STORY: Somalia Launches National Youth

Conference
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SOURCE: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: UNSOM PUBLIC
INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI/ENGLISH
DATELINE: 17/DECEMBER/2017, MOGADISH SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, Somali youths from all regions of the country gather in
Mogadishu for a four-day National Youth Conference
2. Close up shot, Somali youth at the conference
3. Close up shot, Somali youth at the conference
5. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Hassan Ali Khaire, Prime Minister of the
Federal Government of Somalia
Today the country has the most promising people. Its not that we have the
longest coastline or rivers, nor do we believe we have natural resources within
our borders, or we have the richest fishing industry in Africa. The most
important thing is that 75 percent of our population is youth, who have clean
and tough minds.

6. Wide shot, Somali youth clapping

7. Wide pan shot, Somali youth listening to Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire
8. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Hassan Ali Khaire, Prime Minister of the
Federal Government of Somalia
In every part of our country, the people who can address our countrys
challenges are you. Its you who can say yes when we talk peace, and no
when we talk war.

9. Wide shot, Khadija Mohamed Diriye, Federal Minister for Youth and Sports
speaking at the conference
10. Close up shot, Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary-
Generals Envoy on youth listening
11. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Khadija Mohamed Diriye, Minister of Youth
and Sports of the Federal Government of Somalia
The main objective for the ministry is to formulate a National Youth Policy to
get special laws and regulations that will make our youth effective and visible
in the country so as to uplift their education and awareness of the ministries
involved in their development and get the services they require.

12. Close up,shot, a youth listening

13. Med shot, Prime Minister Ali Khaire and Minister Khadija Mohamed Diriye,
listening
14. Med shot, Peter de Clercq, Deputy Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Somalia listening
15. Med shot, youths listening
16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations
Secretary-Generals Envoy on Youth
I hope and wish that you will make those extra steps, keep those extra steps
to create platforms and mechanisms that will enable youth organizations and
young people to meaningfully engage in the implementation and review of this
policy. I want to congratulate the Federal Government of Somalia, the federal
member states, the United Nations, all stakeholders especially young people
who were part of this process for your successful formulation of this youth
policy.

17. Med shot, media covering the conference

18. Wide shot, youth at the conference
19. SOUNDBITE: (English) Peter de Clercq, Deputy Special
Representative of the UN Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Somalia
As UN, we very much support this, not just through these conferences but we
have contributed so far about $38 million to 18 programs that are dedicated
just to youth and youth programs, youth employment, youth empowerment,
more youth influence in politics and we continue to support youth and the
government of Somalia in terms of this very important objective.

20. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Mohamed Abdullahi Burale, youth from Hiiran

region
The most important thing as the Prime Minister said is that youth should have
a national youth organization, which was established today. The country had
SYL (Somali Youth League), and today the Somalia National Youth
Organization was established. When youth form something, theyre united, be
it for peace or development of the country, that unity will help.

21. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Shema Salad, member of Golden Girls Sports

Centre, Mogadishu
We need to unite the Somali youths who dont have a voice, we need to get
their voices. We need to bring new changes, especially for girls and equality.

Somalia launches National Youth Policy at gathering of countrys youth

Mogadishu, 18 December 2017 Hundreds of youth representatives from

around Somalia have gathered in the capital city for talks on the future
development of young Somalis, who make up more than two thirds of the east
African countrys population.

A key part of the gathering the countrys second Somali National Youth
Conference has been the launch of the Federal Governments National
Youth Policy, which is designed to remove institutional barriers to youth
development and enable young people to pursue their goals.
In his remarks at the opening on Sunday, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire
drew attention to the vital contribution young Somalis can make in resolving
the many problems facing their homeland.

In every part of our country, you are the people who can address our
countrys challenges. Its you who can say yes when we talk peace, and no
when we talk war, the prime minister told the 500 youths and officials in
attendance, which included high-level representatives from the United Nations
and the international community.

The federal Ministry of Youth and Sports began to develop a youth policy in
2014 with support from the United Nations and the participation of various
youth constituencies. The new policy was endorsed by the Federal
Governments cabinet last month and will promote youth participation in
peacebuilding efforts and other initiatives.

The UN Secretary-Generals Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake

attended the opening of the conference and welcomed the launch of the new
policy.

I want to congratulate the Federal Government of Somalia, the federal

member states, the United Nations and all stakeholders, especially young
people, who were part of this process for your successful formulation of this
youth policy, Ms. Wickramanayake told the attendees.

I hope that you will make those extra steps to enable youth organizations and
young people to meaningfully engage in the implementation and review of this
policy, added the envoy, who is spending several days in Somalia for the
conference and other youth-related activities.

UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres has made empowering youth a

priority for the world body, especially with many of the world's 1.2 billion
young people affected by the hardship of war, and has flagged the key role
that they play as agents of change and critical actors in preventing conflict
and building peace.

In 2015, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that recognized the

positive contribution of youth in the promotion of peace and security and
supported efforts aimed at advancing their development.

Speaking at the conference, a senior official from the UN Assistance Mission

in Somalia (UNSOM) noted the organizations financial support for
programmes that foster youth development in the country.

We have contributed so far $38 million to 18 programs that are dedicated to

youth employment, youth empowerment and more youth influence in politics,
and we will continue to support the youth and the government of Somalia in
this very important objective, said the Deputy Special Representative of the
UN Secretary-General to Somalia, Peter de Clercq.
The federal Minister of Youth and Sports Khadija Mohamed Diriye, in her
remarks, expressed the hope that the national youth policy will spur the
passage of laws and regulations to help young Somalis to become more
effective and visible citizens in society.

During the forum, participants will discuss opportunities for growth, the role
youth can play in Somalias peace and security agenda, and specific issues
affecting young people such as illegal migration.

While the opening of the Somali National Youth Conference focused on the
launch of the policy, the sessions scheduled for today and Tuesday will
include roundtable discussions on a range of issues relevant to Somali youth,
such as inter-generational dialogue and countering violent extremism. At its
close, the gathering is expected to issue a communiqu outlining future
options for Somali youth.