11/08/1998
Mr. Chairperson, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.
It is an honour for Pakistan as well as for me to be able to address the First Conference of Youth Ministers. We appreciate the initiative taken by the Government of Portugal and the United Nations for having arranged this Conference.
Excellencies,
Pakistan is one of the few countries of the world where the concept of youth empowerment has taken a concrete shape. Political leadership in Pakistan is young and energetic, less than fifty years of age. Pakistani leadership is, therefore, more sensitive to youth issues, as compared to other countries.
In Pakistan according to the Constitution persons below the age of 14 years are children. For economic planning purposes persons of age group 15-29 years are considered youth. This age group constitutes one quarter of the population. However, the upper age limit has been made relaxable in the policy planning to accommodate those youth who have not found employment as yet.
In 1989 a separate Youth Ministry was created in the Federal Government to look after all policy matters, legislation and co-ordination pertaining to youth outside educational institutions. This includes registration and monitoring of youth NGOs. Whereas other Ministries like Education, Health, Narcotics, Sports, Social Welfare Women Development etc. are dealing with specific aspects. Youth Affairs Wing strives to reach those areas through NGOs which escape attention in a large country.
Pakistan's National Youth Policy which is under preparation aims towards a society where young men and women are encouraged to develop their potentials and skills as productive and dynamic members of the society and participate at every level of development both individually and collectively.
The objectives of the National Youth Policy are:
The Federal Government intends to achieve the objectives of National Youth Policy through Provincial Governments as well as through over 120 Youth NGOs functioning throughout Pakistan. The emphasis is on training the NGOs staff so that they can impart necessary skills to youth who have little access to formal institutional facilities.
Action Plan for the National Youth Policy includes:
It has been observed that there is a lack of effective mechanism to create self-employment opportunities for young people. Few young men and women with a business idea can satisfy the demands of the banking and financial institutions for collateral or previous experience. Their lack of experience and confidence and need for training and support services put them in a disadvantageous position even in the most progressive credit programmes. Youth people are categorised by the bankers as a high risk group. Nevertheless investment in youth is necessary to enable them to utilise their potential.
Following strategies are being developed to create an atmosphere conducive to
self-employment activities:-
A National Youth Employment Council is being set up:
The objective of the scheme is to provide opportunities for self-employment to those young persons who have not been able to find jobs in the public or private sectors. Youth Employment Scheme will have five facets: Firstly to train the Youth in finding out the most suitable vocation in which they can generate economic activities; Secondly to impart skills to youth to enable them to obtain micro credit and utilise the loaned amount in a profitable manner; Thirdly to evolve recovery mechanism so that the loaned amount can be recovered for recycling; Fourthly to encourage youth to form small groups to stand surety for one another for obtaining loans; Fifthly to ask banks and development finance institutions to provide funds for the micro credit scheme.
On 11th June 1998, the Prime Minister of Pakistan was inter alia pleased to announce that banks and finance institutions will give loans ranging from Rs.10,000/- to Rs.300,000/-. For those youth who are skilled and have busines6 experience and are diploma holders in any field will be given loans ranging from Rs.300,000/- to Rs.5 million. The banks have already started the process of loan disbursement.
A Human Resource Development Diploma Course is being offered through Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). The Core Modules have been developed by Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP). This diploma course will enhance the intellectual outlook of youth and will provide them opportunities to familiarise themselves with modern concepts of human resource development. In the first instance government servants and NGO functionaries in the age group 15-29 are being offered this course.
There are over 3000 Vocational Training Centers both for males and females imparting training in skills necessary for micro enterprises both in agriculture and non-agriculture sectors. In order to make such training more market oriented, surveys will be conducted to ascertain whether a particular vocation still has room for more entrepreneurs in a particular geographical area so that youth can be trained accordingly. Moreover, NGO's staff will be trained to enable them to go out of vocational Centers and train the youth at their doorsteps.
Drug Abuse Prevention Resource Center of Ministry of Narcotics provides specific training in drug demand reduction techniques to youth groups. Active involvement of youth NGOs is being arranged to provide training to NGOs staff in order to raise awareness regarding hazards of Aids and abuse of drugs.
Pakistan has developed a National Conservation Strategy based on three objectives:
It is intended to launch a Concentrated Youth Awareness Campaign on environment issues and the need for personal and social commitment to its conservation, through grants to youth NGOs. Moreover, young people will be encouraged to become environment volunteers.
Excellencies,
These are some of concepts which are the guiding principles for formulation of our Youth Policy. Pakistan is waiting for the outcome of this conference before it finalises its Youth Policy. Our Youth Ministry is planning an NGOs Conference which will discuss as to how the spirit of Lisbon Conference can be incorporated in our action plan for youth.
I once again thank on my behalf and on behalf of Government of Pakistan both the United Nations and the government of Portugal for providing me with this opportunity to address this august Conference.
Thank you.