Youth issues receive special policy attention in SL - Minister Allahapperuma

Text of the speech by Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Allahapperuma at the United Nations High Level Meeting on Youth, July 25-26, 2011 in New York

“I would like to join the other speakers, to extend our heartfelt condolences to the Norwegian families who have lost loved ones in last week’s twin attacks. We also stand with the Norwegian people in support and solidarity. We are also very sad that majority of the victims of that national tragedy were youth.

Sri Lanka and its people understand the pain and trauma that follow attacks of such magnitude having suffered similar relentless violence close to thirty long years. These events whether in Sri Lanka or Norway, give the theme of the High-Level Meeting on Youth added meaning. ‘Dialogue and Mutual Understanding’ within and without are both critical for evolving national harmony and international co-existence.

Ethnic communities

I address this distinguished forum as Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister of a country with a youth population of almost 26 percent of its 20 million people. Following the end of the scourge of terrorism, the hopes of the country’s youth for a secure, better and more progressive Sri Lanka have been renewed. It is in recognition of this new dawn of opportunity and progress that the Youth Parliament of Sri Lanka was conceived and implemented to mark the International Year of Youth. The Youth Parliament comprises 335 members between the age group 15 and 26 years representing all ethnic communities in the country. Twenty five percent of the young parliamentarians are from the predominantly Tamil areas in the North.

Job markets

The impetus for setting up the Youth Parliament was to create leaders or representatives nurtured in the finest democratic ideals and practices. It also provides an important opportunity in post-conflict Sri Lanka to foster ideals of peace, solidarity and harmony among the country’s younger generation. These aspiring leaders in the Youth Parliament could one day meaningfully contribute to strengthening and revitalizing the country’s democratic institutions, democratic governance and further promote ideals of peace, tolerance and justice.

Youth issues receive special policy attention in my country. The problem of unemployment remains a sensitive political issue for the country’s leaders and policy makers, as unemployment is concentrated among the educated youth.

Sri Lanka has experienced two violent youth insurgencies in 1971 and 1988 and therefore is especially mindful of the issues concerning young adults. It is precisely in recognition of this reality that the policy document of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ‘Mahinda Chinthana Vision’ gives utmost priority for programmes for the country’s youth.

In order to broaden the employment opportunities for our youth and enable them to compete better in job markets, Youth Affairs Ministry is integrated with skill development. We encourage our youth to be innovative and creative.

The 2010 United Nations General Assembly outcome document on the MDGs has also endorsed a similar call for effecting such improvements.

The government of Sri Lanka provides training and capacity building to complement needs and demands of the local, regional and global labour markets. In addition to regular educational opportunities, more than 1,300 young people including former LTTE combatants are being given vocational training in the former conflict affected North and the East.

The National Youth Services Council of Sri Lanka that coordinates the youth clubs in the country has initiated a foreign language training programme. At present, young men and women receive instruction in the English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and French languages. Arrangements are in progress to include German and Spanish to the curriculum.

Better future

Since ending terrorism in our country, we have restored political stability, taken many measures to improve the social, civil, economic and political conditions of all Sri Lankans. We have also made remarkable progress in rehabilitating, reintegrating and empowering former child combatants for a better future.

It is our dedicated commitment to youth that has enabled Sri Lanka to host the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organization (ICMYO) this year in New York. We would like to have the opportunity and honour to host the United Nations World Youth Conference of 2014 in Sri Lanka as the international community prepares to formulate a new post-MDGs agenda.

As we heard during the opening plenary, today’s youth need opportunities to participate and contribute. They seek positive engagement with community life.

They look forward to being active partners in the development processes in their countries, to be stakeholders in communities and societies beyond being dependents or beneficiaries.

Their fears are real in the context of the current multiple global crises, particularly the financial and food crises and climate change.

They no doubt ask themselves whether the quality of their lives would be better than their parents. For those in the developing world, there is a real need to bridge the digital divide, including through transfer of technology and international cooperation to impart needed knowledge and skills for gainful employment.

Through international cooperation, it is also important to address issues surrounding international migration. Therefore, recognizing their real concerns and needs is an imperative of the present. We have already heard them say that ‘now’ is their future”.