PM agenda: Youth at the heart of post-2015 development

With 68% of population under the age of 30, Pakistan faces a formidable challenge

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has told a youth forum at the United Nations that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government has launched a special programme aimed at maximising employment and providing business opportunities for the youth.

Speaking at the two-day Youth Forum, organised by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSO), Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Chief Coordinator Makhdoom Adeelur Rehman said that as of now $37.5 million has been disbursed through the Prime Minister’s Youth Business Loan Scheme to almost 11,000 applicants.

“This support is helping young men and women in excelling as entrepreneurs,” he said, adding that this programme will train 25,000 young men and women per year in 100 demand-driven trades.

In addition to this, he added, there were other programmes in pipeline as well including an interest-free loan scheme, fee reimbursement scheme, laptop scheme and youth training scheme.

“In total, the government is investing approximately $250 million (Rs25 billion) yearly through the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme towards the betterment of youth so as to help them become true leaders of the future,” he said.

The chief coordinator emphasised that youth will have to be at the heart of post-2015 development agenda, not merely as beneficiaries but also as dynamic contributors.

He said the United Nations Secretary General’s Synthesis Report recognised that 1.8 billion youth and adolescents were the engines for change. The participatory involvement of the youth both in design as well as implementation of the agenda will ensure that growth and development are inclusive and futuristic.

At another session, he said that Pakistan was passing through a period of youth bulge. “Nearly 68% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, and this bulge can be both an asset and a challenge. Like most other countries, Pakistan faces the formidable task of creating jobs and ensuring decent work for its youth.”

Lastly, he underscored the importance of official development assistance, technology transfer and capacity building for many developing countries including Pakistan in which United Nations has a great role to play. He stressed that the UN agencies should channelise their efforts through respective national governments for better results. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2015.

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