National Youth Symposium 2017

Youth constitute more than sixty percent of Afghanistan’s population. The solar year 1396 has been proclaimed as the year of youth by the government of Afghanistan. This is an encouraging move to motivate the majority of Afghan population to take initiatives and become more involved. 

The National Youth Symposium on Sustainable Development Goals was organized from 19-21 April 2017 at Government Media & Information Center in collaboration with Ministry of Economy and sponsored by UNDP and Embassy of Denmark in Kabul. The three day symposium brought together young leaders from all over the country to devise solutions for the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Afghanistan. These young leaders were selected from a variety of disciplines including economy, tech, advocacy, research and policy, government, education, and many more. The program was funded by UNDP and Embassy of Denmark in Afghanistan with technical support from UNWOMEN, UN Volunteers, UNICEF, UNAMA, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Women Affairs, Economy, Education and Commerce and Industries, Embassies of Germany, the Kingdom of Norway and Canada.

The attendees of the Symposium finalized a youth declaration on SDGs to mobilize government, civil society, local and international NGOs, networks and activists, as well as academics, educators, policy makers, businesses and other interested parties, reflecting the aspirations and ambitions of all global citizens, in the spirit of leaving no one behind. This agenda was drafted through a national multi-stakeholder consultation process with the presence of more than 350 participants from all over the country throughout the course of the Conference. The declaration was offered for adoption at the final plenary session, and will be shared widely with H.E the President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, civil society, related ministries, and UN Organizations.