Workshop Examines Youth and Poverty Reduction Strategies

Main Notes on YRH Policy

May 11, 2007
Noted by Jim Rosen

The Expert Consultation on Young People in Poverty Reduction Strategies: Investing in the Next Generation was an interesting exercise I attended January 24-26 in Washington, D.C. It pulled in about 100 people from across sectors (health, education, employment) and organizations (World Bank, UNFPA, other UN agencies, bilateral donors, developing country governments, civil society groups, and—last but not least— young people [full disclosure: I was part of the organizing team for the World Bank]).

We examined how to get poverty reduction strategiesto adequately address youth issues. Why should those of us working in youth RH care? Because the poverty reduction strategy is increasingly important as a national policy statement. In some countries, these strategies are actually having a big effect on country priorities and budgets, and on donor funding. The organizers of the consultation aim to produce some concrete guidance for countries developing and carrying out anti-poverty policies.

A key theme of the workshop discussions: one of the best ways to get youth issues on the table and in national planning and policy documents, such as the poverty reduction strategy is to stress the multisectoral nature of youth interventions. Note to advocates: youth reproductive health interventions are well positioned to make this multisectoral case. See more from UNFPA and the World Bank.

I will let you know in a future note when the consultation report and associated documents are available on the web.