World Bank urges MENA officials to work on behalf of children and youth

Christiaan Poortman, Vice President of the World Bank for Middle East and North Africa, said the determination and effort of mayors, in collaboration with ministries can make a world of difference in the lives of young citizens.

Addressing the plenary session of the "Urban Children and Youth in the MENA Region: Addressing Priorities in Education" Poortman said MENA cities have witnessed an unprecedented demographic growth over the past decade.

"Just two decades ago, only 30 per cent of the MENA population lived in cities. Now over 60 per cent do and over half of those inhabitants are children and youth. Such growth is exerting enormous pressures on many urban families and communities, who are being forced to live in overcrowded areas in sub-standard housing, and share crowded schools, health facilities, and clean water sources. Under such conditions, the well-being of children and youth is greatly compromised," he said.

With unemployment in excess of 13 per cent of the labour force, MENA faces the tough challenge of creating over four million jobs per year over the next two decades. Unemployment falls disproportionately on youth, as first time job seekers constitute more than half of the region's unemployed, Poortman noted.

"Many children and youth in urban areas are made even more vulnerable through conflict, violence, and economic downturns. We are seeing the direct effects of conflicts and violence on the well-being of children and youth in West Bank and Gaza and Iraq. We know from experience the devastating impact of conflict on the growth and development of children and youth. We need to find ways to mitigate the effects of these shocks on the young people," he said.

He noted that with appropriate investment, MENA demographics could be the best gift for its future. In a world where many countries face an aging population problem, a youth, educated population is a huge asset. Through inclusive policies and programmes, MENA youth could become agents of social change and engines of transformation to a knowledge-based economy, which could reap the benefits presented by globalization.

"We see today that the world is growing smaller and youth in Bangalore are competing with you in Iowa for employment. So can youth of Casablanca and Cairo, if provided the right education," said Poortman.

Qassim Sultan, Director General of Dubai Municipality, opened the session saying the World Bank has responded to the challenges of the region by providing assistance to a lot of activities and sectors.

The plenary session, which was chaired by Michal Rutkowski, MENA Human Development Sector Director at World Bank, provided an overview of the key issues addressed by the conference such as an outline of the generic challenges facing children and youth and the role of municipalities in addressing these issues; the demographic transition through which the MENA region is passing and its consequences for social and educational policies and programs in the region; and specific and innovative approaches implemented by a large metropolis to address the needs of urban youth children. Keynote speakers of the session included Dr. David Satterthwaite from the International Institute for Environment and Development (Children and Youth, Poverty, and Urban Management), Dr. Thoraya A. Obaid, UN Under-Secretary General and UNFPA Executive Director (Demographic Transition in the MENA Region and the Role of Municipal Authorities), Nidal Al-Hadid, Mayor of Amman.

Four parallel sessions were also held yesterday (Monday) which focused on " Youth Employment Issues in the MENA Region: Current Status and Future Directions"; "Innovative Learning Approaches"; "Learning Environments in Urban Settings -Planning and Design I"; and "Street Children: Reaching out and Empowering Disadvantaged Children and Youth."