National Youth Policy 2009

KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••············ 3 1. Introduction Vision Background Youth definition Key-players •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••······················· 4 7 9 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••························· •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••··••··················· 2. Problem Statement. ............................................................. 12 HIV/AIDS ............................................................... 13 Drug & Substance Abuse ................... 15 Sexual Reproductive Health ......... ...... .... 16 Education, Training & Skills Development: ................... I 8 Participation, Partnership & Leadership ................... 21 Poverty & Unemployment ... .......... ...... 22 Arts, Media, Sports & Culture ................... 23 Peace, Security & Law Enforcement ................... 26 Environment & Sustainable Development ................... 27 3. Rationale 4. Overall Policy Goals and Objectives S. Key Issues and Policy Statements 6.Guidelines for Implementation Strategy formulation Advocacy & Information dissemination Resource Mobilization Coordination & Implementation Monitoring & Evaluation Policy Installation Process Youth Policy Indicators CD ••••••••••••••••••• 28 ••••••••••••••••••• 39 •••••• •• ••••••••••• 42 ••••••••••••••••••• 56 ••••••••••••••••••• 57 ••••••• •••••••••••• 57 •••••••••••• ••••••• 57 ••••••••••••••••••• 63 •••• ••• ••••••• ••••• 64 ••••••••••••••••••• 65 ••••••••••••••••••• 66 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIO S NDS - National Development Strategy PRSAP - Poverty Reduction Strategy and Action Plan ESRA Economic and Social Review Agenda AfDB - African Development Bank CET - Computer Education Trust SADC - Southern African Development Community NICI - National Information and Communication Infrastructure Policy SPEED - Smart Programme on Economic Empowerment and Development HIV - Human Immune-deficiency Virus AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome MAP - Millennium Action Plan MOSCYA- Ministry Sports Culture & Youth Affairs MEE - Ministry of Enterprise and Employment EBT - Enterprise Based Training MDG's - Millennium Development Goals MOE - Ministry of Education MOU - Memorandum of Understanding SRH - Sexual Reproductive Health MOHA - Ministry of Home Affairs CD I 1. INTRODUCTION VISION According to the Transformation Policy Statement, September 2004, the Vision of the Government of Swaziland is; "To build a truly 21" ce11tury kingdom of Swazila11d, culturally 1mited, integrated a11d stable, eco11omically prosperous a11d socially well orga11ized with equal opportunities for all irrespective of gender, am/ responsibility for all". The government's mission is to provide a climate and infra-structure that will progressively maximize the quality and security of the lives of the people of Swazi land and make the best of the countries natural and human resources. THE VISJO 1 OF THE MINISTRY OF SPORT, CULTURE AND YOUTH AFFAIRS To be leaders i11 Excellency i11 the promotion of sport, arts and culture for youth empowermellt and improving the quality of lives of the citizens by the year 2013. THE VISI01 OF THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AFFAIRS A 11 e11abfi11g environme11tfor young p eople to actively participate and contribute to the transformation and socio-eco11omic developme11t and good govemance processes that shape the present and future destiny of the commu11ities in which they live. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AFFAIRS e To provide supp01·t, lobbying a11d advocacy on all issues pertaining to the youth e To formulate policies and programmes and further provide professional guidance to the Swaziland National Youth Council (SNYC) on their implementation of the Policy. e To mobilize, secure and allocate financial resources to the SNYC for the implementation of the youth policies and programmes e To liaise with ministries and other national agencies e To supervise, mo11itor and evaluate the performance of the SNYC e To integrate and harmonize youth development and empowerment programmes at national and local levels 1.lBACKGROUND The current Youth Policy was adopted in 2002 and has a lifetime of 5 years. A review in 2007 was foreseen and funding made available for the process. Based on forces at play at various levels (global, regional and national), the timing is opportune for the Government of Swaziland to review the existing National Youth Policy. The existing policy was developed following an assessment in 2003 which was commissioned by the SNYC. This informed the current policy and created a backdrop for the assessment conducted in May 2007 to feed into the 2008 National Youth Policy. In line with the national vision, the purpose of this document is to provide a common and mutual understanding on the importance and areas of youth development among all concerned groups and individuals in Swaziland and to set guidelines for the address of youth related issues through a cross-sectoral and integrated approach. This document is a framework for youth development across the country and further sets guidelines for the implementation of youth related programmes, as well as ensures sufficient investment by the government and other stakeholders in youth related matters through-the provision of prudent investment procedures and implementation guidelines. It recognizes the need for the government and the civil society to work together towards a long-term national youth policy that is coherent, efficient, effective and all-mobilizing. • As one of the responses to the foregoing challenges, a decade ago Swaziland developed a National Development Strategy (NDS) which embodies the country's long-term socio-economic development vision. This vision seeks to place the country in the top 10% of the medium human, development group of countries by the year 2022. The strategy places social developments, si.Jch as food security, human settlements and shelter, safe water and sanitation, health and human capital development, social security, gender issues, and the problems of disadvantaged groups at the very heart of Government policy, right along with a vigorous economy, the efficient utilization of natural resources, and the development of infrastructure, research, and innovation. When the NDS was launched it did not have an institutional framework to drive its implementation, hence the process of updating and review currently being undertaken by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development (MEPD) To complement the NDS, the Government of Swaziland in 1997 launched the Economic and Social Reform Agenda (ESRA), which essentially is a short-to­ medium term implementation programme that places the private sector as the central force fueling economic growth and improving standards of li~ing. The Millennium Action Programme (MAP) represents the third phase of ESRA. In 2004 the Government launched SPEED (Smart Programme on Economic Empowennent and Development) to succeed MAP and drive Government priorities. ~--~-------- j: SPEED in effort to provide a framework to address national key challenges such as poverty, unemployment, HIV/ AIDS and the country's budget deficit, developed a programme identifying key elements such as a sustainable economy, regional development, refom1ing government, and human development. In 2005 The Poverty Reduction Strategy and Action Plan (PRSAP) was developed as Swaziland's overarching statement on the strategy for reducing poverty and the challenges related to it. Its overall goal is to reduce poverty by more than 50% by 2015 and ultimately eradicate it by 2022. The PRSAP is developed around six pillars, which form the thematic areas for poverty reduction in Swaziland and these are; Macro-economic stability; Rapid Acceleration of Economic Growth based on Broad Participation; Empowering the Poor to generate Income and Reduce Inequalities; Fair Distribution of the Benefits of Growth through Fiscal Policy; Improving the Quality of Life of the Poor; and Improve Good Governance and Strengthen Institutions. However, none of these policy goals can be reached without good governance and the institutional capacity and structure to implement them and monitor their impact. In addition, these visions also impact on the lives of the Swazi people of which a large portion are the youth and yet the participation of this group in the formulation and implementation of these goals is minimal. Currently there is the lack of a youth specific vision statement to clearly guide the planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of youth issues as well as to ensure efficient and effective resource mobilization and allocation to implement youth related programmes at national level but one has been developed at departmental level. This has resulted in a fragmented approach not only within the government agencies but also amongst the civic society, which include the efforts ofNon-Govemmental Organizations. In addition, there is a lack of youth specific data to inform youth strategies and programmes, as well as an absence of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms such as indicators to measure the impact of existing programmes and therefore undermining youth development efforts. Such data insufficiencies cause for the design of youth development strategies and programmes that do not take into cognisance the diversity in demographics such as age, income, education, location, culture as well as other aspects such as physical abilities and vulnerability such as being orphaned. Although the recent establishment of Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs (MOSCYA) integrates youth issues within its portfolio, it is not supported by an Inter-Ministerial Committee that can ensure the integration of youth issues in all government portfolios. This policy addresses the major concerns and critical issues faced by the youth and will also regulate the implementation of all youth related programmes. The National Youth Policy provides a foundation and direction for a National Youth Action Plan. This Plan will complement the Policy and will describe the role of all agencies engaged in youth development and the programmes, services, facilities and activities they undertake to achieve the goals and objectives of the Policy. 1.3 Youth Definition The policy is targeted at young men and women aged from 15 to 3 5 years of age. Whilst this definition is broad in that it encompasses a large portion of one's life in terms of the current life expectancy, it is understood that this is a time in life when most young people are going through character building stages, facing many challenges and threats which are unique to them as a social group, as they transit from childhood to adulthood. (f) Thus, this definition indicates the primary target group, without excluding those who may share similar circumstances. Furthermore when defining youth the policy recognizes the broader policy environment and the views of other policy documents such as the issue of age and the rights given to males and females at certain ages presenting some inconsistencies, recognizes the different life circumstances and experiences which shape those who comprise this· broad age category and that not all young men and women are the same. Finally, the policy recognizes that the term youth has generally been used to characterize a segment of the population seen as violent, unruly, undisciplined and underdeveloped and seeks to provide an environment and means whereby the concept of"youth" is re-defined more positively. n Table 1: Youth Population according to regions and Rural/Urba AGE HHOHHO MANZJNl SHJSELWENI LUBOMBO RURAL URBAN 12 -14 21 651 23 676 19432 16 613 78 013 13 359 15 -19 30 639 34 613 24442 22 662 87 852 24 504 20-24 23 894 28 547 15 470 17 183 57 9 10 27 184 25-29 19 624 22 700 11 504 14 215 43 312 24 731 30-35 3 863 4 421 2 371 3 001 8 829 4 827 TOTAL 99 671 113 957 73 219 73 674 265 916 94605 *Source: Swaziland National Population & Housing Survey 1997 Q) 7 1.4 Key Players The National Youth Policy is the basis for developing opportunities for all young women and men in Swaziland. However, certain priority target groups have been identified for specific attention due to the specific difficulties they face, thus, the National Youth Policy seeks not only to provide an enabling environment for youth development but also to address the imbalances imposed by cultural and traditional practices, policies and legislation. Whilst the identification of these groups does not necessarily imply the need for additional resources, it does promote the requirement for government and non-governmental agencies to focus their efforts more directly and intensively on these groups of vulnerable young people. During the review process, the key players that were consulted comprised of the following; i) General Youth: The National Youth Policy recognizes that there are a number of factors which can place young men and women at risk. This may include the fragmentation of supportive communities, the legacy of inequitable policies and practices, governance issues and the impact of urban migration. Young people can also participate in high risk activities, such as alcohol and substance abuse, unsafe sex or participation in criminal activities. Young victims of crime who can be traumatized by their experience can also require specific support services. The general youths profile contains attributes challenging youth development such as juvenile crime, substance abuse, unemployment, youth living and working on the streets, HNI AIDS, and youth with disabilities amongst other issues as well as the dynamics imposed by urban, peri-urban and rural issues. ii) Tinkhundla Youth Centres: Youth Leaders The Government of Swaziland, through its structures has Tinkhundla structures comprising of peri-urban and rural youth. It is at this level that the Youth elect youth community members into the Tinkhundla Youth Associations to represent I ' them in addressing youth development issues as they have access to the SNYC andtheMinistryof Sports,Culture andYouthAffairs. iii) Media Person11el: Reporters Information and communication technologies have become a significant factor in development and the Jack of connectivity for youth, more in rural areas, is still a critical issue. In Swaziland, there is still a reliance on older information and communication technologies newspapers, radio and television to infonn educate and create awareness amongst the youth about youth development issues. Furthermore recent reporting has seen an increase in reports on child physical and sexual abuse, and there seems to be a deterioration ofreporting standards which may be encouraging the abuse practices. It is for this reason that it is vital to target the media as key players in the process of youth development. iv) Members of Parliament: Parliamentary Youth Portfolio Committee The mission and purpose of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Swaziland, which consists of the House of Assembly and Senate, is to initiate, consider and enact legislation and monitor its implementation in the interest and welfare of the King and the People of Swaziland. Based upon a bicameral system of Government with the House of assembly and the Swaziland Senate, Parliament provides the supreme forum for critical examination of government activities, including the monitoring of public funds and the conduct of public business. Each Chamber of Parliament has the right and power to form a select committee for public consultations and the role of the select Committee is to investigate, enquire and report its findings to the House to help with critical decision-making, tasked with overseeing the review of the National Youth Policy, development of the policy implementation guidelines as well as the development of the action plan. Their participation in the review process is vital both as a contributor and to create a clearer awareness of the portfolio committees' role in the process from the youth perspective. v) NGO: ¥embers of the National Youth Development consortium The Youth Development Consortium membership comprises of non­ governmental organizations mandated to deal with youth related issues, but its terms of reference to clarify their role as a consortium are still in draft form. Although this may be the case, by virtue of that these are organizations with extensive experience in working with youth, or on youth development issues it was clear that they had an important role to play as a contributor during the policy review and action plan development process as well as an implementer in the execution of the policy's action plan. vi) Traditional leaders: Chiefs In Swaziland the Chiefs are official overseers of issues pertaining to residents of Swazi Nation Land, which is land held in trust for the nation by the King, approximately 73.8% of the youth aged from 15 -35 years resides in the rural areas. With the encouragement of youth participation in development and governance it is vital for an acceptance of this role by traditional structures, as well as for the youth to understand such structures so as to access available resources such as land for entrepreneurship purposes, land ownership for shelter. vii) Co11stitue11cy Leaders: Ti11dvu11a teTi11khundla Tindvuna teTinkbundla chair Bucopho, and supervise the activities of the Inkhundla, under each of the Tinkhundla, therefore they convene and preside over developmental issues. The Youth present their business plans through Umphakatsi to lnkhundla Council, as part of the process of accessing the Regional Development Fund. It is vital therefore for the Tindvuna to understand the issues affecting developmental growth of the youth in order to play the necessary pivotal role. viii) UN Senior Technical Committee: The purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter, are to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions ofnations in attaining these ends. As member state, Swaziland has a commitment to accept the obligations contained in the present Charter and, in the judgment of the Organization. The United Nations family encompasses 15 agencies and several programmes and bodies and in Swaziland the Deputies to the Heads of UN agencies form the UN Senior Technical Committee, reporting to the United Nations Country Team which is led by the Resident Coordinator. It was therefore vital to gain the Committees' experience in dealing with youth development issues, to access information relevant to the policy review process in terms possible resources and essential policies. 2. PROBLEM STATEMENT Currently there are a variety of challenges encountered by the youth of Swaziland, the most critical being the lack of a clear criteria for defining youth, which blurs the process of carefully defining critical issues experienced by the youth. Although this may be the case, it is clear that there are various critical issues that affect the whole nation but require targeted programme approaches in order to effectively mitigate, more so amongst the younger generation transitioning into adulthood. These critical issues, which are deemed to impede upon the health, social and economic growth of the younger generation are detailed as follows, in ten thematic areas, and are presented to create an understanding of the current status quo, its causes, the severity of the issues and previous efforts to mitigate the issues; The African Youth Charter, under Article 16 on Health, encourages Stale parties to institute programmes to address health pandemics such as HIV/A IDS tuberculosis and malaria, and to prevent the transmission of Sexually Transmitte~ Infections and HIV/AIDS by providing education, information, communication and awareness creation as well as making protective measures and reproductive health service s available, by expanding and encouraging the uptake of voluntary counseling and confidential testing for HN/AIDS. Other areas would include the provision on timely access to treatment for young people infected with HIV including the prevention of mother to child transmission, post rape prophylaxis and anti-retroviral therapy, the creation of youth friendly health services as well as the provision of food security for people living with HIV/AIDS. i) HIV/AIDS: The I O' h sero-surveil lance report, 2006 results show an infection rate of26% for the youth aged 15-19 years, 40.3% for the youth aged 20 -24years, 48% for the youth aged 25 -29 years, 42% for the youth aged 30 - 35years. Though the figures saw a decline from the 2004 results, these statistics are still at an alanningly high rate, making HIV/AIDS a major cause of death in the country. The cause of this is deemed to be the absence of Positive cultura l practices in the country in spite of the fact that the majority of people in the country have embraced Christianity which by nature promotes high moral values and standards such as abstinence. As part of the perceived moral decline, the family structure is breaking down. This is evident in that according to the census of 1997, the percentage of sexual relationships taking place in marital unions among women aged J 5-49 years dropped from about 90% in 1970s to less than 40% in late 1990s. The proportion of women of ages 15-49 years that had children out of wedlock increased by a third (33.2%) between 1986 and 1997. Although the age at first sex debut was around 15 years, the mean age at first marriage was almost double (28.3 years) in 1997, implying a very high rate of premarital sex. Hence, sex is increasingly no longer practiced within a marital union. Furthermore, the increasing reported number ofrapes, child abuse and incest cases is believed to be indicative of moral decay in the country and detrimental exposure of children and the youth to the pandemic.In addition there seems to be poor access to information regarding the HIV/ AIDS and services such as voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) facilities and condoms, especially in rural areas where over 70% of the youth reside, and decisions regarding sexual relations are ill-informed, which is an aspect further perpetuated by illiteracy and the low levels of education. The severity of this issue is further observed in the increase of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) who are further exposed to the disease as they care for their ailing relatives and in some instances resort to prostitution or inter­ generational relationships as survival tactics. The changes in the socio-economic environment is seen to have also resulted in the diminishing self-esteem of young people, especially girls, which has further resulted in their inability to decline unsafe sex or unwanted sexual relations. Furthermore, an increase in the drop-out rate in schools has been attributed to the impact of HIV/ AIDS as families can no longer afford to educate the children. Efforts to mitigate this issue have included the Ministry of Education, under the government of Swaziland, introducing OVC bursary programmes, to keep youth in schools. In an effort to provide information about HIV/ AIDS through its Tinkhundla Centres, the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs hosts. educational workshop targeted at the youth whilst a variety of Non- Governmental Organisations, members of the youth development consortium provide a variation of other youth targeted services such as condom distribution, IEC material and VCTfacilities. Recommendations a. Revisit the Age o fConsent for Voluntary Counseling and Testing to increase access to services. ii) Drug & Substance Abuse An assessment report on substance abuse in Swaziland done by the MOHSW in 2002 showed that 34 percent of the sample population was found to be abusing different substances. Of the total percentage of the abusers, 60 percent of them abuse alcohol, followed by tobacco at 31.8 percent and other drugs are 8.0 percent. Dmgs mentioned in the study included cannabis, mandrax, cocaine and heroine and inhalants such as glue, benzene etc. Among other drugs cannabis abuse was highest at 93 .8 percent. The study also revealed thft the majority of abusers started at age 10-19 years, and accounted for 45 percent of alcohol and 58 percent of dmg abusers. For tobacco abuse 8.5 percent of individuals started smoking at an age less than ten years. The prevalence of all substance abuse is higher amongst males than females, but there was a strong association between substance abuse by a family member and the possibility of abuse by other family members. The majority of abusers including tobacco were unemployed i.e. 40 percent of drug abusers and 43.9 percent of alcohol abusers were unemployed. Though there is a National Psychiatric Center in Swaziland, it is deemed as youth unfriendly, and lacks youth targeted rehabilitative programmes to mitigate the effects of substance abuse. Recommendations a. Enact policies and laws regulating alcohol and drug use, addressing abuse and trafficking to cover the young people. b. Establish and strengthen the Substance Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers. c. Develop programmes to disseminate information to schools, families and communities on the dangers of substance abuse and drug trafficking. iii) Sexual Reproductive Health The health care at community level is ensured by the services provided by the Rural Health Motivators whose duties include giving health talks, condom distribution, referrals and advising communities on issues including general disease prevention. The Health care delivery is divided into three main levels namely the Clinic, deemed the first level of contact and a primary health care unit, the Health Centers and the Public Health Units, deemed as the second level, and finally the Hospitals which are the highest level. It is deemed that the poor access and quality of youth friendly health services for reproductive health and the poor access to condoms especially in the rural areas is the major cause for the high statistics. In addition, the negative attitude of health service providers is said to leave youth disempowered and contributes to the young people not reporting promptly for SRH services and especially when they have Sexually Transmitted Infections (STls). The magnitude of the problem is reflected in the high HIV infection rate amongst youth, an example of this being the findings of the 10th sero-surveillance 2006 show that the 25 -29 years age bracket has the highest HIV infection rate amongst the youth and nationally at 48%. In 2002, it was found that among girls aged 17 years, nearly 14 percent had already started child bearing. ® 20 percent of these girls bad one child while 3 percent were pregnant with their fi rst child. The rates of ear ly teenage pregnancy was much higher among girls in the rural area (25%) compared to 18% among the urban girls (Swaziland Community Health Survey 2002). ln addition, emotional and sexual abuse inc luding incest and defilement at home, in schools and churches are major problems, while commercial sex work is also on the rise among young mothers, young men and women in Swaziland. The Rapid Assessment conducted as part of the policy review found that critical problems and issues related to SRH include ignorance about SRH and Rights, lack of accurate information on available services for sexual and reproductive health and especially for family planning. Early sexual debut sometimes due to peer pressure with high incidence of teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion contributing to the high maternal deaths, school drop out rate due to unplanned pregnancy and dumping of unwanted babies. The dumping of babies may be attributed to lack of support from the partners as there is a bad practice that men deny the pregnancy until the girl bas given birth and the child is identified as his. The number of street children is also on the increase. Stakeholders also reported that although HIV and AIDS and,SRH information has been infused into some subjects at school, there is a dedicated class for teaching HIV related topics, however in-school youth still lack comprehensive and age appropriate knowledge and skills related to SRH. They noted that talking about sexuality is still a taboo and is not properly addressed at home or at school. Contrary to global evidence about the effects of sexuality education, parents were reported to believe that teaching sexuality education promotes promiscuity and a license to practice sex. Parents for example, refused some peer educators to distribute condoms to other youth in the communities (inkhundla level) let alone within the school system-though STis have been reported even among young people under the age of 15. Despite the inadequacies of in-school SRH education including HIV prevention and high rates of HIV infection among teenagers (35%), remaining in school is a protective factor for young people in Swaziland. According to the National Behavioral study, while school children are sexually active, the vast majority of sexually active children (more than 70%) are those out of the school system. Research also shows that young people who completed secondary or tertiary education have lower rates ofHIV infection than their counterparts. Recommendations a. Promulgate the draft Sexual Offences Bill in order to protect women and men from violence at home, school and in the community. b. Ensure that marriage happens with the consent of those getting married. c. Pregnant adolescent girls to be assessed for sexual abuse and incest and appropriate legal services provided including linkage with PMTCT and other social and welfare services. d. Minority status of women is to be e liminated since everyone is equal under the constitution iv) Ed11cation, Traini11g & Skills Development: Having achieved increased accessibility at primary level, Government's efforts have now shifted to consolidating the achievements, and addressing important issues such as quality, relevance and affordability of education. The ultimate goal is that graduates of the education system must meaningfully contribute to the development of both the cultural and economic development of the country. @ Currently the system bas not adequately adapted itself to the changing needs of the society; i n that it has not fully addressed the problems of relevance, quality and accessibility. Areas of particular concern include the lack of a quality curriculum and facil ities, well trained teachers, improved attitudes, morals· and values, Problems of adequacy and affordability oflearning materials. Low affordability of education to a significant proportion of the national, limitations on curricula choices caused by inadequate provision of physical infrastructures, inadequate provisions for learners with special needs as well as an Imbalance between academic and practical subjects with limited opportunities for progression. The extent of the issue is evidenced in the discrepancies between the number of children graduating from high school and accessing tertiary education, and those graduating from tertiary institutions and absorbed in to the workplace or even establish their own businesses (entrepreneurship) In an effort to address this issue the government developed the National Education Policy aimed at providing opportunities for all pupils of school going age and adults to develop themselves in order to improve the quality of their lives and their own communities as a central theme of the National Development Strategy, by the government's provision of curriculum embracing moral, aesthetic, emotional, physical and practical capacities deemed necessary in adapting to the needs presented by the cmTent socio-economic environment. The Policy encompasses issues of prioritization of Universal Basic Education ' High School Education, and Special Education for children with special needs such as physical disabilities, visual and auditory impairment social and behavioral problems and gifted children. I I I The Pol icy also includes issues ofadult and continuing education which covers the provision of adult education, distance learning and the development of Life-long programmes to cater for adult pupils as well as the provision on educational guidance and counseling as an integral part of the education process. Furthermore, it identifies the importance of aligning the human resources outputted by the various tertiary institutions with development needs and the need for a cost sharing mechanism between the Ministry of Education and the beneficiaries of tertiary education as well as the need to reorient teacher education through the provision of a relevant Teacher Education Curriculum and in-service facilities to improve knowledge and expertise of serving teachers. Recommendations: The overall school cmTiculum needs to be reviewed in order to provide marketable skills including enabling school/college graduates to create their ownjobs. Fees should be regulated and m1111mum stipulated in the law in addition to ensuring free primary education as per the constitution. This should be expanded to secondary schools in due course as well. Educational policy should include explicit provisions for addressing the needs of pregnant adolescent girls especially keeping them in school-- and both boys and girls must be treated equally in relation to pregnancy within the educational system. Improve the quality and relevance of the education curricula and the educational facilities and eliminate the gap between rural and urban education including in the area oflCT. lncrease access to lCTat all I eve Is with a potential long term one computer per child concept as is being promoted in Botswana. Promotion of ICT Deeds to be addressed as a means of poverty reduction in the country. Review the draft JCT Policy and see what provisions it has for addressing digital divide (urban vs. mral, rich vs. poor, a bled vs. d ifferently a bled) and lack of exposure to the global arena. Government, private sector and civil society need to increase educational opportunities and relevant institutions to address the needs of differently­ abled children and adolescents (blind, deaf, mentally and physically challenged etc.). These should focus on early interventions that focus on development of independent living skills, skills building arid employment opportunities for differently-abled children and youth. Increase materials in appropriate formats such as Braille and sign language facilities as well as availability of new technologies (such as computer assisted living). Increase wheel chair accessibility of education, sports and other government and private institutions and facilities. v) Participation, Partnership & Leadership (Including Governance) Although the youth comprise of 43% of the total population and over 70% reside in rural areas, the current urban and rural structures allow for very minimal participation of the youth in the economic, social and political arena: Youth participation is therefore minimal in decision-making processes at national and local levels and shows very little evidence in the areas of necessary gender sensitive measures for youth to attain equal access to enable their close involvement in the fonnulation, execution and monitoring and evaluation of youth activities and programmes. The Policy also includes issues ofadultand continuing education which covers the provision of adult education, distance learning and the development of life- long programmes to cater for adult pupils as well as the provision on educational guidance and counseling as an integral part of the education process. Fuit hermore, it identifies the importance of aligning the human resources outputted by the various tertiary institutions with development needs and the need for a cost sharing mechanism between the Ministry of Education and the beneficiaries of tertiary education as well as the need to reorient teacher education through the provision of a relevant Teacher Education Curriculum and in-service facilities to improve knowledge and expertise of serving teachers. Recommendations: The overall school curriculum needs to be reviewed in order to provide marketable skills including enabling school/college graduates to create their ownjobs. Fees should be regulated and m1mmum stipulated in the law in addition to ensuring free primary education as per the constitution. This should be expanded to secondary schools in due course as well. Educational policy should include explicit provisions for addressing the needs of pregnant adolescent girls especially keeping them in school-- and both boys and girls must be treated equally in relation to pregnancy within the educational system. fm prove the quality and relevance of the education curricula and the educational facilities and eliminate the gap between rural and urban education including in the area oflCT. lncrease access to ICT at all I eve I s with a potential long term one computer per child concept as is being promoted in Botswana. Promotion of ICT needs to be addressed as a means of poverty reduction in the country. Review the draft JCT Policy and see what provisions it bas for addressing digital divide (urban vs. rural, rich vs. poor, a bled vs. d ifferently a bled) and lack of exposure to the global arena. Government, private sector and c ivil society need to increase educational opportunities and relevant institutions to address the needs of differently­ abled children and adolescents (blind, deaf, mentally and physically challenged etc.). These should focus on early interventions that focus on development of independent living skills, skills building and employment opportunities for differently-abled children and youth. Increase materials in appropriate formats such as Braille and sign language facilities as well as availability of new technologies (such as computer assisted living). Increase wheel chair accessibility of education, sports and other government and private institutions and facilities. v) Participation, Partnership & Leadership (lncludi,ig Governance) Although the youth comprise of 43% of the total population and over 70% reside in rural areas, the current urban and rural structures allow for very minimal participation of the youth in the economic, social and political arena: Youth participation is therefore minimal in decision-making processes at national and local levels and shows very little evidence in the areas of necessary gender sensitive measures for youth to attain equal access to enable their close involvement in the formulation, execution and monitoring and evaluation of youth activities and programmes. elements of culture to comprise of Cultural Patrimony, Arts & hand-craft, Sports & recreation, Languages & literature, as well as Traditional knowledge systems and folklore including traditional medicine. The absence of leisure activities, hope, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities was identified as a demotivating factor among youth and together with lack of non academic programmes these presented a demoralizing aspect to the youth. Media influences on morals and values held by youth, already struggling within a culture of dualism that sets them apart from their parents and grandparent's generation, creates a lack of identity. Recreational facilities and activities are extremely lacking across the country and in particular for vulnerable groups such as girls and youth with different abilities. This issue of identity crisis was said to be further perpetuated by the increase of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which produces orphaned and vulnerable children left without the relevant guidance from parents and trying to identify with the rest of the world. On the issue of ICT, the infra-structure comes in the form of fixed networks, mobile communication and the internet and there are two main national institutions for ICT education, the Swaziland College of Technology, which offers Diplomas in Computer Science and the University of Swaziland which offers undergraduate Degrees in Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. Government sponsorship for external training is available in some instances. There are also in existence, several local institutions offering computer training to the public. Efforts towards enhancing the quality of education and relevance, the Ministry is actively exploring ways of introducing Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the education curriculum. There is currently no official curriculum on ICT in the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) although the Ministry supports computer literacy programmes to which a number of schools have enrolled. Other efforts include the Computer project, funded by the Republic of China Taiwan targets secondary/high schools and equipping schools with IT equipment i.e. PCs, printers and other accessories. The possibility of deploying Local Area Networks (LAN) in some schools is currently being explored. No charge is levied for ICT education although a minimal fee for equipment maintenance is charged. The AfDB also funded Prevocational Project initiative aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills, Japan funded the development of an ICT curriculum for Teacher Training Colleges, CET's provision of ICT skills in education in the country and their development of some learning materials as well as facilitating in­ service training for teachers as well as Future kids initiative , active in SADC, specializes in ICT literacy education for schools whilst the Future teachers initiative specializes in teaching materials. With regards to recreational facilities, the MOSCYA through the SNYC, is in the process of constructing Youth Centres at Tinkhundla Centres, resources limit the pace of the project and already there is a concern that there distances some communities have to travel to access the Youth Centres are not practical for differently ab led youth. Although the two policies, ICT Policy and the National Culture Policy, seek to address aspects of youth development, the National Culture Policy is still in draft form. viii) Peace, Security & Law Enforcement Swaziland is a relatively peaceful country with good personal security. There are signs of increased cases of crime particularly assault, robbery and stock theft. Serious cases have also risen from 15,653 in 2000 to 18,356 in 2002. There is a strong correlation between poverty and crime and young people especially the poor and disenfranchised are generally implicated in some of these criminal activities. The increase in poverty and unemployment is also a factor that affects the country's peace as there is an increase in youth discontent resulting in crime and hostility and general lack of tolerance. The current challenge with the rehabilitation of youth involved in juvenile crimes is the lack of appropriate rehabilitative programmes provided by the Swaziland Correctional Services. Although there is Mdutshane Juvenile Industrial S-chool this caters for young men below the age of 2 1 years and this still presents a gap regarding young girls as well as the rest of youth as defined by the cun-ent policy whose ages range from 15 -35 years. The severity of this issue is evident in the juvenile repeat crimes, further perpetuated by the high level of socio-economic challenges exacerbated by issues such as unemployment. Positive youth development and increasing young people's options for gainful employment and active participation are central to the prevention of crime and peace and security of persons as well as property. The fonnulation of SNYC and Tinkbundla Youth Associations is the Governments attempt to strengthen the role of youth and youth organizations in peace building and preventing the participation of youth in acts of crime and violence by providing structures for their active participation. ix) E11viro11me11t & Sustainable Development The Swaziland Environmental Authority (SEA), as a parastatal under this Ministry, provides for and promotes the protection, conservation and enhancement of the environment and the sustainable management of natural resources. Currently young people can access Swazi Nation land for project implementation, the however is a need to enhance / enforce a system to protect the homes and land of orphans on death of parents so that the abandoned land is not suscep6ble to erosion. Soil erosion is also being excercabated by the excavation by road constructors without due regard to the environment impact. The shortage of water, being only available for domestic use but not for development purposes including i rriga6on in time of drought or for business purposes and leading to people sharing water with animals, more so in the rural areas. Furthermore, there arc concerns about oil spills causing land to become barren while toxic waste pollution by factories is leading to environmental pollution and health problems, national development programmes like road construction with inadequate consideration for people affected by these projects in terms of compensation and relocation as well as a growing co~cern about the extinction of some indigenous plants and animal species that can contribute to biological conservation and environmental protection. By injecting money into the systematic identification and naming of animals and plants, the programme will create employment while preserving the natural resources. In an effort to preserve the environment a repealed Environmental Management Act, 2002 came into operations on I st September 2003 and is intended to promote the integrated management of the environment and natural resources. As a method to ensure appropriate enforcement the Act allows both public and private prosecutions. ® With its broader environmental objectives the Act creates an appropriate legal basis for achieving the general specific objectives set out in the National Environmental Policy. The SEA Act is therefore being repealed by this new Act (Environment Management Act, 2002) save for section 11. Efforts have been made to address this issue by HIV/AIDS and SRH information being infused into some subjects at school and in some instances there is a dedicated class for teaching HIV related topics, however in-school youth still lack comprehensive and age appropriate knowledge and skills related to SRH. 3. RATIO ALE The National Youth Policy is a framework for youth development across the country. rt is designed to ensure equal opportunities for all youth irrespective of gender, through the provision of an enabling environment, and an effective and efficient people driven social, economic and political transforrnation and good governance thus addre sing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and all other national priorities. The Policy addresses the major concerns and issues critical to young men and women, and gives direction to youth programmes and services provided by government and non-government organizations as well as the need to align broader national policy initiatives and international programmes and conventions such as the National Constitution, National Development Strategy, Economic and Social Reforrn Agenda, the charter of the United Nations, United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth, Commonwealth Youth Charter. Through the National Youth Policy and its implementation guidelines, the Government declares the importance of the active involvement of young people in national development, demonstrating the distinctive and complementary roles of all Government ministries, the non-government sector and youth groups in youth development; whilst providing a framework with common goals for development and promoting integration. @ T nitiatives affected and addressed by the National Youth Policy include; i) The National Constitution The national constitution is a national frame work for governance which sets the structure for the organs of Government, the key principles in terrns of their functions and operations and serves as the supreme law of the country which sets certain standards for legislative frameworks. The constitution also contains fundamental human rights addressing political and socio-economic rights of the citizenry and therefore provides an overall guiding framework for the development of the national youth policy. Although it contains extensive human rights provisions and specifically deals with the protection of the rights of chi ldren it does not deal with the youth as a specific population group. The constitution also has a chapter containing certain policy objectives intended to enhance and improve the lot of specific target groups such as women, children, workers and differently­ ablcd persons, a glaring gap is that it doesn't address youth as a vulnerable population group, and therefore the national youth policy shall address this gap. ii) National Development Strategy (NDS) The National Development Strategy embodies the country's long-term socio­ economic development vision which seeks to place the country in the top I 0% of the medium human development group of countries by the year 2022 and places social developments, such as food security, human settlements and shelter, safe water and sanitation, health and human capital development, social security, gender issues, and the problems of disadvantaged groups· at the centre of Government policy. The NOS acknowledges the youth as a critical population group, and also recognizes specific challenges pertaining to problems confronting the youth of Swaziland, and it makes specific strategy recommendations in the areas of education, criminal and juvenile justice system, adolescent health including youth friendly facilities, recreational and sporting facilities, and youth specific research. The NOS therefore is a general reference point for the development and review of the National Youth Policy. @ iii) Economic and Social Reform Agenda (ESRA) The Economic and Social Reform Agenda (ESRA), complementary to the NDS, is essentially a short-to-medium term implementation programme that places the private sector as the central force fueling economic growth and improving standards of living. The Millennium Action Programme (MAP) represents the third phase of ES RA. iv) Decentralization Policy The Decentralization Policy was formulated in 2005 with a concept and practice of decentralized governance. The policy will comply with the constitution on decentralisation. v) The National Multi-Sectoral HIV and AIDS Policy The current HTV prevalence level is considered to be the highest in the world (UNArDS, 2004). It is estimated that in 2004 about 220,000 people were living with HTV and AIDS in Swaziland (UNAIDS, 2004). This could be estimated to mean that about I in 5 persons are HIV positive in the country (20% national prevalence). Of the HTV infected persons, about 20,000 are children under the age of J 5. The epidemic in the country is generalized and primarily driven by heterosexual transmission. Although studies show that HIV and AIDS knowledge levels are high this has not translated to the desired sexual behaviour change. The forces that drive the rapid increase in HIV infections have not yet been well characterized, but include engaging in non-regular heterosexual relationships, generally low and inconsistent condom use, young people starting sexual activity at a relatively young age, intergenerational sex, high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections, low status of women and high levels of gender-based violence, stigma and discrimination, fear of testing, high mobility, alcohol and drug abuse, limited recognition ( even denial) of personal risk of HIV infection. ® The overall goal of this policy is to create an enabling policy environment for the national multi-sectoral response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic and its main objective of this policy is to strengthen the multi-sectoral institutional framework for the coordination and implementation of HIV and ArDS interventions in the country. In its policy statement, it cites Prevention of HIV infection among Young People as one of its strategies and seeks to encourage abstinence from sex or the delay of sexual debut, fa ithfu lness and consistent condom use, provision of evidence-based sex education, provision of Youth- friendly sexual and reproductive health services and the promotion of school-based Health Clubs as well as the promotion ofHlV and AIDS and life skills in primary and high schools, tertiary and vocational institutions and integrated in the curricula as an examinable subject. The policy further states that Leadership at all levels shall create an enabling environment for proper development of youth. In addition it cites the Protection and Empowerment of Vulnerable Populations, including the protection of rights of women and girls to decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, in conjunction with sexual and reproductive health and opposes gender based violence, domestic violence, sexual abuse, as well as is against traditional, cultural and other practices that may negatively affect their health. It states that Interventions for OVC shall be guided by the four principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and that Universal Primary Education shall be implemented to facilitate access to education for all children and in particular, OVCs in line with the Constitution of Swaziland of 2005. The policy also encourages the promotion, strengthening and support of interventions aimed at protecting, improving access to basic needs and livelihoods of OVCs and other vulnerable populations as well as the right of children to participate in interventions affecting them. As it incorporates youth issues and proposed interventions, the National YouthPolicy recognizes the importance of the National AIDS Plan as a national framework and therefore draws from the policy and its strategy. vi) Poverty Reduction Strategy and Action Plan (PRSAP) The Ministry of Economic Planning and Development developed and coordinated that Poverty Reduction Action Plan which has some projects aimed at reducing the vulnerability of children by providing them with opportunities to access education, health services and improved nutrition. Its overall objective to reduce, and in due course, eliminate poverty in Swaziland, and its activities predominantly focus on the creation of employment for youth and income generation projects through the proposed provision of regional funds. vii) National Education Policy The objectives of the National Education Policy are to provide opportunities for all pupils of school-going age-and adults to develop themselves in order to improve the quality of their own lives and the standard ofliving of their communities as per the National Development Strategy (NDS). The policy proposes, through the Ministry of Education, to offer a wide range of practical subjects so that more pupils are made aware of their value. This is expected to help change attitudes toward these subjects and develop the intellectual, moral, aesthetic, emotional, physical and practical capacities that are needed to shape and adapt to a fast-changing complex and uncertain socio­ economic environment. The policy further expects all education and training programmes to engender a sense of civic mindedness and foster the skills that are necessary to participate effectively in the development of the country. The policy further directs the Ministry of Education to develop an integrated system of education that provides equal opportunities to all irrespective of sex, religion, geographical location, special needs, political, or other factors, aspects that national youth policy seeks to address. ® viii) National Information & Communication Infrastructure (NICI) Policy The National Information and Communication Infrastructure policy is geared towards recognizing the areas where ICT could effectively contribute towards the achievement of the vision enshrined in the National Development Strategy (NDS) and the Transformation Policy Statement which also incorporates other existing Government initiatives such as the Smart Programme on Economic Empowerment and Development (SPEED), the Poverty Reduction Strategy and Action Plan (PRSAP), Public Sector Management Programme (PSMP), the Fiscal Restructuring Programme, the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) and the Millennium Action Plan (MAP). The policy recognizes the need for an ICT-led socio-economic development process with the potential of transfonn ing the country into an information-rich, knowledge-based and technology driven economy and society and its main objective is to enhance national socio-economic development by encouraging the beneficial activities of ICT in all sectors through the provision of a conducive environment that will progressively maximize the quality and security of the life of the people of Swaziland and make the best use of the country's human and natural resources, and promote multi-layered co-operation and knowledge sharing nationally, regionally and globally. Specific objectives of this policy include efforts to increase the ICT skills base ' including for disadvantaged groups such as women, disabled, and unemployed in Swaziland, develop strategies that will promote e-literacy and create a sustainable culture of JCT use and development and to ensure that all national information resources are accessible through ICT. The National Youth Policy recognizes the role ofICT in the creation of an enabling environment for the youth to effectively contribute to the sustainable development of the country and therefore has used the NICI policy as a reference document. ix) Charter of the United Nations Swaziland, as a member of the United Nations has agreed to work towards achievement of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations which enable young men and women to enjoy full participation in the life of society. Charter principles include the attainment by young women and men "of an educational level commensurate with their aspirations; access to employment opportunities equal to their abilities; food and nutrition adequate for full participation in the life of society; a physical and social environment that promotes good health and protection from disease and addiction and that is free from all types of violence; human rights and fundamental freedoms without distinction as to race, sex, language, rel igion or any other forms of discrimination; participation in decision - making processes; and places and facilities for cultural, recreational and sports activities to improve the living standards of young people in both rural and urban areas". x) United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth The United National World Programme of Action for Youth is aimed at ensuring the well-being of young women and men and their full and active participation in the society in which they live. The program.me identifies ten priority areas for action aimed at improving the situation and well-being of youth, such as education, employment, hunger and poverty, health, environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure time activities, girls and women and the full and effective participation of youth in society and in decision-making. The Programme proposes the formulation and adoption of an integrated national youth policy as a means of addressing youth-related concerns, by undertaking special efforts to develop and disseminate model frameworks for integrated policies and identifying and organizing an appropriate division ofresponsibilities among governmental and non-governmental entities concerned with youth-related issues. This would entail strengthening national capacities for data collection and dissemination of information, research and policy studies, planning, implementation and coordination as well as establishing or strengthening national coordinating mechanisms for integrated youth policies and programmes, the national policy therefore bas taken into consideration xi) The African Youth Charter As a member of the African Union, Swaziland, under the African Youth Charter which identified youth as Africa's greatest resource, has a duty to promote and ensure through teaching, education and publication, the respect of rights, responsibilities and freedoms contained in the present Charter and to see to it that these freedoms, rights and responsibilities as well as corresponding obligations and duties are understood. The Charter further motivates member states to address the situation of African youth, many ofwbom are marginalized from mainstream society through inequalities in income, wealth and power, unemployment and underemployment, infected and affected by the HIV/ AIDS pandemic, living in situations of poverty and hunger, experiencing illiteracy and poor quality educational systems, restricted access to health services and to information, exposure to violence including gender violence, engaging in armed conflicts apd experiencing various forms of discrimination. xii) UN Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals represent a global partnership that has grown from the commitments and targets established at the world summits of the 1990s and arc a response to the world's main development challenges and to the calls of civil society. The MDGs are eight goals, with 18 quantifiable targets and 48 indicators to be achieved by 2015 that promote poverty reduction, education, maternal health, gender equality, and aim at.combating child mortality, AIDS and other diseases and are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted in September 2000. In 200 I, in response to the world leaders' request, UN Secretary General presented the Road Map towards the Implementation of the United Nations Millennium Declaration, an integrated and comprehensive overview of the situation, outlining potential strategics for action designed to meet the goals and commitments of the Millennium Declaration. The declaration identifies the adoption of millennium development goals as national goals, as crucial and serves to increase the coherence and consistency of national policies;md programmes. Within the National Youth Policy, the 10 thematic areas and proposed policy statements draw from the 8 MDGS, their targets and indicators. Goal 1 which is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger is related to the thematic area, poverty and unemployment. The goals targets are to halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day and to halve and the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. Goal 2 is to achieve universal primary education by ensuring that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling and its indicators include an increased Literacy rate of 15 24 year-olds, which form a segment of the youth and is related to the thematic area on education, training and skills development. Goal 3, to promote gender equality and empower women is also related to the thematic areas on Education as well as gender equity, equality and gender based violence, as its target is to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015. Some of the indicators of change arc identified as increased Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector and the increased Proportion of scats held by women in national parliament. Goal 4 and 5 are Reduce child mortality and improve maternal health bother related to SRH issues have as indicators maternal mortality ratio and the Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel. Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, related to the HIV/AIDS thematic area, has as indicators HIV prevalence among pregnant women aged 15 24 years, Condom use rate of the contraceptive prevalence rate·Condom use at last high-risk sex, Percentage ,of population aged 15-24 years with comprehensive correct knowledge of HIV/ AIDS and Contraceptive prevalence rate. Goal 7, which is to ensure environmental sustainability, has vari~us targets such as to integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources as well as to Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Finally Goal 8, to develop a global partnership for development has one of its targets as Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, nondiscriminatory trading and financial system including a commitment to good governance, development and poverty reduction both nationally and internationally xiii) Commonwealth Youth Charter The National Youth Policy recognizes the work of the Commonwealth in the support of national youth policies in all Commonwealth countr ies and its efforts towards creating societies where young women and men are empowered to develop their creativity, skills and potential as productive and dynamic members. The Commonwealth Youth Charter encourages the full participation of youth at every level of decision-making and development, both individually and collectively, is fostered, and are supported by the goals and objectives of the national Youth Policy. In addition, the following principles and values for youth development are recognized by this policy: e Ge11der i11clusive developme11t - a commitment to implementing the 1995 • Commonwealth Plan of Action on Gender and Development which focuses on the dual objectives of increasing women's participation as well as integrating gender concerns in all activities. e Empowerment - a commitment to equity and access to resources m achieving equality and participation in decision making and action regardless of gender, geographic location, social, cultural or economic circumstances. e H11ma11 rights - a commitment to extending the benefits of development within a framework of respect for human rights. Democracy, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. e Sustainability-a commitment to sustainable development and th a lleviation of poverty through philosophies and actions espoused in the Harare Declaration ( 1991 ). e J11tegratio11 - a commitment to the integration of the concerns, issues and aspirations of young women and men into the mainstream of all local, provincial, national and international activities. 4. OVERALL POLICY GOALAND OBJECTIVES 4.1 Overall Policy Goal The overall goal of the policy is to create and ensure an enabling environment for developing youth to their full potential, socially, mentally, physically, culturally and spiritually, by providing training and economic empowerment, to further the aims of sustainable human development. 4.2. Objectives e To provide an enabling environment for the youths development so as to enhance sustainable development by ensuring that young people have access to adequate and appropriate programmes and services regardless of their geographic location, race, gender, level of disability and social, religious and economic circumstances e To recognize and promote the participation and contribution of youth in the development of Swaziland by involving them in planning, decision making and implementation levels of all youth and development programmes. • To enable youth to initiate actions which promote their own development and that of their communities by fostering creativity and innovation amongst young women and men which promotes initiative and independence, instead of dependency and entitlement ® e To develop an effective, coordinated and holistic resp~nse to the issues facing youth by building the capacity of youth development organizations and any other departments or institutions involved with youth affairs to effectively design, implement, manage and monitor youth development programmes and services 4.3 Key Principles e Gender inclusive development -Must ensure that all marginalized/ excluded groups are included in the development process i.e. A commitment to implementing the 1995 Commonwealth Plan of Action on Gender and Development which focuses on the dual objectives of increasing women's participation as well as integrating gender concerns in all activities. e Redress Imbalan ces - promote equality and equity by addressing disparities caused by cultural practices and legislation i.e. teenage mother's access to education, ensuring quality education for differently abled youth through an aligned national curriculum acknowledging their challenges. e Create a youth empowering environment - As this is an attitudinal , structural, and cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority, and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people, youth require adequate education, favourable socio-economic circumstances, and high employment prospects, so that they are less vulnerable to temptations such as crime and drugs. i.e. Youth involvement in decision-making at local and national level such as in legislative and policy making processes as well as the decentralisation of and access to services, and recognition of youth as an integral and valuable resources in national development. ®· e Enhance youth participation- Sensitization of all stakeholders on the importance of youth participation such as improving access to information in order to enable young people to mak'? better use of their opportunities to participate in decision-making; and developing and/or strengthening opportunities for young people to learn their rights and responsibilities, promoting their social, political, developmental and environmental participation, removing obstacles that affect their full contribution to society. Promote sustainable development - This involves the environmentally friendly use of natural resources and environmentally sustainable economic growth which will improve human life. Sustainable development should be a key element in the programmes of youth organizations; this would include the integration of environmental education and training into education and training programmes and strengthening participation of youth in the protection, preservation and improvement of the environment. e Ensure rural emphasis-With over 70% of youth residing in rural areas, all initiatives and programmes should recognize the ratio of youth residing in rural communities, in all the aspects i.e. access to youth friendly health facilities, improved edueation, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. e Ensure transparency - consultation, information, processes, procedures and in decision-making e Accessibility - To the policy, information pertaining to the youth, and whatever programmes designed for youth 5. VISION AND KEYISSUES VISION This policy envisions a Swaziland Youth who are equal, healthy (spiritually, mentally, physically and sexually), educated, skilled and productively contributing to all spheres of natiollal development by 2022 POLICY GOAL To improve health, education and quality of life for Young People in Swaziland by 2012 through an enabling environment and meaningful youth participation in national development The National Youth Policy is a framework for youth development that aligns national policy instruments such as the National Constitution, National Development Strategy, Economic and Social Reform Agenda with international instruments such as the United Nations World Programme of Action for Youth, the Commonwealth Youth Charter and the African Youth Charter. It is designed to ensure equal opportunities for all youth through the provision of an enabling environment for effective and efficient people driven social, economic and political transformation; thus addressing the Millennium Development Goals (MD Gs) and all other national priorities. The policy also recommends benchmarks against which government agencies can effectively mainstream youth friendly programmes in their activities. The policy further seeks to address the major concerns and issues critical to young men and women, and gives direction to youth programmes and services provided by government and non-governmental organizations. Through the National Youth Policy and its implementation guidelines, the Government declares the importance of the active involvement of young people in national development, demonstrating the distinctive and complementary roles of all Government ministries, the non-government sector and youth groups in youth development. ® The National Youth Policy recognizes the need for substantial, informed and practical strategies which address the major needs, challenges and opportunities facing young women and men. These strategies, therefore, provide a practical expression of the vision, goals and objectives of the National Youth Policy and represent the major priorities and critical concerns facing young women and men. The policy seeks to; a The Youth Policy in alignment with the National Multi-sectoral HIV & AIDS Policy, seeks ensure awareness of the consequences ofHJV/ AIDS and also to ·ensure counseling, rehabilitation and care for HIV/AIDS infected youths and outh orphans whose parents were victims of the HIV/AIDS disease as well s to mitigate the forces that drive the rapid increase in HIV infections amongst youth. e The policy accords priority to the provision of relevant and affordable quality education that engenders a sense of civic mindedness and fosters the skills that are necessary to participate effectively in the economic d evelopment of the country and for the youth's self-sustenance. a To stimulate youth and their integration in the socio-economic and political development of the nation through popular participation in decision-making processes, programmes and activities. a Employment creation and youth empowerment are critical for the elimination of youth poverty and unemployment and therefore emphasis must be placed on projects that employ young peoples skills in productive activities as well as enhance skills towards self-employment. @) e The policy supports application of increased measures aimed at reducing the increase of drug and substance abuse among young people and the provision of youth friendly psychiatric faci lities which will assume prominence in efforts aimed at mitigating and reducing drug and substance abuse among the youth. e The policy is committed to the empowerment of young women and young men, to access equal opportunities and to protect them from any form of abuse given gender differences. e Diverse leisure options shall be provided to enable all young people to have access to as well as maximize their participation in activities that promote school to work transition in all its fonn s, including access to ICT. e In line with constitutional imperatives, the state shall ensure that criminal justice institutions provide increased access to justice for the youth so as to reinforce a sense for all, thus preventing the dislocation of sustainable livelihoods as well as the interruption and termination of promising careers e The policy seeks to increase the capacity and awareness of youth to implement sustainable development frameworks for the management and utilization of environmental resources for the greater benefit of future generations. e Improved access to high quality and youth friendly sexual and reproductive health services shall be provided to reduce the risks of sexually transmitted infections (STis), high teenage pregnancy, and early sexual debut. ® 5. 1 HI V/A IDS Specific Objectives Strategy § Improve access to treatment for youth § Integrate Ii fc skills education into curricula in institutions § Portfolio Realignment to en ure effective address of chi ldren and youth issues e The Ministry of Sport, Culture & Youth Affairs and a ll its partners shall support implementation of the National I IIV & A IDS Strategic Plan; e Mainstreaming a gender djmension into all policies and strategics against HIV&AIDS; e Support and scale up activities of the Commonwealth led Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living Programme; a Support and scale youth activities in abstinence programmes e Design and roll out RHM Capacity Building programme e Use of young people as caregi\'ers - community service, experience e Redesign RHM capacity building programmes to include caring for youth a Promote community and school based health clubs for information sharing 5.2 Education, Training & Skills Development Specific Objectives e Develop school curriculum that is relevant and provides marketable and life skills e Promote the attainment of basic education for all evidenced by a l 00% completion rate in basic education; e MOSCYA and its partners shall support the promotion of e-literacy as well as a sustainable culture for the application and development ofICTs; Strategy e Improving the student-teacher ratio; e Increasing completion rate for basic education; e Development of psycho-social support systems within schools e Incorporate e-literacy within school curriculum and in community projects in youth centers and recreational facilities throughout the count1y, as well as faci litate in the deployment ofLAN in schools; e Introduce practical arts at basic level as a foundation for vocational education e Promotion oflife long education for all e Ensure sufficient number of schools and tertiary institutions e MOET to expand absorption capacity of VET institutions through introduction of demand driven curricula/programmes and general expansion e MOSCYA and partners to assist MEE to pilot and roll out provision of Enterprise Based Training (EBT) programmes; e [ntegrate entrepreneurship, savings and investment culture into the education system; 5.3 Participation, Partnership & Leadership Specific Objectives e To ensure effective youth participation and facilitate greater engagement between Youth and political and traditional leadership, thus enabling an intergenerational policy making environment; e Improved access to information on the rights and responsibilities of young people to address the high levels of social and political apathy among young people; Strateg.v e Civic education of young people, including differently abled youth, to train them in civic rights as well as to promote their participation in the social, political economic spheres such as youth participation in electoral activities e Establish various forums and structures where young peoples views may be solicited in the development and review of national policies such as SNYC youth associations. e Implementation of the decentralization policy whose founding principles comprise of empowerment, responsibility, self-reliance, partnership, equity, inclusiveness, responsiveness, efficiency, effectiveness, participation, consensus building and democratic representation. 5.4 Poverty & Unemployment Specific Objective e To create a conducive policy environment for youth to address issues of poverty and unemployment Strategy e Establishment of a National Service Programme which shall be operated on a voluntary basis to enable youth to gain work experience; e Develop a framework for the consolidation and expansion of Public Works Programme for infrastrncture development particularly in rural enclaves. This includes utilizing Regional Development Funds towards A Public Works Programme concept. Key target areas shall be roads, rnral electrification, water supply etc; e Regulate remuneration policy per industry so that each industry has its minimum wage to ensure that all industry provide suitable motivation for their practitioners @ a Embrace partnerships with non-conventional VET (Vocational Education and Training) providers such as Technoserve, and promote VET a Youth Business Centre - MOSCYA shall coordinate the establishment of Youth Enterprise Development Funds and a one stop shop for sourcing funds for young entrepreneurs as well as facilitating access to markets, and business information to promote entrepreneurship - Venture Capital Fund Establish pro-youth Investment opportunities i.e. affirmative action, this may include the adoption of the Commonwealth Youth Credit Initiative as part of efforts to provide access to micro-credit for young entrepreneurs a Develop and operati6nalise youth oriented Employment Policy. a Awareness Campaigns o Ensure adherence to child labor laws o Youth Entrepreneurial Programme a Design system to input accurate data on youth employment, unemployment and underemployment so as to facilitate the prioritization of the issue in National development programmes complemented by clear programmes to address unemployment a Address issues of access to water- for commercial projects a Provision of incentives to agencies engaging in enterprise development for the youth a Facilitate Enterprise development programmes and Life skills programmes a Develop macroeconomic policies that focus on job creation particularly for youth including differently ab led youth 5.5 Drug & Substance Abuse Specific Objectives a Develop and implement awareness Campaigns to sensitize youth on the impact of drug and alcohol abuse and introduce measures to reduce the uptake of alcohol and drugs by young people; a Review and fully operationaiise the integrity framework of the national drng policy to address issues of youth drug use and rehabilitation Strategy a Establishment of a Youth Unit at the National Psychiatric Centre and with Prisons to provide rehabilitation and counseling of drng and alcohol dependency, depression, crime, prostitution and other anti-social behaviour , a Develop and implement a concerted public campaign to reduce substance abuse by young people in order to effectively challenge society's energies and resources towards the root causes of substance abuse; a Facilitate the provision of information and counseling services and awareness programme~ highlighting the dangers of substance abuse; Introduce deten-ents for alcohol an drug abuse ยง Increase taxation of alcohol and related products ยง Greater vigilance and monitoring by the MOHSW towards the sale of products used for synthetic drugs; ยง Stiffer penalties drug offenders 5.6 Gender Equity, Equality, and Gender Based Violence Objectives a Ensure address of issues of gender equality and equity in all national legislation, policies, strategies and culture as well as international declarations e Align and Harmonize Youth Programmes with all national strategies and programmes I I I l I I 'f Promotion of gender ·equality and equity awareness amongst national and community decision-makers Strategy e Ham1onization and Finalization of legislation and policies o Approval of National Land Policy - Deeds Registry Act o Implement amendments to the Marriages Act of 1964 with a view to enhance and accelerate the empowerment of women; o Sexual Offences o National Education Policy - mainstreaming gender education into school curriculum o Preparation and implementation of amendments to the Maintenance Order of 192 l to improve male compliance to child maintenance obligations; o The policy advocates the full implementation of the objects of CEDAW in Swaziland o Intensify implementation of the SADC Gender declaration focusing greater attention to local government institutions o Implementation of programmes and legislative outputs emanating from the National Gender Policy; e National Campaigns to; o Improve the representation of women in leadership through the establishment of a Young Women's Forum. As part of its terms of reference, the forum will work in tandem with the Women's Parliamentary Caucus in addressing policy issues relating to women; o Supporting efforts of the Swaziland Government, UNESCO and lJNAIDS to scale up the implementation of Culturally Sensitive Approaches to HIV&AIDS Prevention in order to address practices that make women acutely vulnerable to HIV infection. o Creation of adequate gender awareness to enable women to negotiate safe attain appropriate representation in institutions of governance in line with CEDAW and the SADC Gender Declaration. 5.7 Arts, Media, Sports & Culture (Including ICT) Objective e Faci I itate the development of projects that provide di verse and meaningful leisure options throughout the country that enable young people the opportunity to explore and prepare for di verse career options. e Ensure the introduction ofadequate infrastructure and services in rural and urban areas for youth to have equal access and to participate in sport, physical education, cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activities as w~ll as accessICT Strategy e The inclusion of the leisure needs of young people in rural development programmes and urban plarming in order to ensure availability of innovative voluntary and leisure activities for youth; 'f Access· to library services and cultural Centres is imperative for the social and human development of young people; e Develop and implement intensive campaigns to encourage youth participation in sporting activities at communjty and national level e Introduce access to ICT services for the youth and to harness ICT; in the provision of alternative career pathways through JCT in community youth centres e Policy Review o Review that National Education Policy to include ICT in the education curriculum and greater uptake of teachers in ICT in­ service training; o Harnessing ofICT to facilitate new and innovative modes of civic and political participation for youth i.e. through cross boundary websites, websites, teleconferencing, video conferencing, webcams etc. o Provision of increased access to ICT connectivity especially for youth in rural areas through affordable ICTmedia; 5.8 Peace, Security & Law Enforcement Specific Objectives e Utilization of youth in promoting peace and non-violence and the reduction of crime whilst providing for the effective rehabilitation of youth so as to reduce, the rate of juvenile crime in Swaziland Strategy e Review Reformatories Act of 1921 and harmonies with relevant policies and legislation o ReviewPrisonActof1964 o Increased adoption of social rather than judicial approaches to dealing with young offenders. This warrants the increased utilization of sentencing alternatives; o A scale up in the application of community based justice processes and programmes is imperative to reduce the population ofincarcerated youth as well as social exclusion; ® o The establishment of a national rehabilitation facility for young women should be established as a matter of urgency; o Ensure compliance with UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice. e Development and implementation of alternative rehabilitation programmes o coordination with His Majesty's Correctional Services to provide effective and contemporary youth rehabilitative programmes; o Design of specific rehabilitation programs for displaced youth o The policy supports measures geared towards greater participation of young people in crime prevention programmes. Such measures shall further create an awareness of the dangers of crime to young people; o The policy promotes the development of a national rehabilitation programme for street youth which seeks to re-integrate them into society through formal education and life skills learning; o Develop conditions that will ensure for the juvenile a meaningful life in the community, which, during that period in life when she or he is most susceptible to deviant behaviour, will foster a process of personal development and education that is as free from crime and delinquency as possible. o Lobby for the utilization of alternative sentencing options (rather than incarceration) as provided in law, and specifically in the Criminal Evidence & Procedure Act; ft Campaigns o To encourage and facilitate optimal participation of young people in SNYC and Tinkhundla Youth Associations throughout the country; o To Strengthen the capacity of young people and youth organizations in peace building, conflict prevention and conflict resolution through the promotion ofintercultural learning, civic education, tolerance, human rights education and democracy, mutual respect forcultw·al, ethnic and religious diversity, the importance of dialogue and cooperation, responsibility, solidarity and international cooperation; 5.9 Environment & Sustainable Development Specific Objectives " Create an environment for youth participation in the design, implementation and evaluation of environmental policies including the conservation of natural resources at local at national levels; Strategy " Review curriculum to incorporate environmental education and issues of sustainable development " Fully integrate environmental management and development planning; o Government should commit greater sensitivity to the plight of people affected or displaced by large development projects by adopting the International Guidelines and Principles on Social Impact Assessment " Rigorous implementation of the National Envirnnmental Action Plan; " Creation of a land protection framework for safeguarding land belonging to orphaned chi ldren; " Establishment of a National Conservation Museum for indigenous plants and animals to facilitate greater environmental awareness among the youth; " Provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation for the bulk of the population that lacks access to these services; " Focus resources towards the development of sustainable development programmes; " [ncreasing access to natural resources such as Swazi Nation Land for the youth to embark on entrepreneurship and development projects; " Ensure efficient utilization of environmental resources through an intergenerational approach; 5.9 Sexual Reproductive Health Specific Objectives " Reduce ST! prevalence and unplanned pregnancies amongst youth whilst Providing access to youth friendly reproductive health services Strategy " Review school curriculum to incorporate issues of SRH and self-efficacy ; " Scale up the provision of SRH care services targeting all youth especially out of school youth; " Secure the full involvement of youth in identifying their reproductive and health needs and designing programmes that respond to these needs with special attention to vulnerable and disadvantaged youth; 6.GUIDELINES/MECHANISMS FOR IMPLEMENTATION As a matter of priority it is important that a National Youth Action Plan is formulated to accompany the National Youth Policy. The National Youth Action Plan shall be designed as a cooperative expression of all key government and non­ government agencies concerned with youth development. The National Youth Action Plan shall build upon the goals and objectives of the National Youth Policy and demonstrate a holistic and synergistic response of all relevant agencies to the needs of youth. The plan shall clearly define the specific actions that will be undertaken; when they will be undertaken and by whom. It will also indicate what resources will be required to effectively undertake these actions. Such a document shall clearly state expected outcomes and the performance indicators through which effectiveness will be assessed. The National Youth Action Plan will recognize the key groups involved in youth development, as described in Chapter 1, and ensure they are integrated into its overall structure and scope of work. The action plan will seek to coordinate and integrate activities within the five critical stages of implementation namely Strategy Formulation, Advocacy & Information Dissemination, Resource Mobilization, Implementation and Monitoring & Evaluation and will be guided by the following; fl Policy Responsibility The Minister for Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs shall be responsible for the youth policy. fl Policy Oversight Policy oversight vests with the Deputy Prime Minister. fl Accountability Accountability to the policy and action plan shall be supervised and enforced through the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth Affairs, the National Youth Consortium, NationalYouth Forum (all stakeholders) @ i) Strategy Formulation The Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs, in conjunction with a Youth Affairs Inter-Ministerial Committee will be required to develop a Strategic Plan. This Committee will be convened and chaired by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs and shall be comprised of senior representatives of Ministries involved in the planning, funding and implementing youth development programmes. The Director of Youth Affairs shall be the Secretary to the Inter-ministerial committee. The strategy will outline the following: fl purpose, aim and objectives of the Inter-Ministerial Committee; guiding fl principles; fl priorities and functions of the Swaziland National Youth Council ( as defined by the National Youth Policy); fl strategies - containing a description of the strategy; personnel engaged on strategy; other stake holders and agencies involved; strategy budget; and performance indicators of success; fl overall strategic budget; and fl Management and review procedures ii) Advocacy & Information Dissemination The Directorate ofYouthAffairs shall be responsible for policy support, advocacy and information dissemination with the support of the IMC and the SNYC iii) Resource Mobilization The responsibility for mobilizing funds towards the youth policy vest with the Directorate of Youth Affairs utilizing the resources, strengths and capabilities of: ® I • I I I I I I I I I I I l ct Swaziland National & Community Youth Service Programme The Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs shall develop a National & Community Youth Service Programme, which is the concept combining education and work as an activity for young people, created to enable youth of all ages, backgrounds and abilities opportunities to serve their communities. This programme would play a vital role in supporting the Swazi culture of citizenship, service and responsibility and enable an understanding of the needs of their communities, As a programme that entails donating their time and talents to schools, churches, hospitals, and local nonprofits in an effort to improve their communities, where Youth aretrainedinvocationalskillsandaresupervised to undertake major projects that are part of the national Development Plan therefore obtaining hands on skills and experience that can be built into their future careers. The implementation of the programme may be undertaken through the various relationships the Ministry of Regional Development has w i t h the entities below; ct Swaziland National Youth Council The Swaziland National Youth Council is mandated by the Government of Swaziland through a Memorandum of Agreement, to implement the National Youth Policy through the provision and allocation of funds by the Government of Swaziland. The role of the SNYC as an independent and semi-autonomous body is detailed as follows; ct Umbrella body for youth associations and the voice of young people in Swaziland ct Coordinate at National and Community level ct Engages in advocacy on youth issues and informs GoS on youth issues ct Implementation of youth programmes through delegation to member associations and implementing partners ct Building the capacity of partner institutions ct Mandate for SNYC is for youth in the general public and the direct beneficiaries are youth in associations which are affiliated to the Inkhundla ct Monitoring and evaluation at SNYC level and consistent with decentralisation plan. ct Inter-Ministerial Committee The Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs shall establish an Inter­ Ministerial Committee on Youth Affairs comprising of the representation from government ministries and membership shat I comprise of senior representatives of Ministries involved in the planning, funding and implementing youth development programme such as Under Secretaries or Principal Secretaries. This Committee will be coordinated by the Directors office of the Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs and it shall be this Committee that will monitor the implementation of the Action Plan which will include the performance of the Swaziland National Youth Council in relation to: ct identifying the major needs, challenges, aspirations and opportunities facing young women and men within the framework provided by the National Youth Policy; ct establishing structures and programmes which respond to the needs, opportunities, aspirations and potential of all young women and men in the province; a creating partnerships with national and local youth development organizations such as Community Based organizations and Faith Based Organizations, as well as UN agencies to develop and maintain facilities which can be used by the youth; and a Establishing mechanisms for continued consultation with the youth sector within the constituencies as well as nationally. ct Regional Councils Should, as per the Constitution, Regional Councils be established, the mandate of the RC's is set regional policies on socia l and economic development issues, which encompasses youth development issues. The RC's shall be representative of each inkhundla under each region and shall play an advisory role to the Regional Administrator. In ensuring proper address of youth development issues the RC shall; e Provide accurate infonnation from the lnkhundla to the Regional Administrator, pertaining to youth development issues to incorporate with in regional development plans e Provide guidance on the administration of youth matters so a to infonn relevant policy that can create an enabling environment for youth development e Regio11a/Admi11istrators Each region is headed by a Regional Administrator, as an administrative official with the status of a deputy minister, responsible for convening and presiding over regional meetings, their role will be to; e Ensure that accurate information pertaining to youth deve lopment in regions, is included in regional plans as well share infonnation with the Parliamentary Youth Portfolio Committee and IMC e Monitor progress ofregional development plans implemented at Inkhundla level e Parliamentary Youth Portfolio Committee As the role of Parliamentary Portfolio committees includes essential in-depth discussion and debate that fonns part of the legislature's work, this is specialist body of MPs, working together in smaller groups to inform legislation and policy development, and to hold the executive accountable for implementation. ® As members of the youth portfolio committee these MPs will develop expertise and knowledge in their committee's area of work and therefore will· , e Accept submissions from members of the public therefore providing a critical forum for interaction between c itizens and their elected representatives. e Make recommendations relating to youth legislation, budgeting, restructuring, functioning, and policy fonnulation. e Will help to oversee the work of different government departments, regarding youth matters on behalf of the legislatures e International Partner Organizations (IPO's) Through the External Assistance Unit, which coordinates, manages and monitors externally funded projects and the implementation of the aid policy, coordinating Aid Management, Aid Administration; and Aid Planning the role of the IPO's will be guided by the Aid Policy. The Aid Policy defines institutional roles and relationships among government Ministries, parastatal organizations, other stakeholders and partners. It also streamlines the procedures for aid administration in the country. The policy lays down the basis for aid resource management and coordination as well as the accountability of resources. e NGO Youth Consortium The NGO Youth Development Consortium comprises of Non-Governmental Organizations affiliated to the Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organizations, involved in youth development issues, their role as a think tank would include; o Provide input in national youth programmes based on lessons learnt and best practices o Identify constraints in the implementation of youth activities so as to develop and strengthen existing youth development programmes as recommended by the youth policy o Advocate and lobby for youth participation at all levels o Hold quarterly review meetings with the SNYC to assist with annual plan review e Private Sector Private sector participation in the form of public-private partnership vehicles in various permutations should be used positively to enhance youth entrepreneurial development programmes and opportunities in a range of areas including the following: o Funding arrangements; o Youth empowerment through micro finance and credit facilities; o Development of business models for enterprises driven by youth; o Youth Development programmes; o Vocational Training and Development o Internship Programmes iv) Coordination & Implementation Directorate of Youth Affairs shall be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the National Youth Policy. The Directorate shall further work to integrate and hannonize the youth development and empowerment programmes of all government ministries and departments. The national co-ordination of the policy shall vest with SNYC d th • . an o er agencies that will b~ thus designated by the Directorate ofYouth Affairs. The Ministry shall partner with SNYC in the co-ordination of the policy. The Directorate of Youth Affairs shall supervise agencies charged with implementation through a formal ins~men~ i.e. through a Memorandum of Understanding which shall regulate the relat1onsh1p between the Directorate and the respective agency. The MOU shall have clear and attainable performance benchmarks. In respect to the SNYC, the MOSCYA shall engage the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) with a view to cede the MOU that exists between the SNYC and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It is recommended that SNYC transfer its primary reporting obligations to the MOSCYA. This is to formalize t be support that SNYC (including subventions) receives from MOSCYA and other ministries and departments. Support from non-governmental agencies to the SNYC will now be channeled through MOSCYA. Therefore appropriate legal instruments have to be prepared in order to accomplish this p urpose. v) MonitoringandEvaluatio11 The Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs shall be responsible for the review of the National Youth Policy through consultation with key agencies and beneficiaries; namely SNYC, NGO Youth Consortium, Parliaments Youth Portfolio Committee, the private sector and IMC which shall constitute a National Youth Forum. New members of the Forum shall be identified by the DPM from time to time. In principle the National Youth Policy should be reyiewed every five years, with allowances for policy sectors which would need to be reviewed more frequently. The review process shall focus on the specific objectives and strategies of the National Youth Policy, involve a re-evaluation of the major goals and objectives of the policy along with the identified strategies. The performance indicators of each strategy, which will be outlined in the National YouthActionPlan, will be used as a clear and concise instrnment of assessment, which should also include a review of the role and performance of the National Youth Council in regards to the National Youth Policy. When monitoring and reviewing the National Youth Policy the Ministry of Sport, Culture and Youth Affairs will be particularly mindful of the manner in which the policy has: e instilled in all young women and men an awareness of, and respect for, the principles and values enshrined in the Constitution and a clear sense of national identity; e recognized and promoted the participation and contribution of young women and men in the development of Swaziland; e enabled young men and women to initiate actions which promote their own development and that of their communities and broader society; e developed an effective, coordinated and holistic response to the major issues facing young men and women; and @ e Developed families and communities which are supportive of young women and men, presenting positive role models whilst promoting social justice and national pride. vi) Policy Installation Process e Ownership & Consolidation The D PM shall convene the National Youth Forum for the purpose of adopting the National Youth policy. e Capacity Building/or MOSCYA & partners Based on the needs and mandates of the key players in youth issues a sensitization and capacity building programme shall be developed for key players in youth issues that include: o TinkhundJa Youth Leaders o Media o Member of Parliament o NGOs (Youth Development Consortiwn) o Chiefs o Tindvuna Tetinkhundla o UN Senior Technical Committee A targeted capacity building programme shall also be developed to strengthen MOSCYA and its implementation agencies in line with the projectory of the strategic plan. Key capacity areas will include IT, policy analysis, planning, project management, statistical analysis, monitoring & evaluation etc vii) Youth Policy Indicators & Targets Youth in Crime NIA # of Alternative NIA SECTOR POLICY ISSUE CURRENT POLICY LEAD Sentencing Decisions STATUS TARGET AGENCY Incarcerated Youth NIA (YOUTH) Enrollment in NIA Health &Social HN&AIDS 39% prev. < 15% SNYC Rehabilitation Budget Allocation for 8% 15% Economic National Budget NIA 25% Health Sector Support for Reduced Substance NIA <50% Youth programmes Abuse Youth Employment 40% 100% Teenage Pregnancy NIA Youth Labor Force 25% 100% Education Budget Allocation for 18% 25% participation Education Migrant Workers Basic Education For 7.5 years of IO years basic all basic education Business Ownership NIA education New SMEs 25% of Secondary Enrolment 59% 100% MOSCYA national total Ratio Credit Support NIA I 00% completion rate 30% 100% IT Connectivity NIA Repetition rate > 10% reduced by I 0% Tertiary Enrollment 1% 30% Roll out EBT Nil Programmes Political Sector Participation in 20% 50% MOSCYA& national elections Parliament Participation in local NIA 100% elections Youth in Leadership NIA 30% Justice # of court hearings NIA ®