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A new approach to the Youth Policies in the International Cooperation: the local dimension

On 4 and 5 December 2012, EURADA, the European Association of Development Agencies, in cooperation with the French Association Régionale des Missions Locales d'Ile-de-France (ARML-idf) organized in Brussels a seminar entitled "Social and Societal Innovation to help unemployed youth: Which role for the Regions, the Member States and the European Union?

The conference provided an overview about the problems linked to the Youth unemployment in Europe and to the actions that many organizations are taking to face this problem.

After the presentation of different analysts and experts of the problem some of the panelists tried to identify the best practice put in place in order to improve the Job Opportunities for youngster.

In this framework the general guidelines of the UNDP ART Youth strategy were presented, focused on the multistakeholder and multilevel approach at the problem highlighting some successful experience like ART Redes in Colombia, URUGUAY, Ecuador el Salvador and Lebanon. In these countries the application of ART bottom up approach and especially the alignment policies carried out interesting results in terms of Job Opportunities and start up of new Local Economic Development activities.

In addition to its acknowledged record and expertise in implementing a territorial approach to development oriented towards long term and demand based (bottom-up) processes, UNDP ART Initiative can contribute to empowering youth through three cooperation modalities. Indeed, decentralized, triangular and South-South cooperation can promote dialogue and the exchange of experiences, knowledge and innovation on the most efficient and groundbreaking mechanisms related to dialogue among youth and to local services.

UNDP ART is called to ensure the integration of various thematic areas within a common territorial strategy, and to reinforce the quality, sustainability and access to local services. Accordingly, UNDP can provide its experience in implementing a territorial approach to development, whereby the territories organize, manage and sustain local services.

Posted on: January 8, 2013