Proceedings of the Ministerial Meeting to Promoting Youth Employment Within Africa’s Creative Economy

UNESCO Office Dakar and Regional Bureau for Education in Africa
What is it?

The meeting document serves as a guide for a high-level ministerial meeting organized by UNESCO in partnership with Cabo Verde and UN Cabo Verde. Its purpose is to address the pressing issue of youth unemployment in Africa's creative economy. The document outlines the meeting's objectives, expected outcomes, and participating countries, emphasizing the need for a multi-sectoral approach that integrates education, culture, and youth policies to create solutions for youth unemployment.

The document was gathered to tackle youth unemployment by leveraging the potential of Africa's creative and cultural sectors. The ultimate goal was to foster cross-sectoral cooperation, leading to economic growth, youth empowerment, and job creation while promoting African culture and creativity. It highlights the importance of coordinated efforts to address youth unemployment and advance the creative economy in Africa.

HIGHLIGHTS

The main finding of the meeting document is that a multi-sectoral approach, integrating education, culture, and youth policies, is essential for addressing the significant challenge of youth unemployment in Africa's creative economy.

Three important points are:

  1. Youth Unemployment Challenge: The document highlights the high rate of youth unemployment in Africa, with approximately 200 million young people, constituting 60% of the continent's unemployed population, emphasizing the urgency of addressing this issue.
  2. Creative Economy Potential: It underscores the untapped potential of Africa's cultural and creative resources to generate employment opportunities and foster economic growth, emphasizing the need to harness this potential through coordinated policies.
  3. Collaborative Approach: The document emphasizes the importance of collaboration between participating countries, ministers, government officials, experts, and international organizations to create a common vision and roadmap for addressing youth unemployment within Africa's creative economy, with the goal of promoting cultural heritage and creative talent.