Although most countries have policies meant to promote the well-being and future of youth, the way those policies are formulated often does not involve the very youth they are supposed to benefit. Many countries have a Ministry of Youth – sometimes combined with other supervisory roles – and that ministry will, from time to time, create a National Youth Policy that describes government efforts to “develop” youth in the country. These policies may address social issues, sports, physical development, education, extracurricular activities, etc. One aspect that is often overlooked, however, is economic empowerment of young people. And it is very, very rare for the government to involve young people who would be affected by the policy to ask for their advice and suggestions on how to make that policy more effective.
In Pakistan, CIPE worked with the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) to change that and to start the country’s first forum for young people to engage in advocacy efforts. This CIPE Feature Service article by Ali Salman highlights how the private sector and Pakistani youth came together to make their voices heard in the policymaking process.
The effort focused on shaping the National Youth Policy from the beginning. With the secretary of the Ministry of Youth Affairs in attendance, the ICCI and CIPE gathered young people from across the country in 2008 to discuss the existing youth policy. A year later, the group reconvened to analyze the changes made by the Ministry and advocate for further improvements. One key recommendation that emerged was the need to change the government’s policy on internship assistance to apply to the private sector as well as the public sector, which would present business with the opportunity to bring youth into the market economy and identify new paths for future entrepreneurs.
Despite good ideas for reform, the process of implementing the National Youth Policy in Pakistan has been slow and the policy’s plan of action still awaits approval from an inter-ministerial steering committee. Nonetheless, important public-private channels of communication have been created during the review of the National Youth Policy and the involvement of the private sector helped to ensure a sufficient focus on economic issues, especially entrepreneurship as it relates to youth.
Article at a Glance
- Pakistan’s new National Youth Policy (NYP), approved in 2009, marks a positive step for youth. However, the Policy’s implementation has been hindered by conflicting priorities in the government.
- The private sector can play an important role in advancing the economic empowerment of youth, as demonstrated by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s engagement in the development of the NYP.
- Buy-in from key stakeholders is crucial to ensure the appropriate and forceful implementation of the NYP going forward.
Published Date: August 12, 2010