COVID-19 And The Youth Policy Report
The unprecedented global health crisis we are facing is affecting all parts of society and changing lives and livelihoods. In all types of crises and times of need, from climate change to armed conflict or political unrest, young people and youth-led organizations have been quick to take action and respond to the needs of others. The same is happening now during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While attention is currently focused on those most immediately affected by the virus, there are many indications the COVID-19 pandemic will have long-lasting social, cultural, economic, political, and multidimensional impacts on the whole of societies, including on young people, as highlighted by the Secretary General’s Report “Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity” (March 2020).
The Youth Café is committed to goals enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the World Programme of Action for Youth, and the UN Youth Strategy. Respect for all human rights - including economic, social, and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights - is fundamental to the success of public health responses and recovery from the pandemic.
This is why members of The Youth Café call for:
1) Partnering, safely and effectively, with young people during and after the COVID-19 crisis,
2) Recognition of young people’s own actions and their potential to advance the fight against the pandemic,
3) Understanding the specific impacts, the pandemic has and will have on young people while ensuring that COVID-19 related responses uphold young people’s human rights and are inclusive of young people
In increasing numbers, young people are proactively combating the spread of the virus and working to mitigate and address the pandemic’s impacts. This report highlights young people’s actions to help curb the spread of the virus, the impact of the pandemic on young people and considerations to take into account when engaging with young people during and after the pandemic.
Efforts to mitigate and address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic must include provisions that are responsive to young people’s needs and uphold their rights, or youth specific provisions when needed. More decent jobs are part of the solutions to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis in order to reduce poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition simultaneously.
The Youth Café works with young men and women around Africa as a trailblazer in advancing youth-led approaches toward achieving sustainable development, social equity, innovative solutions, community resilience and transformative change.
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