Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Youth,Sports and Culture eac
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Peace and Security constitute a prerequisite for the integral, harmonious and sustainable development of the Country. However, experience has shown that without the involvement of Youth and all Stakeholders in all Government Projects and programs, particularly through the main strategic planning tools, all efforts made to achieve sustainable development remain vain. That is why the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), officially launched, on June 1, 2023, in the Political Capital city of Gitega, a National Consultations workshop for the development of the National Strategy on Youth, Peace and Security.
Given that Burundi is one of the East African Community Partner States, the latter must align itself with the Regional Youth Strategy on Peace and Security, which is itself inspired by Resolution 2250 of the United Nations Security Council. In order to adapt this Regional Strategy to national realities, Burundi intends to develop a National Strategy on Youth, Peace and Security.
Different stakeholders working in the Eastern Center provinces of Burundi participated in this workshop. Those are mainly the representatives of the provincial administration, namely the Province Governors, representatives of the Institution of the Ombudsman, advisers to the governors, representatives of the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture , the Steering Committee responsible for developing the National Youth Strategy on Peace and Security, representatives of the Defense and Security Corps, youth organizations, religious denominations, approved political parties, women mediators, Provincial Directorates of Education, Family and Community Development Centers, guides, cooperatives, public and private media and local mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of conflicts.
During her opening speech, Mrs. Liliane Gahungu, the Assistant Minister who represented the Minister of East African Community Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture
indicated that, the Government of Burundi has placed youth among its priorities, as evidenced by reference documents such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Burundi National Development Plan (PND 2018- 2027) as well as the Burundi Priority Actions Programme.
She added that a number of efforts have been made by the Government of Burundi by establishing the Investment Bank for Young People (BIJE); the Economic Empowerment and Youth Employment Program (PAEEJ); the Burundian Agency for Youth Employment (ABEJ).The establishment of this Agency is one of the solutions to deal with unemployment.
Furthermore, the African Youth Charter (AYC 2006) provides for the constructive involvement of young people in Africa’s development agenda and their effective participation in debates and decision-making processes in the development of the continent. Moreover, she indicated, at the level of the East African Community, Article 120 © of the Treaty establishing the East African Community stipulates that the East African Community Partner States are invited to develop and adopt a common approach to the marginalized groups including children and young people. What’s more, she stressed that His Excellency President Evariste NDAYISHIMIYE has been designated by his peers as the champion of the Peace and Security Youth Agenda in Africa. Therefore, it is important that Burundi serves as an example in the establishment of a reference document at the local level for the involvement of young people in Peace and Security processes.
She concluded her speech by once again thanking the UNDP and UNFPA for their support, wishing for the combined efforts to meet the challenges to the participation of young people in the mechanisms of Peace and Security in Burundi.
It’s worth mentioning that other national consultations are planned in the four regions of Burundi and will be held in Northern Region at NGOZI, Southern Region at MAKAMBA, Center and Eastern Region at GITEGA, Western Region at CIBITOKE.
