Mohammad Arshad Islamabad
High-Level Policy Forum, Wednesday, highlighted the role of youth in building the country’s future and the need to empower this youth and engage them in policymaking.
Intensive efforts were made by the Planning Commission to meaningfully engage the youth of the country including consultations, dialogues on gender mainstreaming, youth’s mental health, disability and youth, overseas youth forum, youth survey (with 16,500 responses), youth padlets, and Kamyab Jawan Youth Pulse portal survey (with 40,100 responses).
At the forum organized by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives here deliberations helped in formulating youth priorities to guide investment into youth policy and programs in Pakistan.
The forum featured youth voices from across the country and beyond, with young Pakistanis highlighting various challenges confronting them as young people and proposing actions for the Government to address the situation and help youth in advancing on various avenues.
Over 70 young people connected virtually and spoke at the forum, ranging from PhD and post-doctorate candidates studying and working outside of Pakistan, to shopkeepers, delivery boys, farmers and Qaris based in hard-to-reach districts of Pakistan.
Dr Adil Najam elaborated upon the three Es emerging from the National Human Development Report 2017, and discussed the 80 percent of Pakistan’s youth’s intent to vote, a feature unique to Pakistan.
The forum was also attended by youth representatives, young men, women and trans youth, and also included disabled youth and minority representatives.
In this inclusive session, the youth presented the priority action agenda which was a culmination of intensive series of policy dialogues steered by the Planning Commission, engaging over 75,000+ youth participants.
