BY BANELE MAGONGO
MBABANE – European Union (EU) Eswatini says it recognises the importance of involving young people in decision-making processes that affect their lives, communities, and the future.
According to information gathered by this publication, May 2024 marks the first anniversary of the EU-Eswatini Youth Advisory Board (YAB), a 14-member group of young leaders. To commemorate this milestone, the YAB and the EU in Eswatini held a meeting on Monday this week (May 6, 2024) to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the board, moving forward. The reflection session was aimed at taking stock of the board’s progress and come up with a path for continued growth and impact.
During the meeting, YAB Chairperson Busiswa Dlamini delivered a detailed presentation on the board’s accomplishments over the past year. Dlamini focused specifically on the board’s five thematic areas, including climate change and environment, social inclusion, human capital development skills development, employment, entrepreneurship, private sector, communications, networking, and partnership.
The YAB members expressed their gratitude for the chance to participate in the public diplomacy and outreach events organised by the EU Delegation from 2023-2024.
The members discussed ways to address the challenges the board had faced during its first year and brainstormed potential solutions to ensure a more effective second year of operation. The board serves an advisory role to the EU, providing insights and recommendations to make EU activities in the country more relevant, participatory, and effective for the country’s youth.
It is stated that the youth engagement and involvement is crucial to achieving the goals of the EU’s development assistance in Eswatini over the next few years. The focus of the EU’s development assistance will centre around youth, jobs, employability, and social inclusion. The establishment of the EU-Eswatini Youth Advisory Board is a direct result of the EU’s Youth Action Plan, which was adopted in 2022 as part of the EU External Action for 2022-2027.
