Thursday, January 11, 2007
New Year update on best practice study
Hello all,
I finally get a chance to update the blog. So as you may know we have been working here on the UNIDAO/YEN/UNOWA Best Practice Study on youth employment in West Africa. We had to obviously look at an impressive array of questions ranging from security implications, private sector involvement, economic growth/acceleration schemes, education, and much more. We faced a number of challenges, not the smallest of which, time, that put a particular pressure on out activities. Nevertheless, A first draft of the study is being presented and discussed as I am writing this, in Vienna at the UNIDO offices by a Working Group. The Special representative to the Secretary General made a quick address this morning via phone link to UNIDO stating the importance of youth employment for the stability of the region, and the engagement of UNOWA in supporting all efforts geared towards this issue. I am attaching the Note from the conference that you can refer to for additional information. The feedback from the WG will help us continue working on the mapping study in view of the "UNIDO/AU High Level Consultative Meeting on Productive Work for Youth in West Africa with emphasis on the Mano River Union (MRU) and Côte d’Ivoire in cooperation with YEN and UNOWA". That has been confirmed for February 19-20 in Accra, Ghana.
I believe that the WG will allow for an accrued collaboration with UN agencies, donors, and Governments in assisting the full implementation of the YEN sub-office and will mark the beginning of a number of activities. I will also be attaching the minutes from a meeting we has yesterday at UNIDO offices that was of great importance I believe in the log run operations of the unit, and i believe should be of interest to you because it looks upon private involvement in youth employment, and the formulation of the problem to attract interest.
I will try to keep you posted on further developments as they come and as time allows. Thanks. M.
I finally get a chance to update the blog. So as you may know we have been working here on the UNIDAO/YEN/UNOWA Best Practice Study on youth employment in West Africa. We had to obviously look at an impressive array of questions ranging from security implications, private sector involvement, economic growth/acceleration schemes, education, and much more. We faced a number of challenges, not the smallest of which, time, that put a particular pressure on out activities. Nevertheless, A first draft of the study is being presented and discussed as I am writing this, in Vienna at the UNIDO offices by a Working Group. The Special representative to the Secretary General made a quick address this morning via phone link to UNIDO stating the importance of youth employment for the stability of the region, and the engagement of UNOWA in supporting all efforts geared towards this issue. I am attaching the Note from the conference that you can refer to for additional information. The feedback from the WG will help us continue working on the mapping study in view of the "UNIDO/AU High Level Consultative Meeting on Productive Work for Youth in West Africa with emphasis on the Mano River Union (MRU) and Côte d’Ivoire in cooperation with YEN and UNOWA". That has been confirmed for February 19-20 in Accra, Ghana.
I believe that the WG will allow for an accrued collaboration with UN agencies, donors, and Governments in assisting the full implementation of the YEN sub-office and will mark the beginning of a number of activities. I will also be attaching the minutes from a meeting we has yesterday at UNIDO offices that was of great importance I believe in the log run operations of the unit, and i believe should be of interest to you because it looks upon private involvement in youth employment, and the formulation of the problem to attract interest.
I will try to keep you posted on further developments as they come and as time allows. Thanks. M.
Note for the Vienna UNIDO Working Group meeting
UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT NETWORK
UNIDO/YEN Working Group Meeting
In preparation of
UNIDO/AU High Level Consultative Meeting on Productive Work for Youth
in West Africa with emphasis on the Mano River Union (MRU)
in cooperation with YEN and UNOWA
Information Note
Date and venue: 11 and 12 January 2007
UNIDO Headquarters
Vienna International Center (VIC)
C-Building
Conference Room VII
Wagramerstraße 5
1400 Vienna, Austria
Background:
This Working Group will support the preparation of the UNIDO/AU High Level Consultative Meeting on Productive Work for Youth in West Africa with emphasis on the Mano River Union (MRU). The High-level Consultative Meeting is being convened by UNIDO and the African Union in cooperation with the Secretary-General’s Youth Employment Network (YEN) and the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and it will be held in Accra, Ghana, on 19 and 20 February 2006 (Aide-mémoire attached).
In preparation of the Working Group meeting, UNIDO, YEN and UNOWA have undertaken a mapping study on youth employment initiatives in the region in order to assist policy-makers and other key stakeholders in the youth employment arena to determine which policies and programmes have greater potential to create decent work opportunities for young women and men, to identify gaps (if any) and help in the development of further inter agency initiatives (TORs of the study attached).
Objective:
The purpose of the Working Group is to review the outcome of the study in an informal, practical results-oriented setting with fellow experts and practitioners. Refining this study will help outline project concepts that can be tested for scaling up through a multi-stakeholder approach in the Mano River Union and Côte d'Ivoire and the setting up of financing mechanisms for such projects.
2
Provisional agenda:
The provisional agenda is contained in annex I.
Background documentation:
The draft “UNIDO/YEN/UNOWA Study on Best Practices, Policy Environment, Tools and Methodologies for Youth Employment in West Africa” will be sent to participants prior to the meeting at the beginning of January 2007.
UNOWA issues paper: “Youth Unemployment and Regional Insecurity in West Africa”, 2nd edition, August 2006, Dakar, Senegal.
Available at: http://www.un.org/unowa/unowa/studies/unemployment-insecurity.pdf
International Labour Office: Guidelines for the Preparation of National Action Plans on Youth Employment.
Available soon at www.ilo.org/youth
World Bank: Global Inventory of Interventions to Support Young Workers.
Proposed composition of the Working Group:
Mr. Mats KARLSSON, Facilitator, Vice President of the World Bank and WB Director in Ghana
Ms. Regina MONTICONE, Secretary, Secretary-General’s Youth Employment Network
Ms. Hopolang PHORORO, Youth Employment Specialist, ILO Regional Office for Africa
Mr. Mohamed GASSAMA, Employment Specialist MRU, ILO
Mr. Marc SOMMERS, Research Professor, Institute of Human Security, Tufts University
Mr. Joe INGRAM, World Bank Consultant, Former World Bank Director (Geneva, Cameroon, Bosnia)
Ms. Irma SPECHT, Director, Transition International
Ms. Magatte WADE, Founder and former President of AGETIP
Mr. Frazer MACDONALD, Policy Advisor, International Relations Division, Department for Education and Skills, UK
Mr. Jakob STROM, Deputy Director, Department for Global Disarmament, Foreign Ministry, Sweden
Mr. Ayoup Zaid ELRASHDI, Senior Policy Officer for Industry, African Union Commission, Department of Trade and Industry
Mr. Zahid TORRES-RAHMAN, Programme Director, Business Action for Africa
Ms. Alessandra CABRAS, Political Officer, Focal Point for Youth, UNOWA
Mr. Simon TARO, Director of the ECOWAS Centre for the Development of Youth and Sports (CDJS)
Mr. Jordan RYAN, UNDP Resident Coordinator, Liberia
Mr. Joseph KOROMA, UNIDO Representative in Sierra Leone
Ms. Poonam AHLUWALIA, Executive Director, Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign
Ms. Maud EDGREN-SCHORI, Gender Specialist, UNDP Ivory Coast
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT NETWORK
UNIDO/YEN Working Group Meeting
In preparation of
UNIDO/AU High Level Consultative Meeting on Productive Work for Youth
in West Africa with emphasis on the Mano River Union (MRU)
in cooperation with YEN and UNOWA
Information Note
Date and venue: 11 and 12 January 2007
UNIDO Headquarters
Vienna International Center (VIC)
C-Building
Conference Room VII
Wagramerstraße 5
1400 Vienna, Austria
Background:
This Working Group will support the preparation of the UNIDO/AU High Level Consultative Meeting on Productive Work for Youth in West Africa with emphasis on the Mano River Union (MRU). The High-level Consultative Meeting is being convened by UNIDO and the African Union in cooperation with the Secretary-General’s Youth Employment Network (YEN) and the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) and it will be held in Accra, Ghana, on 19 and 20 February 2006 (Aide-mémoire attached).
In preparation of the Working Group meeting, UNIDO, YEN and UNOWA have undertaken a mapping study on youth employment initiatives in the region in order to assist policy-makers and other key stakeholders in the youth employment arena to determine which policies and programmes have greater potential to create decent work opportunities for young women and men, to identify gaps (if any) and help in the development of further inter agency initiatives (TORs of the study attached).
Objective:
The purpose of the Working Group is to review the outcome of the study in an informal, practical results-oriented setting with fellow experts and practitioners. Refining this study will help outline project concepts that can be tested for scaling up through a multi-stakeholder approach in the Mano River Union and Côte d'Ivoire and the setting up of financing mechanisms for such projects.
2
Provisional agenda:
The provisional agenda is contained in annex I.
Background documentation:
The draft “UNIDO/YEN/UNOWA Study on Best Practices, Policy Environment, Tools and Methodologies for Youth Employment in West Africa” will be sent to participants prior to the meeting at the beginning of January 2007.
UNOWA issues paper: “Youth Unemployment and Regional Insecurity in West Africa”, 2nd edition, August 2006, Dakar, Senegal.
Available at: http://www.un.org/unowa/unowa/studies/unemployment-insecurity.pdf
International Labour Office: Guidelines for the Preparation of National Action Plans on Youth Employment.
Available soon at www.ilo.org/youth
World Bank: Global Inventory of Interventions to Support Young Workers.
Proposed composition of the Working Group:
Mr. Mats KARLSSON, Facilitator, Vice President of the World Bank and WB Director in Ghana
Ms. Regina MONTICONE, Secretary, Secretary-General’s Youth Employment Network
Ms. Hopolang PHORORO, Youth Employment Specialist, ILO Regional Office for Africa
Mr. Mohamed GASSAMA, Employment Specialist MRU, ILO
Mr. Marc SOMMERS, Research Professor, Institute of Human Security, Tufts University
Mr. Joe INGRAM, World Bank Consultant, Former World Bank Director (Geneva, Cameroon, Bosnia)
Ms. Irma SPECHT, Director, Transition International
Ms. Magatte WADE, Founder and former President of AGETIP
Mr. Frazer MACDONALD, Policy Advisor, International Relations Division, Department for Education and Skills, UK
Mr. Jakob STROM, Deputy Director, Department for Global Disarmament, Foreign Ministry, Sweden
Mr. Ayoup Zaid ELRASHDI, Senior Policy Officer for Industry, African Union Commission, Department of Trade and Industry
Mr. Zahid TORRES-RAHMAN, Programme Director, Business Action for Africa
Ms. Alessandra CABRAS, Political Officer, Focal Point for Youth, UNOWA
Mr. Simon TARO, Director of the ECOWAS Centre for the Development of Youth and Sports (CDJS)
Mr. Jordan RYAN, UNDP Resident Coordinator, Liberia
Mr. Joseph KOROMA, UNIDO Representative in Sierra Leone
Ms. Poonam AHLUWALIA, Executive Director, Youth Employment Summit (YES) Campaign
Ms. Maud EDGREN-SCHORI, Gender Specialist, UNDP Ivory Coast
