Introduction Empowering and Engaging Uganda’s Youth Delivering as one United Nations

Uganda currently has the second Government has put in place some It also ensures coherence in different economic information and services for
youngest population in the world with legal and policy measures to address interventions on youth engagement and youth in Northern Uganda, including
over 78% below 30 years, second only to the unemployment challenge, such as: youth employment to avoid duplication Karamoja; development of a harmonized
Niger’s 83%. the National Youth Policy, the National and promote synergies. package of youth friendly services to be
Employment Policy for Uganda, the delivered at youth centers; development
The youth population in Uganda Skilling Uganda Strategic Plan 2012- The group has embarked on of guidelines for all UN Uganda
comprises of both the 2022 as well as the National implementing the United Nations livelihoods interventions; development
educated/skilled and the Youth Council- all of which System-wide Action Plan on Youth of a youth database of supported youth
unskilled living in the
Youth are either (Youth-SWAP), which provides an
provide a framework groups to take stock of and identify value
rural and urban areas. in school, seeking for youth engagement opportunity to harness the strengths support areas; support to government to
In some regions like jobs, employed or and employment. The of the UN system in the area of youth validate the draft National Action Plan on
Karamoja and Northern unemployed with the Government of Uganda development. Youth Employment to ensure its design
Uganda, youth have been (GoU) Vision 2040 also Youth Engagement and Employment includes a Northern Uganda Perspective;
affected by the conflict
high unemployment (YEE) is one of three Delivering as As with all UN programmes in Uganda,
focuses strongly on skills Advocate for youth employment (with
that has plagued the rate leading to social and employment. One convergence areas for the United the Greater Northern Uganda, including special focus on Northern Uganda) in the
region for the last 23 exclusion that may Nations in Uganda, focusing on involving Karamoja region, is a special focus for NDP II; and support review of national
years. Such experiences These mechanisms have young people in decision making and YEE interventions.
result into social Educational, Scientific and Cultural and sector policies to ensure coherence
and challenges arising however, not been fully empowering them to be the solution to with youth needs.
from the breakdown of
unrest, instability utilised to engage youth in the development needs of the country.
Organization (UNESCO), United Nations The current Programme of Action
and increased crime the development agenda of Population Fund (UNFPA), United for the YEE includes: Development
the social and economic
The other two convergences are Maternal Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), of a standardized package for socio-
infrastructure, have had rates. Uganda, thus limiting their
United Nations Industrial Development
a strong bearing on their ability to realize their full and Newborn Health (MNH) and the
Gender, Women Empowerment and Organization (UNIDO); United Nations
ability to access social potential.
International Strategy for Disaster
and economic capital to acquire skills, Gender-based Violence.
Reduction (UNISDR); United Nations
Key achievements
and create their own opportunities.
Together with YEE, the three Human Settlements Programme
convergences have been adopted as the (UN–Habitat); United Nations High 1. Support to the Ministry of Gender, 2. Launch of a skills development and
According to the Ministry of Gender,
critical game changers – interventions Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); Labour and Social Development, access to finance project, co-funded
Labour and Social Development, about
where the UN system agencies would United Nations Entity for Gender Equality to finalise the National Plan for by the European Union to provide
40,000 youth are released annually into
work innovatively and collectively and the Empowerment of Women Youth Employment. Once complete, young men and women, involved in
the job market to compete for about
to make a significant difference – in (UNWOMEN); World Food Programme this Action Plan will contribute to emerging and established enterprises
9,000 jobs.
successfully implementing the United (WFP); and World Health Organisation the implementation of the Uganda in the urban towns of Kampala, Jinja,
Nations Development Assistance (WHO). National Employment Policy by Mbale, Soroti, Gulu, Kitgum, Oyam,
Framework (UNDAF) 2010 -2014 by the specifically targeting the attention Lira, Nebbi, Zombo and Arua.
end of 2015. These agencies constitute the YEE of government and its development
convergence group, which provides partners at all levels, to strategies 3. Under the UN Joint Programme
Led by the United Nations Development a forum for co-ordination of youth- and interventions that will create on Population, training has been
Programme (UNDP), the YEE membership targeted interventions to accelerate the opportunities and capacities for provided to selected partners to
comprises of: Food and Agriculture implementation of the United Nations addressing employment challenges support government’s efforts in
Organisation (FAO) International Labour Development Assistance Framework facing the youth. It will also provide establishing Labour Market Data.
Organisation (co-chair), International (UNDAF) Action Plan and Delivering as a road map and guide stakeholders
One under the Sustainable Livelihoods. in creating and enhancing the 4. Through support to Government of
Organisation for Migration (IOM), Joint
quality and availability of gainful Uganda, a “Youth Entrepreneurship
United Nations Programme on HIV and
employment for Ugandan youth. Development Manual” has been
AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations
developed and is being used across
 the country by Ministry of Gender,
Labour and Social Development
and private training providers to
impart entrepreneurial skills to
young people, as they engage in
varied on-farm and off-farm business
ventures. Developed in 2013, the
Youth Entrepreneurship Development
Manual has been used by government
to train over 6,325 female and male
youth so far, with a follow up impact
survey indicating that 50% of the
youth trained are engaged in gainful
business activities.
5. Through support to the National
Planning Authority, an issues
paper was prepared to inform the
formulation of the second National
Development Plan (NDPII) to ensure
that youth issues are well-taken care
of in government’s planning.
6. In 2013, the UN was actively involved
in supporting national consultations
on the Post 2015 Development
Agenda, and continues to actively
engage in the sector working groups
and other platforms related to the
NDP II development process to
ensure that the themes that emerged
Advocacy Focus
• Provision of vocational skills training,
internship and apprenticeship for
youth
• Tailoring education to meet the needs
of the job market
• Affordable credit and capital for youth
innovation and entrepreneurship
from the Post 2015 national, regional
and international consultations,
including those that are related to
youth, are captured within the NDP II.
7. In providing technical advice and
policy engagement, UN Uganda
employs innovations such as
U-reported and the Pulse Lab
Kampala (PLK). U-report is a mobile
phone short message service (SMS)
based surveying tool used to quickly
capture the views of thousands
of people, while PLK is a data
innovation lab under the umbrella
of the UN Global Pulse Initiative.
These two innovations have been
helpful in analyzing data and trends,
and enabling youth to voice their
concerns and needs to inform the
UN’s policy advocacy.
Youth
For more information on YEE, contact:
YEE Secretariat,
C/o United Nations Development Programme
Engagement &
United Nations in Uganda Offices
Plot 11, Yusuf Lule Road
P.O. Box 7184, Kampala, Uganda
Employment
Tel: +256312338100/ 417112100
(YEE)
• Youth access to information and
resources about the job market.
• Accessible sexual reproductive health
information for young people to make
informed choices.