Youth policy to unlock demographic dividend

The federal government has formulated a comprehensive National Adolescent and Youth Policy aimed at unlocking Pakistan's demographic dividend by equipping young people with the skills and expertise needed to succeed in different fields.

The government has prioritised the inculcation of values, ethical conduct and character development of youth along with several other key pillars in the new National Adolescent and Youth Policy: A National Framework for Empowering Pakistan's Young Generation.

During discussions in a recent meeting, the cabinet members commended the formulation of a comprehensive youth policy that aimed to provide a strategic framework at both federal and provincial levels for unlocking Pakistan's demographic dividend by equipping the youth with necessary skills and expertise to excel in various fields.

The cabinet members gave several suggestions for incorporation into the draft policy, including the inculcation of values, ethical conduct and character building of youth; provision of opportunities as well as necessary infrastructure for the participation of youth in fields such as sports and culture; access to quality education for all and provision of requisite teaching and physical resources in schools to foster a conducive learning environment for students; focusing on the welfare, education and training of youth engaged in the agriculture sector; strengthening youth councils in local governments, mainstreaming out-of-school children and providing fast-track education to students who have become overage at the primary level; and ensuring an integrated implementation approach across the federal, provincial and local tiers of the government to expeditiously achieve the policy objectives.

Following detailed discussions, the cabinet approved the National Adolescent and Youth Policy subject to incorporation of the advice and comments given by the cabinet members.

The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination apprised the cabinet that on the directives of the prime minister, the National Adolescent and Youth Policy had been developed under the guidance of PM Youth Programme chairman, with technical support from Unicef.

The policy was designed through a multi-stakeholder task force constituted to provide strategic guidance, expert recommendations and oversight to ensure that the final policy reflected the diverse needs and aspirations of Pakistan's adolescents and youth.

The ministry highlighted that Pakistan was one of the youngest countries in the world, with around 67% of its population below the age of 30 years, according to the Population Census 2023. However, despite the significant demographic opportunity, youth development indicators remained a matter of concern as Pakistan was ranked 162 out of 193 countries on the Commonwealth Global Youth Development Index 2023.

Those challenges were further compounded by limited opportunities in rural and underserved regions, rapid digital transformation, climate change, skills mismatch and social exclusion. In this context, the youth policy has been developed as Pakistan's first-ever national policy framework that expressly brings adolescents and youth within one integrated policy lens, recognising young people aged 10 to 29 years as a distinct group with specific development needs.