Listed among the official speakers, the session convened global development stakeholders to reflect on IDA’s role in supporting low-income countries and to deliberate on emerging priorities for inclusive and sustainable development.

Highlighting IDA’s Impact on Youth and Economic Transformation

In his address, Olaore acknowledged the significant impact IDA has made in advancing youth employment, digital innovation, and the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across developing economies.

He emphasised that IDA’s investments continue to play a critical role in strengthening economic systems, expanding opportunities, and supporting vulnerable populations in low-income countries.

Emphasising Demand-Driven Skills and Workforce Readiness

A central focus of his intervention was the urgent need to prioritise demand-driven skills development, particularly in sectors shaping the future of work.

He highlighted the importance of aligning education and training systems with:

-The digital economy and emerging technologies
-Transformation of agri-food systems
-Entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems

Olaore stressed that addressing youth unemployment, particularly in countries such as Nigeria, requires greater alignment between skills development and evolving labour-market demands.

Strengthening Local Partnerships for Greater Impact

He further underscored that sustainable development outcomes depend on strengthening country-level delivery systems through deeper collaboration with:

-Local and community-based organisations
-Civil society actors
-Private sector partners and innovation networks

According to his remarks, such partnerships are essential for improving implementation effectiveness and ensuring that development programmes translate into tangible, measurable impact on the ground.

This approach is especially critical for accelerating inclusive job creation for youth and women in underserved communities.

Youth as Central Drivers of Development

A key message of the intervention was the need to reposition young people as active drivers of development, rather than passive recipients.

Olaore emphasised that long-term development impact depends on how effectively global systems empower local actors and enable young people to meaningfully participate in shaping solutions, policies, and implementation processes.

Conclusion

The participation of YEDIS at the IDA Policy Dialogue reflects its growing engagement in global development policy spaces and its commitment to advancing youth-centred solutions.

Olaore expressed appreciation for the opportunity to contribute to the dialogue, reaffirming YEDIS’s mission to promote inclusive development, foster innovation, and empower young people across developing economies.

Video links

https://youtube.com/shorts/NHPHWho_IuY?si=rKh8Om13UON1ROUh

https://x.com/i/status/2044548831094747388

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18iT2rfKyu/

💡 What to expect:
✔️ Youth-led project showcases and roadshows
✔️ Insights and feedback from mentors and experts
✔️ Virtual visits to global operations of Chinese enterprises
✔️ Interactive discussions on climate action and green development

Outstanding initiatives aligned with the SDGs will also have the opportunity to advance to this year’s Project Week.

Whether you are building a solution, looking to connect or seeking inspiration, this is a space to engage with a growing global community of young changemakers.

🗓️ 25 April | 15:00–17:00 (Beijing time)
🌐 Hybrid event (in-person + online livestream)
👉 Register now: https://lnkd.in/eCfc6_Fp

#YouthAction #ClimateAction #GreenDevelopment #SDGs #YouthInnovation #YouthLeadership

This event supports the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) process by strengthening youth participation in developing global recommendations through a two-step approach. The webinar will introduce the recommendations process and highlight how education, skills, and employment pathways can promote gender equality and access to justice for young women and girls. It will be followed by a community forum where participants can share insights on barriers and solutions, with contributions feeding into upcoming global youth engagement discussions and decision-making processes.

Partners: UNICEF, ILO, UNDP, Commonwealth of Learning, UN WOMEN

Young people are often excluded from decisions that shape employment policies, despite being key agents of change. This webinar will explore what meaningful youth engagement looks like in practice and how it can advance decent work and social justice, particularly for vulnerable groups such as refugees and displaced youth. It will showcase youth-driven priorities and solutions, share practical tools for engaging young people in employment programmes, and feature dialogue between youth, practitioners, and policymakers. The session aims to identify gaps and promote more inclusive, collaborative approaches that embed youth voices in decision-making.

Partners: Global Coalition for Social Justice, ILO PROSPECTS

Young people worldwide face increasingly complex and often precarious work conditions, with limited access to protection and fair treatment—challenges that are even greater for forcibly displaced youth. This webinar focuses on youth rights at work, introducing practical resources and advocacy efforts to help young people understand and claim their rights. It will feature insights from experts and youth speakers, along with interactive discussions on how to strengthen awareness, close existing gaps, and promote safer, more inclusive workplaces.

Partners: ILO PROSPECTS

Artificial intelligence and digital technologies are transforming entrepreneurship, offering powerful new tools for innovation, access and scale. But without intentional strategies, this transformation risks leaving millions of underserved young people behind.

The session will highlight key findings and recommendations from the paper, alongside real-world examples of how youth-led businesses and support organizations are navigating the opportunities and challenges of AI and digital inclusion.

Bringing together youth entrepreneurship experts, practitioners and policymakers, the webinar aims to spark reflection and action on how to shape a more inclusive digital future for young entrepreneurs everywhere.

Partners: Youth Business International (YBI)

A new report from the Africa Skills Revolution highlights the motivations, challenges, and aspirations of TVET youth, aiming to strengthen skills ecosystems across Africa. It finds that over 80% of young people see themselves as key advocates for TVET, signaling a shift toward youth playing an active role in shaping education and workforce development. The findings reinforce the need to include youth voices in policymaking, echoing broader evidence that greater youth participation strengthens political systems. This webinar will explore practical ways to embed youth perspectives in policy, from grassroots engagement to formal inclusion in national and regional decision-making processes.

Partners: ILO, Humana People to People, AUDA-NEPAD

Globally, young people in rural areas face persistent challenges in accessing decent work opportunities. Structural barriers such as informality, limited access to resources, lack of skills, and weak integration into value chains continue to limit their potential. At the same time, agri-food systems offer untapped opportunities for youth employment, entrepreneurship, and innovation, especially in the context of a just rural transition.

Partners: ILO, EC, IFAD, WFF

1. The kids are not alright: Policy responses to jobs and social protection for the youth – Explore why young people are experiencing the lowest levels of happiness today and the policy solutions from ILO experts to address rising stress, economic uncertainty and limited opportunities.
   

2. Girls’ Voices Guiding the Way: Participatory Research in India Turning Evidence into Action – Discover how over 261 million youth are locked out of education and jobs, and how the GenU’s Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) is breaking barriers to help them move from learning to earning.
   

3. Unlocking HER potential: Gender equality through equitable access to assistive technology – Learn from this new UN Women policy brief on how assistive technology can advance gender equality for women and girls with disabilities, with insights and actionable solutions from nearly 50 countries.

🗓️ Upcoming Youth Events and Opportunities 

Check out the latest youth events and opportunities posted at the YouthForesight platform! From the upcoming ECOSOC 2026 Youth Forum, health and agriculture grants and more. Explore the engage section.


🗣️ Trending in our Community Forum:

“In Uganda, we’ve seen youth SACCOs (Savings and Credit Cooperatives) become powerful engines of opportunity, helping young people access finance, build skills, and invest in climate-smart projects. STEM clubs and youth innovation hubs are also thriving, giving young people practical exposure to science and entrepreneurship.

These models show that when youth are trusted with responsibility, they create lasting impact for their communities.”

Do you agree with our member Matayo Meshack? Join the conversation!

1. Youth Progress Index 2025 – Check out European Youth Forum’s Youth Progress Index 2025 platform, a global tool tracking young people’s quality of life across 169 countries to help identify gaps and drive action.
   

2. ILO’s CINTERFOR Platform – Explore the ILO’s observatory dedicated to promoting and stimulating vocational training in Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal and Cape Verde. Its mission is to make possible the transformative potential of vocational training.
   

3. 2026 Youth Report: Lead with Youth – This Delve into this UNESCO and UN Youth Office’s report highlighting young people as leaders in education decision-making worldwide, showcasing how students drive long-term, systemic change in policy and practice.
   

🗓️ Events round up 

🎬 During World Day of Social Justice, we conducted the webinar, Nothing About Youth Without Youth: Advancing Decent Work and Social Justice Together [watch the replay here]!

Together, we unpacked a central idea: young people aren’t just beneficiaries of youth employment programmes, they’re essential partners in shaping them. 🤝

🗣️ Trending in our Community Forum:

New members, new voices! ✨ Welcome to the YouthForesight community forum Munguzo and Matayo Meshack !

👏 Munguzo, founder of CAMPUS Digital Hub based in Nakivale refugee settlement, has introduced himself in his first post with us. Interact with him!

👏 Matayo also opened up a conversation about the importance of youth opportunities and how he saw youth in his locality, SACCOs (Savings and Credit Cooperatives), become powerful engines of opportunity, helping young people access finance, build skills, and invest in climate-smart projects.