Remarks at the national commemoration of International Youth Day

Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda

Your Excellency the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda

Ministers

Members of Parliament

The Youth

All dignitaries present

Standing on all protocols. 

Good Day to all. 

It is wonderful to be among all here as we gather to celebrate and honour the incredible energy, creativity and potential of our young people. Youth Day is a moment to recognise the profound impact that young individuals have on shaping our world and to reaffirm our commitment to supporting their dreams and aspirations. 

The United Nations commends the Government for all the efforts thus far on youth empowerment, including the many social action funds made available for young people to pursue an entrepreneurial path. We stand by the Government’s side to support that Uganda progressively ensures that every young person has the opportunity to realise their full potential. This of course means providing access to quality education, fostering an environment where creative and entrepreneurial ideas can flourish and ensuring that youth participate in decision making processes that impact their lives.   

As we have already heard, many good programmes are in place. Where we could collectively improve is to better manage what is in place and also expand, grow the programmes to reach more and go to scale. For any programme to have a transformative impact on youth prospects, it has to reach a critical mass of young people. Because despite all the laudable work being done, an approximate 50% of the 7.7 million Ugandan youth that live in rural areas are ‘Not in

Education, Employment or Training’ (NEETs). There are too many young people not being reached effectively.   

I have had the privilege to witness first hand the remarkable achievement of Youth across many communities, their innovation, resilience and determination are the driving forces behind much of the progress we see everyday. 

And on this note, let me please draw attention to the exhibitions and particularly to 2 young individuals – the 1st in Ms, Hellen Munyasa who is innovatively transforming plastics to high quality sewing threads by an innovative recycling process where her start up collects plastics. Shreds it into small pieces, mixes it with cotton waste and transforms it into threads which is later sold in markets across Uganda. I wish to also highlight Mr. Godfrey Sengonzi, a youth proprietor who also transforms plastic waste in Wakiso District into tiles. Both have been supported by the UN – through UNDP – are are creating innovative new products. And we know product innovation can lead to new firms, new sectors and thus new jobs.  

In our context we need a radical upgrade in the jobs available. Innovation, while important, is not enough – it needs to be paired with entrepreneurship. We need the type of innovation that yields many jobs.  

Many of our young people cannot just walk into a job waiting for them.  The reality is most of the youth of today will have to make their own jobs. Blessedly, the creativity and innovation is here. The entrepreneurial spirit is also here. Both very well distributed through out Uganda. Perhaps what we should strengthen urgently is the ecosystem of support required to nurture both innovation and entrepreneurship – thinking through and setting up a deliberate network of institutional actors that support, fund and promote new businesses.  Having the right public policy, regulations, laws and government support in place, having a well trained workforce and scaling up funding – which I recognise are already being thought about, thinking through the infrastructure in place to help entrepreneurs with research and commercialization activities, having  a network of mentors, advisors and business support systems and of course cultivating  access to market. And in our case that will also mean the regional market. Uganda alone cannot absorb the entrepreneurial talent of Ugandans, when unleashed. Ugandans need the regional market. We know the work is ongoing and how engaged you are in bringing it to fruition Mr. President.

Elements of this ecosystem exist. But we need to strengthen, broaden and take to scale what exists. The future of many young people is to either start their own business or work for someone who has. 

Mr. President, last year you launched a UN Joint Adolescents and Youth Programme. I am happy to report that it has taken off and the Honourable Betty Amongi has been guiding us. The programme doesn’t have the scale needed to be transformative yet, but it is a start. What is most commendable about the programme is that we are pulling resources UN wide towards specific issues concerning youth. And the Government is leading us in this effort. We need this – deliberately pulling together our disparate efforts to help us move in the direction of scale and efficiency. And this is an approach we should explore in other thematic areas – this is the approach that moves us in the direction of scale and efficiency. 

To conclude, the UN congratulates the Ministry for organising this commemoration of International Youth Day. We call on us all to renew our commitments, redouble efforts to ensure the 73% of Ugandans under 30 have what they need for a productive adulthood. In many places around the world, young people led by Gen Z, are growing impatient. Their future prospects are dim and they are frustrated. We have to redouble efforts to reignite their hope for the future. Jobs, economic and social progress will do that. 

Dear Young people, You are not only the leaders of tomorrow but increasingly also the trailblazers of today, working to address pressing issues like climate change, social justice and a progress that leaves no one behind. Continue doing your part. Study, work, do. Government and others should/can/will help. But no one can study for you, work for you or do for you.  You are fundamentally the engine for your own growth.  Thank you.