns
among mostly the youthful population.

The purpose of the IGAD Youth Policy, therefore, is to capitalize on existing interventions
while exploring new innovative, increasingly sustainable youth development, and
empowerment programs with increased likelihood to attain and sustain livelihoods and
decent work for the youth.

The policy, therefore, draws its strength from a number of regional and international
instruments notably the following: -

(a) The provisions of Article 7 (b) of the Agreement Establishing IGAD (1996) requiring
the IGAD Member States to harmonize their legal frameworks, policies and programs
on free movement of persons in the IGAD Region including the free movement of
labor;
(b) The provisions of Article 9 and 10 of the IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of
Persons in IGAD Region adopted by the 72 nd Session of the IGAD Council of
Ministers of Foreign Affairs in June 2021;
(c) The AU Declaration and Plan of Action on Employment and Poverty Alleviation
(2004) and its follow-up Mechanisms; notably the AU Ouagadougou +10 Declaration
and Plan of Action on Employment, Poverty Eradication and Inclusive Development in
Africa;
(d) The AU Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Rights of Residence and Right of
Establishment (2018);
(e) The Revised AU Migration Policy Framework and Plan of Action (2018 – 2030);
(f) The IGAD Migration Policy Framework;
(g) The AU Guidelines on Developing Bilateral Labor Agreements (2021);
(h) The International Labor Organization (ILO) Centenary Declaration for the Future of
Work, adopted in 2019 at the 108th Session of the International Labor Conference;
(i) Global Call to Action for a Human-centered Recovery from the COVID-19 Crisis that
is inclusive, sustainable and resilient adopted at the 110 th Session of the International
Labor Conference;
(j) The Abidjan Declaration – Advancing Social Justice: Shaping the Future of Work in
Africa that was adopted at the 14 th ILO Africa Regional Meeting in Abidjan, Cote
d’Ivoire (2019); and
(k) The Kampala Declaration and Plan of Action on Jobs, Livelihoods and Self-Reliance
for Refugees, Returnees and Host Communities in the IGAD Region (June 2020). The

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 Kampala Declaration’s four-point action plan forms the basis for all proposed actions
under this policy as follows:
i) Advancing livelihood opportunities and economic inclusion to improve self-
reliance of the youth in the IGAD Region, including youth refugees, returnees and
host communities;
ii) Adopting the accompanying Plan of Action to the Kampala Declaration for
Enhancement of Livelihoods and Self-reliance for youth refugees, returnees and
host communities;
iii) Rolling out comprehensive national implementation roadmaps and institutional
mechanisms through a whole of society approach that facilitates multi-sectoral,
multi-stakeholder and multi-level participation of the youth including social
partners, private sector, faith-based institutions and organizations, refugees, host-
communities, development partners and state actors; and
iv) Seeking durable solutions for protracted displacement situations and address
associated socio-economic challenges affecting the youth in the IGAD Region
including youth refugees, returnees and host-communities.

2) Policy Objective

To provide a conducive environment for youth to access opportunities for sustainable

livelihoods and decent work.

3) Strategic Actions

In order to address challenges related to youth access to and participation in sustainable

livelihood and decent work opportunities, including but not limited to: - labor market, free
movement, access to services (business incubation and development, financial services,
access to markets, skills development, business-start-up support services, health and
industrial internship and related services), rights (to association, work, justice, innovation,
and free-will), and refugee and host community relations to ensure basic rights, protection
of the youth from exploitative and demeaning works, and enhancing youth participation in
co-design and co-creation of sustainable livelihoods and decent work opportunities, the
following actions are proposed for implementation by specific policy stakeholders:

i) IGAD Secretariat shall;

i. Develop and ensure full implementation of Policy and Legislative Framework for
Youth Livelihoods, Self-Reliance and Decent Work in line with the Kampala
Declaration and Plan of Action on Jobs, Livelihoods and Self-Reliance for Refugees,
Returnees and Host Communities in the IGAD Region (June 2020) and the Djibouti
Declaration on Labor, Employment and Labor Migration in the IGAD Region. In
particular, IGAD shall work with member states to: -

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 a. Review and amend of national policies and legislations with regard to expanding
access to work, simplify procedures for accessing employment (including work
permits, formal employment, right to work), self-employment and business
opportunities, and improving labor integration through better recognition of TVET
and tertiary college diplomas and certificates as well as the right of association
including joining trade unions and organized labor formations.
b. Review and amend national polices and legislations with regard to access to rights,
equal opportunities and treatment in accordance with national laws, namely in the
areas of: simplified asylum process; free movement of refugees to exercise the
aspirations of the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in IGAD Region; access
to justice; as well as financial services and financial inclusion; education; health;
documentation (identification – IDs/passports, birth certificates, permits, property,
certification, skills).
c. Further review progress, bottlenecks, capacity of institutions on the policy and
legislations implementations and put remedial measures and actions to maximize
quick, efficient and free processes for refugees, returnees and host communities.
d. Review/develop and adopt new commitments to policy and legislative change that
could help improve the economic contribution that youth in the IGAD Region
make in their respective countries and host communities.
e. Acquire policy and practice measures that facilitate access to markets for youth
products including patents and copyrights and underlying value chains in the
agricultural sector activities undertaken by the youth.
f. Facilitate competitive negotiation of fair value for youth products, talents, skills,
knowledge and expertise in the Regional Market;
g. Review and amend national policies, legislations, local development plans, budgets
and resource mobilization strategies to incorporate sectoral youth needs and
priorities as enlisted in this Policy;
h. Review and amend national policies, legislations, local development plans, budgets
and resource mobilization strategies that provide access to quality, needs-based
training and skills development programs, entrepreneurship opportunities, small-
and medium-enterprise development opportunities for the youth including but not
limited to internally displaced youth, nomadic youth, youth refugees, returnees and
host communities to promote and ensure viable livelihoods and self-reliance.
ii. Develop protocols to enable increased private sector access into refugee hosting areas
through financing, provision of guarantees, Public Private-Partnership (PPP), blended
finance, stronger diaspora involvement and diaspora investment flow, business
development services support to private sector to address the infrastructural challenges
that limit access to financial services by the youth refugees, returnees and host
communities.
iii. Conduct regular forums to bring together youth entrepreneurs, private sector,
international development partners, youth civil society organizations, social partners,

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 refugee representatives and policy makers to identify areas of action, challenges and
opportunities of private sector engagement in youth’s sustainable livelihoods and
decent work opportunities development through social dialogue and special investment
mechanisms and vehicles that promote youth-led economic development initiatives.
iv. Strengthen linkages between International Finance Institutions (IFIs), Local Financial
Institutions (LFIs), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the
private sector, development actors (locally and internationally), and policy makers, to
capitalize on existing good practices and to promote innovative approaches to financial
inclusion in displacement settings, conflict situations, and post conflict recovery
processes.
v. Increase regional market opportunities and networks for local goods and services
produced by youth entrepreneurs and innovators that support IGAD Member States’
participation in annual Youth Enterprises and Innovation Trade Expos to enhance
visibility and markets of their goods and products in partnership with UNHCR, IOM,
UNIDO, UNDP, World Bank, EU, UKAID, Save the Children International among
other critical partners in youth socio-economic development and empowerment in the
IGAD Region.
vi. Attain market-based approaches in supporting governments with investments in
infrastructure needed to increase market access for produce and products by refugees
and host communities.
vii. Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the IGAD
Youth Policy provisions on Sustainable Livelihoods and Decent Work feeds into
Meetings of the Council of Ministers in charge of Labor and Social Services and
subsequently to Summits by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

ii) Member States shall;

i) Create youth-focused project and business financing and technical assistance mechanisms
aimed at facilitating and scaling up best practices in sustainable youth livelihoods and
decent work co-creation, co-generation and implementation processes
ii) Establish special economic zones (SEZs), industrial parks, business incubation centers, and
export processing zones (EPZ) that major focus on youth products and services.
iii) Create special research and innovation fund for sustainable livelihoods and job creation
studies and dissemination of study findings among the youth within the IGAD Member
States
iv) Develop and implement policies, legislations and programs targeting promotion, protection
and perfection of youth creative and innovative talents.
v) Create wage employment that matches both the skills and the aspirations of youth devoid of
any form of discrimination, including issues such as family unity, access to education for
their children and gender norms.
vi) Establish decent work practices and principles for youth refugees, transformed youth
militias, youth in the diaspora, youth in hostile and violent communities, youth in danger of

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 armed conflicts, youth in volatile and fragile regions, semi-illiterate and illiterate youth,
host communities to improve safety, job stability, and other working conditions both in
formal and informal sector in partnership with ILO.
vii) Maximize collaboration between humanitarian and development actors to advance refugee
labor market integration efforts in waged employment.

iii) Research Institutions

The research institutions are called upon to:

a. Research on the economic impacts of their investment programs to document the positive role
of the youth to local economies in the IGAD Region.
b. Assess the roles of humanitarian and development partners to identify areas of intervention by
the private sector in emergencies including protracted and development settings.
c. Undertake socio-economic analysis of all existing sustainable livelihoods and decent work
initiatives in the IGAD Region including to provide critical empirical data and information
necessary for aiding the development of economically viable approaches, determination of
consumer market trends and market assessments in the IGAD Region.
d. Investigate and determine IGAD Region’s natural resource base; status of access to land by
the youth; skills sets possessed by or lacking among the youth, recognitions of qualifications
and certifications as well as lifelong learning programs; access to training and TVET; access
to decent work; access to education and training opportunities; healthcare and social
protection; financial services (grants, loans and credit facilities) and markets in order to
support demand driven responses by relevant stakeholders in aid of escalation of youth-
friendly livelihood development opportunities in the Region.
e. Conduct a study identifying levels of infrastructure development including markets, roads,
mobile and internet connectivity, cottage and micro-industrial parks, special economic zones,
export processing zones etc., needed to enable increased private sector and youth engagement
in profitable and productive economies within the IGAD Region and make viable
recommendation to enable informed policy and legislation decisions.

iv) Youth CSOs and Development Support Organizations;

a. Provide youth with opportunities to master core literacy and numeracy skills, basic
employability and life skills, and vocational skills. They can be designed as a second chance
pathway to a primary or secondary school degree, an opportunity to gain the skills needed to
return to formal education, or a vehicle to acquire the skills needed to get a job or start a
business.
b. Build upon the existing knowledge and experience of participating youth and relate these to
the predominant household livelihood strategies for effective programming and project
implementation purposes.
c. Allow participants to make educational gains or earn achievement certifications in manageable
blocks, offering flexibility (e.g., in pacing classes and allowing students/learners/trainees to

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 easily enter and leave teaching/learning programs) to youth and their families who must often
defer or interrupt educational pursuits to address day-to-day survival needs.
d. Have schedules and locations that are compatible with the participants’ livelihood and family
demands and security concerns.
e. Enable even the most marginalized (illiterate or semi-literate) groups to participate.
f. Recover some costs, if feasible, via user fees, which encourage program staff and their
sponsors to continually maintain and improve program quality, while reminding participants
and their households that they should invest their scarce resources only in programs that are
beneficial.

4.9. Priority Area No. 9: Youth and Regional Economic Integration

1) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 9

The Policy Priority Area No. 9 is anchored on the ongoing efforts by IGAD and IGAD
Member States to mainstream the youth in IGAD processes. The IGAD Strategy 2021-
2025 acknowledges that youth play a critical role in peace and security of the region,
leading to sustainable development of the entire region. Considering this and other factors
that necessitate the youth engagement, the IGAD Executive Secretary directed the Peace
and Security Division to establish the IGAD Youth Forum for Peace. Accordingly, IGAD
Peace and Security Division launched the IGAD Youth Forum for Peace on 29 April 2021
in Entebbe, Uganda with the presence of the IGAD Executive Secretary, Minister of State
for Youth of the Republic of Uganda, representatives of the National Youth Associations
and Youth Ministries of IGAD member states. The IGAD Youth Forum for Peace is a
regional platform to give youth an opportunity to express their ideas, opinions, and needs
to decision-makers, and mobilize the youth community for peace at the national and
regional levels. The regional platform will create an opportunity for the youth of the region
to play their role in durable and sustainable peace.

The IGAD Youth Policy priority for Youth and Regional Economic Integration is also
driven by the “I am African” slogan of the African Union. The AU to promote ownership
of the continental integration programmes and institutions among the people, especially
children and the youth, adopted the slogan. The closing ceremony of the special summit of
the African Union on 26 May 2013, marking fifty years since the founding of the
Organization for African Unity was graced by children and youth singing and reciting
poems, dancing and jubilating, proudly declaring they were African, in different languages
of the African dialects.

The Heads of State and Government then adopted Agenda 2063, a vision that all Africa
should be peaceful and prosperous by 2063 with no one left behind in the quest for a
shared prosperity in Africa.

Programmes that promote peace and prosperity and that put youth agenda at the core of all
policy and legislation, programming and project implementation and peer review

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 mechanisms can therefore be expected to remain key pillars of the IGAD regional
economic integration agenda.

Article 6 of the Treaty establishing the African Economic Community provides for the
gradual establishment of the continental economic community, through progressive stages,
beginning with free-trade areas established by the regional economic communities (RECs),
customs unions established by the RECs, the continental customs union, the continental
common market, and the continental economic and monetary union. African Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA) has already been established and is currently operational. However, the
youth in Africa are yet to realize benefits from AfCFTA and this policy now seeks to
strengthen youth engagement in the Regional Economic Integration Process through
effective and comprehensive implementation of this policy and its provisions.

The policy priority also draws its strengths from the IGAD Regional Trade Policy (2022 –
2026) that was launched in Nairobi Kenya on September 15, 2022. The policy aims to
raise awareness about its instruments and how to use them in the context of IGAD
Member States along the way of aligning all trade and economic integration policies to
AfCFTA as a continental flagship initiative. The policy’s vision is to foster market-driven,
development-oriented, and sustainable trade in the IGAD Region, capable of catalyzing
expanded economic growth, reducing poverty, ensuring food security, creating jobs and
attaining improved living standards particularly for the youth in the region.

2) Policy Objective

To enhance meaningful youth involvement and contribution to the regional economic

integration processes and goals.

3) Strategic Actions

To facilitate youth engagement and participation in the realization of Regional Economic

Integration,

i. IGAD Secretariat shall;

a. Create an open and unified regional economic space to boost intra-IGAD trade
by creating enabling environment and removing barriers and obstacles for trade
in goods and services, especially those that are produced and supplied by the
youth and youth-led enterprises in the IGAD Region;
b. Create coherence and harmony among national trade and enterprise policies of
IGAD Member States;
c. Help IGAD Member States implement their obligations arising from the
ratification and adoption of IGAD Youth Policy priority on youth and regional
economic integration and other IGAD Regional Trade Agreements, in particular
AfCFTA;

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 d. Create an enabling and supportive environment for direct foreign investments
and heightened domestic investments so as to create more decent work
opportunities for the youth in the IGAD Region
e. Institute Mechanisms and Facilities that facilitate Regional Trade, Investment
and Tourism development;
f. Promote Industrial and Regional Value Chain Development
g. Invest in Clean Energy Generation and Interconnections to Facilitate Cross-
Border Energy Trade and supply of cheap, clean, and renewable energy that is
capable of supporting youth businesses, small- and micro-industrial development
projects championed by the youth in the IGAD Region.
h. Promote Integration and Macroeconomic Policy and Research to provide vital
data and information for Regional Economic Integration Policies and Legislation,
especially targeting the realization of meaningful youth engagement in regional
economic integration.
i. Invest in strategic Transport and ICT Infrastructure Development and Promotion
of Digitalization of regional economic and trade activities and processes.
j. Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the
IGAD Youth Policy provisions on Regional Economic Integration feeds into
Meetings of the Council of Ministers and subsequently to Summits by the
Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

d. IGAD Member States shall;

a. Boost agricultural production and productivity, and sustain management of natural
resources and the environment to ensure resilient national and regional livelihoods
and sustained regional economic growth;
b. Prioritize and increase investment in value addition and industrial diversification,
commercialization and expansion of resilient green and blue economies, and
sustainable utilization of the natural resources for the increased benefits by young
women and men in the region.
c. Enhance investment in and support of technological innovation for increased
production and productivity within a peaceful, cohesive and tolerant society.
d. Facilitate collaboration at regional, national, continental and international levels
within global economic development and integration frameworks that support
trade, financial markets, liberalized economy, intra/extra regional infrastructure
connectivity within and between IGAD Member States, institutional support
mechanisms and that enable integration of SMEs into the production and
distribution systems in the existing and emerging markets and business
environments.
e. Create opportunities for business start-up or incubator services for youth refugees,
returnees and host communities to promote and sustain self-employment.

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 f. Mobilize external finance to generate livelihood opportunities for refugees and host
communities such as in irrigation schemes.

e. Development Partners and Donor Agencies shall;

i. Provide finance and technical assistance support necessary for the development of
attendant policies, legislations, programs and institutional strengthening measures
necessary for creating an enabling environment for trade, investment and domestic
regulations that promotes youth engagement in regional trade and commerce;
ii. Support youth-own initiatives towards implementation of regional economic
integration programs, especially through sports, arts, culture, trade and academic
work;
iii. Initiate grants and funding mechanisms to promote innovative ideas and projects
by the youth in the IGAD Region intended to deepen regional economic
integration; and
iv. Sponsor research studies on Regional Economic Integration and documentation of
best practices within the IGAD Region.

f. Role of Youth CSOs;

ii. Increase engagement among civil society/NGOs, trade unions, workers
organizations, employer association in refugees’ livelihood development in
collaboration with private sector and government actors.
iii. Consult Regional Youth CSO Networks and civil society organizations, refugees’
associations, trade union in all aspects of refugees’ and returnees’ employment
initiatives both in formal and informal settings.
iv. Create linkages among and between state and non-state agencies, social partners
and other related stakeholders in the actual planning and execution of the return
and (re) integration, through the development of a mechanism to ensure data
sharing between the governments and relevant agencies.
v. Attain social inclusion and conflict prevention by strengthening capacities of the
local government to address the needs of the vulnerable groups and people with
specific needs including the youth, women and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs),
minorities.
vi. Generate desegregated data on gender and youth, on exact number of returnees and
their skills, spontaneous versus organized return data to inform local authorities’
analysis, planning and preparedness for (re)integration process.
vii. Invest in communication and awareness activities in countries of origin, return and
host country. This will include conducting intention surveys on the refugees who
want to return, organizing go and see visits so that they are able to access reliable
information about the local situation, peace and security, availability of social
services such as health, education, water, and livelihood opportunities to make
informed decision to return.

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 viii. Increase the process of registration and documentation of prospective returnees in
the countries of asylum and coordinate the process with the countries of origin.
ix. Conduct post-return integration surveys to monitor the conditions of returnees,
including determining the percentage who are able to establish independent
livelihoods, gain access to land and/or adequate shelter, or end up living in an IDP
camp and ensure that this information is available at the Helpdesks in hosting
areas.

4.10. Priority Area No. 10: Youth and Health

1) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 10
The IGAD Youth Policy Priority Area No. 10 derives its base from the African Union’s
Africa Health Strategy (AHS, 2016 – 2030). The AU Health Strategy is premised on a
number of continental, regional and global health policy commitments and instruments,
chief among these are “AU Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want” and 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The policy priority also espouses the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Continental Policy Framework and its revised Maputo Plan of Action 2016 – 2030, the
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA), Africa Regional Nutrition
Strategy (ARNS, 2015 – 2025), the various Abuja Declarations and Commitments aimed
at combating HIV/AIDs, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria in Africa, the Catalytic
Framework to End AIDS, TB and Malaria in Africa by 2030 as well as the Global Strategy
for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016 – 2030).

The AHS (2016 – 2030), therefore, provides strategic direction in designing youth-friendly
health programs and interventions along the Strategy’s priority areas including: -

2) Policy Objective
To ensure the health and well-being of youth in the IGAD region that are able to perform
to their maximum abilities and potential.

3) Strategic Actions
i) IGAD and IGAD Member States shall;
i) Adapt and incorporate the key strategic priorities of AHS 2016–2030 into their
national health and multi-sectoral policy instruments, with focus on youth-friendly
health programs and interventions.
ii) Put in place strong leadership efforts to ensure that the required advocacy,
governance, legislative frameworks and actions including resource mobilization and
allocations, governance, including legislative frameworks and actions on regional
youth and health policies, commitments, declarations, and programs are implemented
in order to demonstrate their ownership of AHS 2016–2030.

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iii) Undertake routine monitoring, evaluation, research, learning, knowledge
documentation and reporting at country level to the RECs and AU Commission on
progress made and challenges experienced in implementing IGAD Youth Policy
Priority Area No. 10 on youth and health in the IGAD Region.
iv) Ensure good governance, participatory and inclusive approaches required to
meaningfully and fully engage the youth, youth CSOs and the private sector to ensure
that there is a conducive environment to implement AHS
v) 2016-2030, including harmonizing and streamlining their own policies, strategies,
standards and plans to ensure coherence across the IGAD region.
vi) Promote and support programmes on personal hygiene, physical fitness and mental
health; improve the technical and institutional capacity of youth organizations/CBOs
to enable them to effectively advocate and promote health programmes for youth;
vii) Mainstreaming the promotion, prevention, treatment and care mechanism on mental
health for the youth from the IGAD region
viii) Incorporate representatives of the youth in efforts to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS,
Malaria, Tuberculosis and other communicable and non-communicable diseases;
ix) Promote and support youth campaigns aimed at encouraging a change in sexual
behavior and discouraging teenage and early pregnancies, drug and substance abuse,
and negative peer influence; Promote and establish home and community-based
welfare programmes to help youth orphaned by HIV/AIDS;
x) Establish youth friendly guidance and counselling units in all schools, other learning
institutions, youth centers and health centers;
xi) Establish affordable rehabilitation centers to help youth addicted to drugs and
substance; Encourage parents to take a lead role in guidance and counselling their
children on responsible sexual behavior;
xii) Promote partnerships between the government, CSOs and the private sector to invest
in youth friendly health facilities; improve access to voluntary counselling and testing
(VCT) services for all youth;
xiii) Enhance the youth’s capacity in leadership and advocacy to enable them support and
manage youth health programmes;
xiv) Promote research in youth health related areas and make the findings accessible to
inform action and intervention;
xv) Improve access to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services
including any support provided to protect or promote the mental health and
psychosocial wellbeing of youth migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons
(IDPs)
xvi) Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the
IGAD Youth Policy provisions on Health feeds into Meetings of the Council of
Ministers and subsequently to Summits by the Assembly of Heads of State and
Government.

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ii) Development Partners
i. Their main role of International Development Partners is to contribute their technical
assistance and financial investments in support of IGAD Youth Policy imperatives for
youth and health.
ii. In line with the development cooperation principles, multi-lateral and bi-lateral
organizations and other development partners will align their financial and technical
assistance and cooperation plans with national and regional needs and priorities for
implementation of IGAD Youth Policy Priority Area No. 10 as read together with
AHS 2016 – 2030 and the SDG Agenda 2030.
iii. Incorporate representatives of the youth in donor-roundtables convened to discuss and
strategize role of youth and youth organizations in the fight against the spread of
HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and other communicable and non-communicable
diseases;
iv. Promote and support youth campaigns aimed at encouraging a change in sexual
behavior and discouraging teenage and early pregnancies, FGM, drug and substance
abuse, and negative peer influence; Promote and establish home and community-based
welfare programmes to help youth orphaned by HIV/AIDS;
v. Support the establishment of youth friendly guidance and counselling units in all
schools, other learning institutions, youth and health centers;
vi. Support the establishment of affordable rehabilitation centers to help youth addicted to
drugs and substance; Encourage parents to take a lead role in guidance and counselling
their children on responsible sexual behavior;
vii. Promote and support programmes on sexual and reproductive health, mental and
psychosocial health for the youth, personal hygiene, physical fitness; improve the
technical and institutional capacity of youth organizations/CBOs to enable them to
effectively advocate and promote health programmes for youth;
viii. Promote partnerships between the government, CSOs and the private sector to invest in
youth friendly health facilities; improve access to voluntary counselling and testing
(VCT) services for all youth;
ix. Support programs and development projects with components on development of
youth’s capacity in leadership and advocacy to enable them support and manage youth
health and wellbeing programmes;
x. Promote research in youth health related areas and make the findings accessible to
inform policy and legislative decisions, actions and interventions;

iii) Youth Civil Society Organizations

As key stakeholders, youth CSOs shall play an active role in the conceptualization,
advocacy, mobilization, technical assistance, implementation and oversight in support of
the implementation of IGAD Youth Policy priority on health and ensure actions are
aligned to AHS 2016–2030.

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 iv) Private Sector health service providers

The private sector health service providers will provide innovation, material and co-
financing inputs that contribute to the expanded financial, human, infrastructural and
technological resource base needed to improve health sector performance in the IGAD
Region for the ultimate benefit of the youth.

4.11. Priority Area No. 11: Youth, Gender Equity and Inclusion
1) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 11
The policy priority is anchored on the African Union Strategy on Gender Equality and
Women’s Empowerment (GEWE, 2018 – 2028) which was launched during the AU
Summit February 2019 and based on an inclusive and multi-sectoral approach, building on
the lessons learned from the 2009 AU Gender Policy.

The GEWE Strategy has four pillars as follows: -

 Pillar 1 focusing on maximizing opportunities, outcomes and e-Tech
dividends;
 Pillar 2 focuses on dignity, security and bodily and psychological integrity
which are often compromised when women are subjected to sex, gender and
domestic violence and rights violations;
 Pillar 3 highlights the need for effective laws, policies and functional
institutions to promote and protect women’s rights and gender mainstreaming
of policies, laws, programs and institutions; and
 Pillar 4 focuses on leadership, voice and visibility and recognizes that for
women to have a significant voice, they need to be equally represented in all
areas and phases of decision-making and be able to participate with impact,
through the removal of all forms of gender-based discrimination, barriers and
stigma.

2) Policy Objective
To build up a framework that supports the full inclusion of the youth in all their diversities.

3) Strategic Actions
Gender Equity and Inclusion shall be attained and sustained through the following
strategic actions: -
a. IGAD Secretariat shall;
i) Lead, guide, defend and coordinate the IGAD’s efforts on gender equality,
development and promoting women’s and youth’s empowerment in collaboration
with member states;
ii) Design programs and projects based on the IGAD Youth Policy priority areas,
with special focus on the nexus between the priorities and gender equality and
inclusion of young women and men in the IGAD Processes;

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 iii) Oversee the development and implementation of national and regional gender
policies that enables interpretation and domestication of the IGAD Youth Policy
Priority Area No. 10 and read with GEWE Principles and Strategies for Gender
Equality and Equity.
iv) Define and elaborate strategies for gender and youth issues mainstreaming with
the IGAD Secretariat and all its Divisions and Specialized Units and Agencies,
Member States and other primary stakeholder agencies and groups working with
IGAD to attain Gender Equality and Equity Goals; and
v) Support capacity building of Member States, Youth CSOs and other critical
partners by designing and providing training on gender and youth policies,
development instruments, funding mechanisms and project design and
implementation paradigms.
vi) Champion and coordinate regional and international young women and men
development initiatives that takes into consideration gender mainstreaming lenses
at national, regional, continental and international levels with specific attention
to:
i. Poverty and women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship;
ii. Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security;
iii. Young women and men’s health, education, science and technology;
iv. Young women and men’s contribution to improving environmental quality
and mitigating climate change impacts;
v. Youth peace and security;
vi. Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG);
vii. Governance and Legal Protection for Young Women and Girls;
viii. Finance and Financing of Gender Mainstreaming Programs and Projects;
ix. Women in decision-making positions and platforms among other imperatives.
vii) Oversight key gender policy issues and track overall performance on GEWE in at
the national and regional level through Annual Meetings of Ministers
Responsible for Women/Gender/Youth and Cultural Affairs in MSs.
viii) Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the
IGAD Youth Policy provisions on Gender Equity and Inclusion feeds into
Meetings of the Council of Ministers and subsequently to Summits by the
Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

b. IGAD Member States shall;

i) Ensure equity for young men and women through enforcement of national,
regional and international; legislation, conventions, protocols and Instruments
affecting them;
ii) Make efforts to enhance awareness and sensitization of the society regarding
negative cultural attitudes and practices against young men and women including
youth with disabilities.

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 iii) Ensure gender parity in all national policies, programmes and institutions and
create a conducive gender environment for all young men and women to
participate and thrive.
iv) Implement, monitor, and evaluate, research, document lessons and share
experiences on the implementation of GEWE Pillars and their impact on the young
women and men.

c. Development Partners shall;

i) Ensure effectiveness of gender equity and inclusion financing mechanisms in
achieving IGAD Gender Policy Goals and Targets, especially as regards young
women and men in the Region;
ii) Support the institutional and organizational strengthening and capacity building
programs of IGAD Youth Policy on Gender, Inclusion and coordination of
Gender Mainstreaming within IGAD Secretariat divisions, policies,
legislations, programs, projects and offices;
iii) Technically and financially, support systematic tracking of the promotion of
youth, gender equity and inclusion by IGAD Secretariat divisions, programs
and specialized offices; and
iv) Support Technically and financially capacity of IGAD institutions to make
gender-aware development policies, plans and programs at all levels

d. Youth CSOs shall;

i) In collaboration with IGAD Gender Institutions and Development Partners,
develop and implement innovative, creative and culturally sensitive gender-based
projects and programs;
ii) Contribute to generation of gender disaggregated data and information from IGAD
Youth Policy Implementation to support decision making and program formulation
iii) Enhance gender awareness and sensitization within their respective communities
and regions;
iv) Mobilize local and international resources to implement the IGAD Youth Policy
Priority Area No. 11 at the national and regional level.
v) Participate in IGAD Gender Mainstreaming Roundtable Sessions to provide
updates on progress made by their respective actions and projects in the
implementation of GEWE.

4.12. Priority Area No. 12: Youth Culture, Sports, and Creative Industries
1) Scope of the Policy Priority Area No. 12
The Policy shall apply to all of the following: - Radio and Television Broadcast Programs;
Newspapers and Magazines; Advertising; Architecture; Books; Journals; Articles;
Websites; Performing and Visual Arts; Gambling and Betting; Gaming; Movies and Films;
Music (Video and Audio); Artefacts; Sculpture; Montagues; Paintings and Drawings
among other works of arts culture and creative economy.

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2) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 12
The Priority Area no. 12 draws its impetus from the AU Specialized Technical Committee
on Youth Culture and Sports (STC/YCS) sessional reports on the role of youth in building
a strong culture towards fighting corruption in the continent.

The STC/YCS notes that youth development as well as promotion of culture and sports
across the continent is crucial if Africa is to achieve its mission of an integrated,
prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, especially it bulging young
women and men, and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

IGAD, being the first AU REC to develop a REC Youth Policy, recognizes the youth as
the Region’s prime asset for the present and the future development of IGAD region.
Cognizant of the diverse Regional Cultural and Heritage, IGAD prioritizes the need to
increase investment in Youth, Culture, Sports and Creative Industries.

The IGAD Youth Policy Priority Area No. 12, therefore, presents a renewed effort by
IGAD and its Member States to enliven the imperative objectives of the African Youth
Charter (AYC, 2006) adopted in July 2006 and to further respond to the need for a more
strengthened national and regional capacities to design, develop and deliver more
effectively on youth talents and creative capabilities in the IGAD Region. This call is a
follow-on from the lessons learnt from the implementation and review of the Youth
Decade Plan of Action (Dopa, 2009 – 2018) and as a catalyst for the successful
implementation of APAYE (2019 – 2023) in line with the implementation of the AU
Agenda 2063.

The Policy priority area No. 12 also draws its bearing on the AU Assembly Decision
(Assembly/AU/Dec.601 (XXVI) of January 2016 that dedicated the year 2017 as the year
of youth under the theme, “Harnessing the Democratic Dividend through Investment in
Youth”.

Further, building on the successes and challenges recorded from the implementation of the
AU Assembly Decision of July 2016, the Priority Area No. 12 is supported by the
imperatives of the Decision of the AU Heads of State and Government of July 2017 vide
Assembly/AU/Dec.661 (XXIX) on the Establishment of the African Union Youth Fund.

The Declaration on the African Decade for Technical, Professional and Entrepreneurship
Training and Youth Empowerment (Assembly/AU/Dec.652 (XXIX), 2018 – 2027)
provides specific IGAD Youth Policy considerations particularly on Youth Empowerment
and that has provided a good ground for the Policy outcome and impact indicators.

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 The IGAD Youth Policy culture and heritage component is guided by the Charter on
African Cultural Renaissance adopted by the 6th Assembly of African Union held in
Khartoum, the Sudan in January 2006 for the promotion of culture and heritage in the
continent as read together with the African Union Plan of Action on Cultural and Creative
Industries (2008).

The policy focus on creative industries draws it emphasis from UNCTAD (2022) study
that under listed the significance of the Creative Industries in the process of developing
and empowering the youth in developing countries. According to UNCTAD (2022),
creative industries can influence the national and regional economies through, inter alia:
 Fighting unemployment, in particular youth unemployment;
 Contributing to gross domestic product (GDP) and value-added products and services;
 Contributing to exports-imports trade balance;
 Contributing to increased gender equality and social inclusion;
 Contributing to social and cultural development;
 Increasing the quality of life.
According to the consulting firm Deloitte (2021), the importance of the Creative Economy
for overall economic performance is likely to grow. This means its importance for
policymaking is also likely to continue to increase, hence IGAD’s decision to incorporate
Youth Culture Sports and Creative Industries in the IGAD Youth Policy (2022).

3) Policy Objective
Guarantee the organization, production, distribution, exhibition and preservation cultural,
sports and creative products generated and or developed by the young women and men in
the IGAD Region including facilitating the patenting and copyrighting of intellectual
properties, culture and arts products and nurturing and promoting of the youth’s sporting
talents across the IGAD Region.

4) Strategic Actions
a. IGAD Secretariat
i) Mobilize the entire IGAD Member States to develop, ratify and domesticate IGAD
Regional Charter for Culture, Sports and Creative Industries;
ii) Promote the development of, or incorporation in, regional and sub-regional public
libraries that provide facilities for people living with disabilities in order to make
the libraries more inclusive;
iii) Organize and facilitate Meetings of Ministers of Culture and Sports focusing on
strategies to increase number of ratifications, domestication and implementation of
the IGAD Regional Charter for Culture, Sports and Creative Industries and the
needs of the sector.
iv) Take a leading role in the enforcement and implementation of Anti-doping
programmes in the IGAD Region.

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 v) Lobby for the hosting of Regional, Continental and International Olympic Games
within IGAD Region as shall from time to time be recommended by Council of
Ministers for Culture, Sports and Creative Industries;
vi) Develop measures, actions and policy interventions to protect the integrity of
Culture, Sports, and Creative Industries inclusive access for all to Sport, Physical
Education, Cultural Events and physical activities and maximizing the contribution
of sport, culture and creative industries to Regional Sustainable Development,
Peace and Security and enhanced Regional Integration as per the IGAD’s core
mandate;
vii) Promote and institutionalize IGAD Regional Paralympic Committee and support
sporting, cultural and creative talents by youth with physical and mental
impairments in the IGAD Region.
viii) Organize and host annual “IGAD Paralympic Games” to be held every four years
in the lead to the Annual International Paralympic Games or the Games of the
Paralympian including the World Para Athletic Championship and encourage
Members States to volunteer to host such games as per annual Regional Para
Games to be published and circulated by IGAD Secretariat.
ix) Facilitate and ensure harmonious relationship between IGAD Culture, Sports and
Creative Sector and other international bodies with similar focus and mandate for
the purpose of building synergies while tapping into the Member States’
differential strengths in Youth Sports, Culture and Creative Arts.
x) Create and Host IGAD Executive Secretary Youth Dialogue Platform on Youth
Culture, Sports and Creative Industry Development as a source of gainful
employment and source of sustainable livelihoods for the youth in the IGAD
Region.
xi) Rally IGAD Member States to harmonize their Copyright and Intellectual Property
Policies and Laws for effective management of copyrights and intellectual
properties across the IGAD Region.
xii) Ensure that all IGAD Policy Organs set up for the purposes of implementing the
IGAD Youth Policy provisions on Youth Culture, Sports and Creative Industries
feeds into Meetings of the Council of Ministers in charge of Culture Sports,
Tourism and Creative and Performing Arts or their equivalent and subsequently to
Summits by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

b. IGAD Member States

i) Ratify and domesticate IGAD Regional Charter for Culture, Sports and Creative
Industries;
ii) Incorporate gender, cultural, and disability dimensions in the design and
development of all their public libraries to provide facilities for people living with
disabilities and from diverse cultural and social backgrounds to feel increasingly
catered for in all public libraries and museums;

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 iii) Ensure effective participation of Ministers of Culture, Sports, and Youth
representative in all National and Regional Meetings focusing on implementation
and or review of strategies to increase number of ratifications, domestication and
implementation of the IGAD Regional Charter for Culture, Sports and Creative
Industries and to design policies, legislations, programmes and interventions that
address the needs of the sector.
iv) Take a leading role in the enforcement and implementation of Anti-doping
programmes in the respective member state.
v) Host Regional, Continental and International Olympic Games depending on
individual Member State Capacity and readiness in collaboration with other
Member States and Stakeholder and as from time to time shall be lobbied and
recommended by IGAD Council of Ministers for Culture, Sports and Creative
Industries;
vi) Develop measures, actions and policy interventions to protect the integrity of
Culture, Sports, and Creative Industries inclusive access for all to Sport, Physical
Education, Cultural Events and physical activities and maximizing the contribution
of sport, culture and creative industries to National Sustainable Development,
Peace and Security and enhanced Regional Integration as per the IGAD’s core
mandate;
vii) Create enabling environment and support mechanism for sporting, cultural and
creative talents by the youth with physical and mental impairments in the Member
States to thrive and contribute to effective youth development and empowerment.
viii) On the advice of IGAD Secretariat’s Paralympic Committee, organize and host
national and sub-national “IGAD Paralympic Games” at the national and sub-
national levels taking into account the inclusive participation of all Paralympians
from grassroots to national levels
ix) Ensure National Youth Culture, Sports, and Creative Industries’ Policies,
Legislations and Programs are in harmony with the IGAD Culture, Sports and
Creative Industry Policies, Legislations and Institutional Framework for effective
performance tracking and reviews; financing and funding mechanism tracking; and
overall performance management of the sector.
x) Ensure that National Copyright and Intellectual Property Policies and Laws are
harmonized with IGAD Regional Copyrights and Intellectual Properties Policies,
Legislations and Practice Guidelines for effective implementation of such protocols

4.13. Priority Area No. 13: Youth in the Diaspora

1) Policy, Legislative and Institutional Background of the Priority Area No. 13
The African Union defines the African Diaspora and or African Youth in the Diaspora as
"Consisting of people of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their
citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the
continent and the building of the African Union and its Regional Economic Communities."

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 Its constitutive act declares that it shall "invite and encourage the full participation of the
African Diaspora as an important part of our continent, in the building of the African
Union."

2) Policy Objective

To integrate the IGAD Youth in the Diaspora in the Regional and Member States’
development agenda by creating an enabling and supportive environment and coordination
platform for their effective participation in and contribution to the successful
implementation of and benefit of the IGAD Region from IGAD Youth Policy
Implementation, particularly with regards to Policy Priority Area No. 13.

3) Strategic Actions

IGAD and IGAD Member States

(a) Mainstream Diaspora participation in the IGAD Regional Youth Development Agenda
and Action Plan implementation through and across IGAD Divisions, Departments,
Special Entities, Partnership Frameworks and the wide range of policy activity
including the flagship Agenda 2063.
(b) Strengthening the operational capacity of the IGAD Policy Implementation Institutions
on Youth in the Diaspora to support Diaspora involvement in IGAD Regional
Development Programmes and activities through regular communication and flow of
information IGAD events and activities and vice-visa, including cross-fertilization of
IGAD programs with Youth Diaspora activities and mapping of IGAD Youth in the
Diaspora around the world.
(c) Serve as focal point for accreditation of Diaspora organizations, networks and projects
including their investment and enterprise development activities and as observers,
delegates, participants in all IGAD Summits and other high-level ministerial and
technocrats’ meetings convened, and for which youth in the diaspora is an agenda.
(d) Managing and coordinating other forms of interaction between the IGAD, IGAD
Member States and Diaspora Organizations worldwide. This includes collaboration on
policy and advocacy efforts of Diaspora networks and coalitions, technical support and
assistance, enabling framework of cooperation and working relations.
(e) Create structures and mechanism that enable participation of Youth in the Diaspora in
the Regional Youth CSOs pre-Summit forums and promoting effective collaboration
between Diaspora Civil Society Organization and approximate bodies within the IGAD
Region.
(f) Promote effective linkages between the Youth in the Diaspora and various organs and
Divisions of IGAD and functional democratic and organizational institutions of all
IGAD Member States.
(g) Interface the IGAD Youth in the Diaspora with the work of different departments of the
IGAD Youth Policy Institution, Organs, Programmes and Projects and their efforts to

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ensure tracking of the impact of the diaspora contribution to Regional and National
Socio-Economic Growth and Development

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 CHAPTER FIVE:

THE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

5.1. Chapter Introduction

The Chapter presents an outline of key stakeholders in the process of ratification, adoption and
implementation of the IGAD Youth Policy (2022). These institutional arrangements are derived
from the 1996 Agreement Establishing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
and its attendant policies and legislations at the Regional and National Levels. These Organs and
Institutions are as follows:

5.2. The IGAD Summit of Heads of State and Government

According to the 21 March 1996 Agreement Establishing the IGAD (Herein also referred to as,
“The Agreement”), IGAD superseded the IGADD as established in 1986 by the then drought
afflicted six Eastern African countries if Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda.
The State of Eritrea was admitted as the seventh member of the IGAD at the fourth Summit of
Heads of State and Government. Upon becoming an Independent State on 9 July 2011, South
Sudan was admitted to the UN General Assembly on 14 July 2011, AU and IGAD on 27 July
2011 as the eighth member of IGAD.

Since the admission into IGAD of South Sudan, the Assembly of the Heads of State and
Government now is composed of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and
South Sudan. The Assembly is the supreme policy making organ of the Authority. It sits annually
to determine the objectives, guidelines, policies, legal and institutional frameworks including
programs for the IGAD in accordance with Article 9 of the 1996 Agreement.

The Summit’s Chairperson is elected from among the member states in rotational basis. The
current chair of the IGAD Summit is H. E. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the
Transitional Sovereignty Council of the Republic of the Sudan. Other members are: H.E. Ismail
Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti; H. E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of
the Federal Republic of Ethiopia; H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, PhD, President of the
Republic of Kenya; H. E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic of South Sudan; H.E.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia; and H. E. Yoweri
Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda.

The Summit shall play a critical role in the ratification, adoption and implementation of the IGAD
Youth Policy (2022) as follows:

a) Determine and direct IGAD Policy Organs, Divisions, Departments and Specialized
Institutions and Programmes to prioritize the implementation of IGAD Youth Policy’s 13
Priority Areas at national and regional level; and

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b) Determine the main guidelines, programs and approve budgets and programmes for
cooperation in line with the key strategic actions areas enlisted under each Policy Priority
Areas (PPAs); and
c) Give guidelines and monitor pertinent political and international policy issues that may have
impact on the implementation of the IGAD Youth Policy and institute relevant measures to
counter and or mitigate the same; and
d) Provide policy, legislative and institutional guidelines and frameworks necessary for ensuring
effective implementation of the IGAD Youth Policy at national and regional level and ensure
the results from the policy implementation feeds into AU Agenda 2063 and UN SDG Agenda
2030 as well as into respective Member State’s National Youth Development Policies and
Programmes; and
e) Determine and approve the scale and or scope of MS’s contributions to the overall budget for
the IGAD Youth Policy Implementation as shall be determined by the IGAD Secretariat and
approved by the Council of Ministers and Ambassadors; and
f) On the advice of the Council of Ministers and the Committee of Ambassadors, second young
women and men from their respective MSs to the Annual IGAD Youth Forum, IGAD Youth
Council and IGAD Youth Advisory Board.

5.3. IGAD Council of Ministers

The IGAD Council of Ministers, herein also referred to as “the Council” is composed of the
Ministers of Foreign Affairs and one other focal Minister designated by each Member State
(depending on the agenda or issues of interest at a particular time tabled before the council). The
Council is established under Article 10 of the Agreement to among other functions;

a. Make recommendations to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government (the Assembly)
on all matters of policy aimed at the efficient functioning and development of the IGAD;
b. Approve the Authority’s work plan and budget; and
c. Promote, monitor, coordinate, and harmonize the IGAD’s Regional Policy, Programmes and
Initiatives for the realization of IGAD Objectives; and
d. Monitor the implementation of the decisions of the Assembly; and
e. Prepare the agenda for the Assembly; and
f. Promote peace and security in the sub-region and make recommendations to the Assembly;
and
g. Undertake any other functions assigned to it by the Assembly, among other.

For the purpose of the implementation of the IGAD Youth Policy (2022), the Council shall: -

a) Approve the policy and set it as an agenda for the Assembly for purpose of ratification and
approval by the Member States for its full implementation as a Regional Youth Development
Policy Framework;
b) Assist the Secretariat in the development, costing, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and
documentation of lessons and experiences through Policy Implementation Annual Work Plans,

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 Performance Monitoring and Management Plans (PMMPs) and Budgets.

5.4. The Committee of Ambassadors

The Committee is comprised of Member State’s Ambassadors or Plenipotentiaries accredited to
the Country of the headquarters of the Authority, in this case, Djibouti. The Committee is set up
under Article 11 of the Agreement Establishing IGAD.

For supporting the implementation of the IGAD Youth Policy (2022), the Committee shall, by
virtue of its assigned functions in the Agreement;

a) Advise the Executive Secretary on the interpretation and application of applicable policies,
legislations and guidelines in the Member States to advancement of the objectives of the IGAD
Youth Policy;
b) Advise the Executive Secretary on the most appropriate and applicable strategies, approaches
and methodologies to adopt and implement for effective realization of the IGAD Youth Policy
Objectives at Member State and Regional Levels.
c) Follow-up the activities of the IGAD Secretariat with regard to implementation of decisions
and directives of the Assembly and the Council related to implementation, review and
evaluation of the IGAD Youth Policy.
d) Advise their respective Member States on all decision, resolutions, action plans and
commitment of the Assembly and the Council as related to the IGAD Youth Policy
implementation, review, evaluation and knowledge management and dissemination within
IGAD region and internationally.

5.5. The IGAD Secretariat

The Secretariat is headed by the Executive Secretary appointed by the Assembly of Heads of State
and Government upon the recommendation of Council of Ministers. The Executive Secretary
serves a term of four (4) years renewable once. The current Executive Secretary is HE Dr.
Workneh Gebeyehu from Ethiopia.

The IGAD Secretariat, as established under Article 12 of the Agreement, exists to:

a) Implement the decisions of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the Council
of Ministers; and
b) Prepare draft proposals and agreements on matters arising from the decisions and
recommendations of the Assembly and the Council; and
c) Prepare surveys, studies, information and guidelines on legal, political, economic, social,
cultural and technical matters of common concern to MSs and that are essential for broadening
and deepening cooperative among the MSs; and
d) Initiate, identify, and coordinate development programmes and projects; and
e) Be responsible to service the meetings of the Assembly, Council of Ministers and that of other
IGAD Policy Organs.

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For effective implementation of the IGAD Youth Policy (2022) and its enabling and facilitative
programmes, projects and interventions, the IGAD Secretariat shall: -

a) Assist IGAD MSs in formulating regional and national youth development, empowerment and
protection programmes along the listed 13 PPAs; and
b) Facilitate the coordination, harmonization and rollout of regional youth development,
empowerment and protection policies, legislations, programmes, projects, activities and
institutional frameworks necessary for advancing the concept of “Meaningful Youth
Engagement in IGAD Processes”; and
c) Develop and implement a regional resource mobilization strategy for the IGAD Youth Policy
(2022) to finance and technically support its implementation at regional and member state
levels; and
d) In partnerships with IGAD MSs and International Development Partners, reinforce,
strengthen, capacitate and facilitate youth groups, youth CBOs, youth CSOs, youth NGOs and
National and Regional Youth Policy Organs to ensure they have sufficient resources,
technically competencies and professional endowments to effectively contribute to the
implementation of the IGAD Youth Policy (2022); and
e) Ensure that all IGAD Youth Policy Organs and Programmes set up by the Assembly upon the
recommendations of the Council of Ministers for purposes of implementing specific and some
inter-related IGAD Youth Policy Priority Areas feeds into all IGAD Structures including
Specialized entities, and that reports from the structures and specialized entities eventually
feeds into the Summit of Heads of State and Government for purposes of tracking policy
implementation progress and evaluating its regional and national impacts in the youth.

5.6. The IGAD Executive Secretary

Article 13 creates the Office of the Executive Secretary of IGAD as the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of the Authority. In the implementation of the IGAD Youth Policy (2022) and all its
attendant programmes, projects, interventions and related actions, the CEO shall;

i) Initiate measures aimed at promoting the objectives of the Policy within all IGAD Policy
Organs, Divisions, Departments, Programmes and Specialized Entities through heightened
mainstreaming of the PPAs into the IGAD’s overall development mechanisms and
strategies;
ii) Promote cooperation with organizations, institutions and corporations with similar
objectives in the furtherance of the IGAD Youth Policy objectives;
iii) Consult and coordinate with the governments, UN Agencies, Bi-Lateral Development
Partners, Multi-Lateral Development Partners and Regional Youth Organizations to ensure
conformity and harmony of their development priorities with the IGAD Youth Policy
Framework and its priorities;
iv) Organize and host an annual IGAD Regional Youth Forum to review policy
implementation and performance status at the Member State’s and Regional Level and

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 make recommendations to the Council and the Assembly for further action aimed at
improving efficacy of the policy implementation processes and actions;
v) Organize meetings and sessions with the Assembly, the Council and any other meetings
with critical youth development and empowerment stakeholders convened on the direction
of the Council of Ministers or the Assembly to review and evaluate policy implementation
progress status, results realization and impact evaluation on both medium- and end-term
basis.
vi) Prepare annual reports (qualitative and quantitative, narrative and financial, and
pictorial/visual) including mid-term and end-term evaluation excel sheets with indicator
monitoring and tracking sheets;
vii) Prepare recommendations concerning the Council’s approved work plan implementation
for submission to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
viii) Negotiate, with the consent and approval of the Council of Ministers, Policy Financing
Instruments and Agreements with local and international development partners including
with the private sectors’ corporate social responsibility programmes.

5.7. IGAD Sectoral Council on Gender, Children, Youth, Social Protection and
Community Development
Subject to directions by the IGAD Council of Ministers, this Sectoral Council shall:
a) Be responsible for the preparation of a comprehensive implementation Programme and the
setting out of priorities with respect to the youth;
b) Monitor and keep under constant review the implementation of the programmes of the
Community with respect to the youth;
c) Submit from time to time, reports and recommendations to the Council concerning the
implementation of the provisions of this Policy;
d) Have such other functions as may be conferred on it by or under this Policy and the Treaty
establishing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development

5.8. IGAD Youth Advisory Board

5.8.1. Functions of the Board

This policy shall seek to establish the IGAD Youth Advisory Board within the IGAD. The
mandate of the Board shall be as follows: -

i) To provide a platform for the youth in the IGAD region and youth CSOs to effectively
engage and contribute towards the integration process of the Intergovernmental Authority on
Development;
ii) To provide a platform for youth in IGAD region to build partnerships and networks to
strengthen the IGAD Youth Advisory committee;
iii) To consider, advocate and promote relevant legal instruments and frameworks at the regional
level to advance the rights and freedoms of the youth in the Intergovernmental Authority on
Development;

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iv) To provide a mechanism for the youth to engage with the IGAD Community’s Organs and
Institutions;
v) To facilitate the engagement of youth serving organizations whose goals are geared toward
the respect for and realization of human rights of all youth in the IGAD region; To serve as a
visible and reference body for youth issues in IGAD region;
vi) To foster the spirit of camaraderie and common citizenry amongst the youth in IGAD region;
vii) To present a unified and common position on all matters relating to youth in IGAD region;
viii) To build the capacity of member organizations to fully explore their potential in their spheres
of operation;

5.8.2. Composition of the IGAD Youth Advisory Board

1) IGAD member state will each have four (4) representatives (2 males and 2 females) in the
advisory Board, 2 representatives from the youth civil society, a technical representative from
each of the IGAD divisions and specialized entities, and 1 representative from office of the
Executive Secretary of IGAD and the Office of the Chair of IGAD Summit at the time.
2) No gender should occupy more than 2/3 of the representative positions per Member state
3) The Council of Minister shall develop and implement a standard criterion for countries to
follow when nominating any of the representatives to the above positions for the Council to
vet and forward to the Assembly for approval.

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 CHAPTER SIX:

POLICY IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN

6.1. Chapter Introduction

The Chapter presents a structure policy coordination, implementation and domestication
mechanisms.

6.2. IGAD Youth Policy Implementation and Coordination Mechanism

The IGAD Youth Policy will be operationalized through a ten-year implementation plan, which
will further be organized into and delivered through an annual operational work plan to be
developed by the Secretariat and approved by the IGAD Assembly upon recommendation by the
Council of Ministers.

The ten-year implementation plan is guided and informed by the comprehensive nature of the
[policy] and its intricate inter-relationship with other regional policies, legislations and
programmes as well as its broad inter-sectoral, multi-level, and multi-stakeholder approach,
bringing together all IGAD Policy Organs, Divisions, Specialized Institutions, Member States’
MDAs, Development Agencies and Youth Development and Empowerment Stakeholders under a
unified approach to tackling of youth issues in the IGAD Region.

The policy proposes that IGAD Secretariat, in consultation with Council of Ministers and
Committee of Ambassadors, shall develop a policy implementation matrix that shall:

ix) Create a collaboration and networking platform for all Policy Stakeholders to freely and
strategically interact and compare notes on their respective levels of efforts required from
time-to-time to implement the Policy Priority Areas;
x) Outline key milestones in the form of short-, medium-, and long-term policy performance
outputs, outcomes and impact, providing corresponding objectively verifiable indicators at
each level of policy performance tracking and corresponding timelines for tracking each
indicator using a Logical Framework and Critical Path Analysis Approaches;
xi) Develop annual budget for PPAs implementation as disaggregated by specific targets and
indicators

The emphasis on a Results-Based Management implementation approach is in line with IGAD

Results-Based Management and Monitoring approach and the need for greater transparency,
accountability and in adherence with the principle of the “Best Interest of the Child” that this
policy advocates for.

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6.3. Policy Institutional Framework and Meaningful Youth Engagement Strategy
The following diagram shows the institutional arrangements for implementing, monitoring,
evaluating, documenting, and reporting progress and challenges:

ASSEMBLY OF HEADS OF STATE

AND GOVERNMENT (SUMMIT)

COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS (The
Council)

IGAD
MINISTERIAL
COMMITTEE OF COMMITTEE ON
AMBASSADORS (The YOUTH AFFAIRS
Committee)

IGAD IGAD YOUTH

SECRETARIAT ADVISORY IGAD YOUTH
(The Secretariat) BOARD COUNCIL

IGAD SPECIALIZED ANNUAL IGAD

IGAD DIVISIONS CHARGED
ENTITIES CHARGED YOUTH FORUM
WITH YOUTH POLICY WITH YOUTH POLICY
IMPLEMENTATION (The Forum)
IMPLEMENTATION

MEMBER STATES’ IGAD

YOUTH POLICY
IMPLEMENTATION
FOCAL MDAs & YOUTH
CSOs

Figure 1: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR IGAD YOUTH POLICY IMPLEMNTATION

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6.4. Policy Domestication Mechanism and Roles of Member States
The IGAD member states shall be expected to continually update/develop and pursue various
youth development, empowerment and protection policies, laws and strategies in order to create
conducive conditions, policy, legal frameworks, and environments for sound IGAD Youth Policy
Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reviews, Knowledge, and Best Practices sharing among
and within member states.

IGAD’s role will continue to be in line with efforts that will lead to the development of policy
implementation instruments, institutional structures and reporting system at the national and
regional level, which will in turn allow for cross-border harmony and seamless coordination of the
IGAD Youth Policy Implementation Structures and Organs.

The youth policy and its related legal issues of regional relevance and concerns pertain to strategic
areas of cooperation in the IGAD region. It is therefore the role of IGAD to initiate, support and
lead the process of harmonizing youth development, empowerment and protection policies, laws,
programs, projects and interventions in the region. This responsibility envisages the identification
of relevant fields together with the member states, carrying out policy studies and reviews,
proposing policy, programming and legislative options to MSs, and providing a regional youth
forum for discussion and advice on the mechanisms for the implementation of the youth policies,
laws, programs, projects and interventions across the IGAD Region. The approach allows for the
promotion of compatible and harmonious regional youth policies, laws, programs, projects and
interventions across the IGAD Region; and the development of strategies and concepts of regional
relevance to the aspirations of the youth (women and men) including children in the IGAD
Region.

Member states of IGAD have varying capacities and institutional strengths in youth development
and empowerment strategies planning, design and program implementation, with many of them
lacking capacity to prepare bankable youth development and empowerment proposals and
business plans that are attractive enough to attract the necessary turn-key funding from
international development partners to formulate and implement comprehensive and nationally
targeted youth development and empowerment projects and programs.

Experience indicates that having readily available bankable youth development and empowerment
proposals and business plans and clear prioritization of youth issues in the Sub-Saharan Africa (a
home to 70% of the global youth population), and particularly in national development strategies
makes it attractive for national governments and development partners to allocate substantial
amounts of funding to support implementation of youth development and empowerment
programs.

In response to the above gaps, IGAD shall support member states to: -

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i) Create awareness among youth and youth CSOs on the process of developing appropriate
strategies and concepts in line with the 13 PPAs.
ii) Comply with the provisions of, and benefit from, the international instruments mentioned and
applied in the formulation and development of the IGAD Youth Policy (2022).
iii) Enhance development of national youth policies, legislations, programs and projects that are
in conformity with and by setting up a fund to support member states to formulate and
implement national level youth actions plans in responses to the imperative objectives of the
IGAD Youth Policy (2022).
iv) Create and annually host a National and Regional Dialogue Platforms on IGAD Youth Policy
Implementation Review and Feedback to the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and
Governments.

6.5. IGAD Youth Policy Dissemination and Popularization Strategies

Policy dissemination and popularization strategies refers to targeted distribution of tailored
information, communication and intervention materials to a specific group of audience or intended
consumers of a piece or pieces of targeted information at a particular time during policy
implementation period. The intent is to spread knowledge and the associated evidence-based
interventions with an intention to attract and or maintain partnerships, collaborations, networks
and support or strengthen pragmatic approaches and methodologies.

Policy dissemination and popularization strategies adapted by IGAD Youth Policy include among
others;

(a) Publication of the policy in the AU, IGAD, UN and International Development Partners’
Websites;
(b) Working with researchers and scholars to conduct studies and publish research findings
related to the policy in peer reviewed research journals;
(c) Sponsoring radio and TV documentaries on the various aspects of the policy
implementation and success stories sharing; and
(d) Using of all other applicable and suitable print, electronic and visual arts strategies to
communicate and disseminate the policy and its projects/programmes.

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 CHAPTER SEVEN:

MONITORING, EVALUATION, RESEARCH, LEARNING (MEARL) AND

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

7.1. Introduction
Development of Policy and Programme Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
contributes quite significantly to the streamlining of input-output-outcome-impact performance
measurement across structures and teams charged with the responsibility of implementing the
policy and its development projects and programs. The M & E Framework also contributes to
alignment of policy [programmatic] themes or priority areas with existing policy, legislative,
programmatic and institutional arrangements. The Framework also aids data collection for
decision-making purposes. When correctly executed, Policy M & E Framework enhance research,
learning and knowledge management including strengthening of capacities at policy
implementation stage.

In this Chapter, the policy presents the theories that underpins MEARL and Knowledge
Management function as well as an illustration of the proposed Theory of Change envisaged
because of policy implementation in the IGAD region. The chapter will also present a Logical
Framework approach to illustrate the interrelationships between policy vision, mission and
strategic objectives and to present an overview of selected performance measurement indicators
that will guide monitoring and evaluation data collection and reporting.

7.2. Theories Underpinning Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning and Knowledge

Management
Two theories have guided the development, implementation and review of policy performance,
both in the medium- and long-term: Theory of Change and Target Theory.

7.2.1. Theory of Change

This theoretical model describes the strategies to achieve an anticipated impact from a policy or
Programme implementation. It described the steps required for a desirable change within a
specific target population or groups to be realized. For instance, in the implementation of IGAD
Regional Policy or Programme, the desired change is usually social and economic growth of the
county residents. The theory of change, critically and objectively, outlines the set of processes and
assumptions that will come into play to ensure the change is achieved. This includes
implementation of M&E activities and the required resources. Rogers (2008) defines the concept
as a set of abstract projections and assumptions about the program output by the stakeholders,
based on the scrutiny of the present settings about financial capacity, audit, community
participation, decision-making and tracing mechanisms. The model also forestalls the likelihood
of unforeseen risks during the project phases and outline measures on how to address them
amicably. This therefore makes the theory relevant for this study as it informs the program drivers

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the prospects and uncertainties that characterizes the design, administration and implementation of
project goals.

7.2.2. Systems Theory

Public service delivery as a product of a good plan underpinned by a theoretical ground
conceptualized as the ultimate product is a chief cornerstone in the design and implementation of
youth-centered development and behavior change projects and programmes.

The systems theory in political science owes its origin to David Easton (1953) who is reputed to
be the scholar that attempted to analyze politics from the perspective of systems in his famous
work “Political system” which appeared in 1953. His work that was regarded as the foundation of
the behaviorist revolution in political science outlined eight major characteristics: Regularities,
verification, techniques, quantification, values, systemization, pure science, and integration. Obi et
al., (2008) linked the Easton’s system characteristics with the system thinking and behaviorism
tendencies in organizations. In other words, a political system may be that system of interactions
in any society through which authoritative allocations are made and implemented in the form of
policies and decisions.

Public policy is a political system’s response to demands arising from its environment, as is now
the case with IGAD and its youth issues, development challenges and needs in the IGAD Region.
The political system, as Easton defines it, comprises those identifiable and interrelated institutions
and activities (what in the IGAD Handbook, is referred to IGAD Policy Institutions, government
institutions and political processes) within IGAD and at the Member States.

Application of Systems Theory in the design of MEARL Framework is informed by its ability to
rally all IGAD’s social system, the economic system, the geo-political setting - that are external to
the boundaries of the IGAD processes and political system necessary for effective policy
implementation.

This model thus relies on concepts of information theory. In other words, systems theory
conceives public policy as the response of the political system to demands from its environment
(member states and key stakeholders) responses to the youth issues identified by the policy. The
political system in the context of this theory consists of those institutions that make authoritative
allocation of values binding on the society as a whole. The environment of the political system
consists of those institutions found in the economic, social, cultural and international systems
which shape political process and whose activities are influenced by the political system.

Systems theory results are characterized as input-output-outcome-impact studies as suggested in

Chapter 8 (Section 8.2) of the Policy. Nonetheless, this approach can be helpful in organizing
inquiry into policy formation in comparison to other policies within and or without the same
geographical area in which a policy action takes place, it also alerts us to some important facets of
the IGAD and National political process, such as how do inputs from the policy actions affect the

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content of other public policies and the operation of the political system? How in turn does public
policy affect the target population (in the case of this policy, the youth) and the subsequent
demands for policy actions by other policy implementation actors and stakeholders? How well is
the IGAD’s political system able to convert demands by the policy into functional public policy
actions and preserve itself over time?

7.2.3. Institutional Theory

The institutional approach concentrates on describing the more formal and legal aspects of
regional and national government and governance institutions including their formal structure,
legal powers, procedural rules and regulations, and functions. Formal relationships with other
institutions and organizations sharing similar youth development and empowerment objects are
also considered in the application of this theory, such as legislative-executive relations, private-
public partnerships, and public-public partnership.

7.2.4. Incremental Theory

This theory is selected for its application in incremental decision-making processes with potential
to create and sustain incremental changes in the society. Incremental decisions involve making of
limited changes, improvements or additions to existing policies, legislations, programmes,
projects or institutional frameworks to accommodate new concepts and development demands
such as a small-percentage increase in IGAD’s and or National Governments’ budgets and
resource allocations to accommodate demands from and by the Policy. According to this
approach, the policy-makers examine a limited number of policy alternatives and implement
change in a series of small but gradually incremental steps.

It may be noted that each of the alternatives available to the policy-maker represents only a small
change in the status quo. This approach recognizes the less-than-ideal circumstances under which
administrators must make policies. Charles Lindblom is associated with this model. He contends
that incrementalism is the typical policy-making in pluralist societies such as the AU and its RECs
and has successfully been applied in the United States of America and even Nigeria. According to
this theory, Policy stakeholders are reminded that decisions and policies are the product of a give
and take scenario and mutual consent among numerous participants in the policy, especially the
Member States, Youth CSOs, International Development Partners and other Policy Implementing
and Financing Partners.

7.2.5. Rational-Choice Theory

The rational-choice theory, which is sometimes called social-choice, public-choice, or formal
theory, originated with economists and involves applying the principles of micro-economic theory
to the analysis and explanation of social-political behavior (or non-market decision-making). It
has now gained quite a few adherents among political scientists (Anderson, 1997). Perhaps, the
earliest use of rational-choice theory to study the political process is Anthony Downs’s Economic
Theory of Democracy. In this influential book, Downs assumes that voters (read citizens) and
political parties act as rational decision-makers who seek to maximize attainment of their

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preferences and interests in any situation that threatens their common areas of interest. Parties
formulate whatever policies will win them most votes and voters, and seek to maximize the
portion of their preferences that could be realized through government action. In attempting to win
elections, political parties move toward the centre of the ideological spectrum to appeal to the
greatest number of voters and maximize their voting support. Thus, rather than providing
“meaningful alternatives”, parties will become as much alike as possible, thereby providing an
“echo rather than a choice” (Downs, 1957). The use of Rational-Choice Theory in the context of
IGAD Youth Policy is based on economic principles such as the cost-benefit analysis and value
preferences and societal ideals.

According to Henry: One tries to learn all the value preferences extant in a society, assign each
value a relative weight, discover all the policy alternatives available, know all the consequences of
each alternative, calculate how the selection of any one policy will affect the remaining
alternatives in terms of opportunity costs, and ultimately select the policy alternative that is the
most efficient in terms of costs and benefits of social values (Henry, 2004:314).

The rationalist model is conceptually quite simple. IGAD Policy-makers and institutions assigned
to implement the Policy will rely on the theory to: -

i) Identify all the value preferences currently existing in all youth-focused policies, laws,
programmes, institutional frameworks and in all past and present youth development
and empowerment strategies through public policy research and development
practices;
ii) Assign each value a relative weight in accordance with its ability to create synergy and
ripple effect on other values and or intended policy intervention outcomes;
iii) Discover all the alternative policies available to accomplish these values and other
inferred value options,
iv) Know all the costs and consequences of each alternative policy and programmatic
options and adopt the most cost-effective options with greater impact potential, and
v) Select the best alternative that is also the most efficient in terms of the costs and
benefits of social values.
The rationalist model deals with construction of public policies that ensure better public
policies. It thus aims at improving public policy-making process and outcomes, hence its
preference.

7.2.6. Programme Evaluation Theory

Donaldson postulated Program Theory of Evaluation (PTE) in 2012. The PTE is designed to
evaluate the capacity of a program or set of programs to attain its goals. The philosophical concept
guides the validation processes of the projects cycle and highlights the crucial gaps that must be
addressed in the formative stages of Programme design, planning and during implementation in
order to realize the projected impacts and outcomes. Equally, it also summarizes the key

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management components that need focused attention during the course of policy implementation
monitoring and evaluation. The theory looks at the outcome of an M&E process in terms of
providing valuable information that guides decision making in project implementation. It presents
the importance of data gathering in decision-making process.

CHAPTER EIGHT:

SIGNING, RATIFICATION, ENACTMENT AND COMING INTO FORCE OF THE

IGAD YOUTH POLICY AND OTHER TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

8.1. Policy Signing, Ratification, Enactment and Enforcement Procedures

The signing, ratification, enactment and enforcement of the IGAD Youth Policy will be in
accordance with the administrative procedures as guided by provisions and implications of
Articles 20, 21 and 23 of the 1996 Agreement Establishing IGAD. The Policy, in
accordance with Article 24 of the Agreement, shall be published in English and French
languages as the Authentic Languages of the Authority.

8.2. Harmonization of Regional Policies, Legislation and Institutional Framework

The IGAD Youth Policy (2022) successful implementation depends much to the extent
with which it is harmonized and integrated into other existing Continental, Regional,
National and Sub-National policies, legislations, programmes and actions.

The IGAD Secretariat, in collaboration with Member States, Continental and Regional
Youth CSO Networks, International Development Partners and other RECs, shall works
towards a Youth Policy, Programme and Legislation harmonization and coherence creation
and cascading of the IGAD Youth Policy into existing Regional and Country-level
instruments for youth development and empowerment including donor-funded, privately-
supported and publicly-funded youth initiatives.

To attain the seamless harmonization of youth policies, legislations and programmes,

systematic and concerted effort is required to conduct a Study of Existing National Youth
Policies, Laws, Programs and Institutional Arrangements to determine their extant and
efficacy in addressing youth issues identified in the IGAD Youth Policy. A Comparative
Study of other Regional Economic Communities’ Youth Policies, Laws and Programs is
also necessary to investigate and determine similarities, differences and abilities to create
and sustain continental momentum in tackling youth issues of common interest to the
African Continent’s Youth.

Against the findings and recommendations of the above studies, the IGAD Secretariat,
through Youth Focal Points in each of the IGAD Divisions and Specialized Units, shall
then determine most probable way forward in the Regional Strategy for Youth Policies,

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Laws and Programs’ harmonization among its Member States and Policy Organs, including
borrowing and scaling-up learnt best practices within the Continent and IGAD Region.

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MAP 1 – SCHEMATIC MAP OF IGAD REGION SHOWING THE MEMBER STATES

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