la déclaration de Tunis en version anglaise

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TUNIS DECLARATION
PREAMBLE
1. We, young North Africans, participating in the North Africa‐n Development Forum
held in Tunis (Tunisia) from December 8th to 10th, 2011, on "Youth, actors of
Development in North Africa";
2. Noting the situation of youth, their expectations, as well as the challenges and
prospects facing youth, in particular those who are most vulnerable in the region;
3. Aware of youth’s role and place in any development process and youth related issues
which are at stake for the future of North African societies, but also of the opportunities
and the constraints they face;
4. Aware of the importance of the transitional phase experienced by the region;
5. Enriched by the lessons learned, among other things, from the experiences which
could (i) favor a real youth participation in political life, community life and economic
life, (ii) involve more the youth in the protection of the environment protection and in
achieving sustainable development, (iii) take up the challenge of youth employment, (iv)
improve youth vision about regional integration and cooperation, as well as the need to
further involve them in this process;
6. Aware of the numerous constraints which hinder youth development, and
consequently, that of their countries, namely the insufficiency of the education system
and mainly its inadequacy with the demands of both the labour market and the
economy of the high youth unemployment rates, of the lack of dialogue frameworks
and structures, both with adults and decision‐makers at all levels, limiting therefore the
possibilities and means for youth to express their needs and their expectations;
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7. Noting the l modest results, still, of the efforts made by North African governments in
order to better integrate youth concerns in public policies;
8. Aware of the problems that youth in the region are still faced with, and of the need
to maximize youth contribution to a development based on peace, democracy, respect
of human rights, gender equality, sustainable and regional development.
I. We commit ourselves to:
• Promote a culture of integration and strengthening of regional solidarity , by
creating and networking associations to support the regional integration
process;
• Promote a culture of peace, tolerance and solidarity between nationals and
citizens from other countries of the sub‐region, in particular in the context of
political unrest or tensions between States;
• Put our intelligence and creativity to contribution in order to facilitate our
involvement in active life so as to achieve our own fulfillment and contribute to
the welfare of our societies;
• Endeavour to make our voice heard and participate actively in the political life of
our country.
II. We declare that:
A. North African governments should:
1. Youth and participation
a) Review processes aiming at promoting youth participation in the elaboration of
the region’s political agendas( like this Forum for example) by:
1. Implementing participatory models which facilitate the dissemination of
youth knowledge and experience in our region;
2. Creating spaces of exchange and discussions for both young and older
actors who are involved;
3. Avoiding that the transfer of experts’ knowledge preempt participation,
facilitation of exchange and political innovation.
b) Put in place mechanisms that allow for a more inclusive participation of youth
and adolescents in youth "multisectoral" policy development process;
c) Favour the insertion of modules on citizenship education in school and
university curricula;
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d) Revise youth policies whenever this is applicable , in order to make them
compatible with the requirements of an effective participation of all the actors
involved in its implementation, or develop youth policies in case they are
missing;
e) Ensure that youth do participate in apolitical, economic and community life at
the legislative level;
f) Encourage the creation of youth organizations and contribute to sponsoring their
effective functioning;
g) Invest in local youth activities and establish an institutional mechanism at the
regional level to finance local youth initiatives;
h) Progress towards gender equality by encouraging the participation of Maghreb
young women at all levels of the decision‐making process;
i) Find the way to involve associations with the biggest number and not to be
limited to the young members of associations.
2. Youth and employment
a) Introduce employment in all economic and social policies that aim to increase
the offer of quality labour through :
1. investing in training and education structures for a better coaching;
2. improving the quality of training and education.
b) Encourage youth initiatives for their insertion in the labor market through
facilitating their funding by public and private financial institutions such as for
instance the Young Entrepreneur Foundations or the Young Entrepreneurs
Centers;
c) Maintain gains achieved in the area of young women’s employment and orient
these more and more towards scientific and technical branches;
d) offer study and training grants to encourage exchange of competences;
e) Reform tax policies to support companies which recruit youth in promising
sectors and which support and finance young entrepreneurs (start‐up
incubators);
f) Facilitate access to decent work for youth in general and for most vulnerable
groups in particular;
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4. g) Suggest to the UN the creation of a fund to finance youth access to new
technologies;
h) Develop training programmes or set up training centers to coach youth and build
the capacities of marginalized and vulnerable youth.
3. Youth and sustainable development
a) Promote dialogue with youth and their participation in the decision‐making
process in the areas of environment and sustainable development, at all levels
(local, national, regional and international), in accordance with the provisions of
Agenda 21;
b) Involve youth in the implementation of development activities and programs
taking into consideration youth initiatives and their capacity of mobilization
which should be articulated with Governments' action;
c) Reinforce youth‐local collectivities partnerships;
d) Mainstream sensitization to sustainable development in all educational
programs and include targeted modules in university programs;
e) Establish a regional institution run by youth which mission is to promote
sustainable development policies and civil society programs for sustainable
development;
f) Launch sensitization campaigns to promote sustainable consumption patterns.
4. Youth and regional integration
a) Create one single strong network which can gather young North African leaders.
These could benefit from capacity‐building programmes;
b) Invest in the innovating local initiatives and support them thanks to a regional
funding mechanism;
c) Remove the obstacles hindering the construction of a really integrated and
performing economic space in North Africa, in order to optimize trade,
investment and employment opportunities in the sub‐region;
d) Implement objectives and apply the standards defined in regional treaties,
mainly those related to the free movement of people and properties;
e) Facilitate the participation of youth associations to the elaboration and
management of community law namely by giving them, when possible, the
status of observer in national and regional structures in charge of the
integration process;
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5. f) Favor the insertion of a "Community Law" module in university courses to better
prepare future managers for the reinforcement of a culture of integration;
g) Initiate and facilitate the creation and networking of youth associations
dedicated to the promotion of community citizenship;
h) Establish a legislation which encourages the youth free movement between the
countries of the sub‐region;
i) Establish at the north‐African level an employment scholarship in order to create
mechanisms which ensure meeting offers and demands.
5. Youth and health
a) Promote the principles of youth's right of access to information and to service, mainly
for the most marginalized groups among them:
1. reinforce sensitization programs to the impact of epidemic diseases,
which still plague our region, such as leishmaniosis, tuberculosis, HIV/
AIDS... by a greater involvement of the media (radio and television), and
by focusing in particular on rural areas;
2. Develop and implement sexual education programs and integrate them
in national educational programs
b) Allow a better access to medical care for youth:
1. ensure free access to medical diagnosis and to medical care for the young
victims of the above‐mentioned epidemic diseases;
2. revise the youth health insurance system in order to allow them a better access
to medical care;
3. improve women’s access to medical care and support ad maintain gains
achieved in family planning (contraception, abortion...).
c) Reinforce the fight against smoking and drug consumption;
d) Support road safety programs (road accidents are the first causes of death among the
young).
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6. 6. Youth, media and social networks
a) Reinforce the place of youth in the public and private media (both at the level of
recruitment and programming);
b) Reinforce the existing virtual platforms and create new ones, gathering young
people who are member of associations or active within one of the youth issues
in the North African region: classify (by theme, country...) and keep them
updated;
c) Encourage governments to allow you an easy access to new technologies in the
deprived areas;
d) Reinforce and encourage the new expression means which are presently used by
the youth, such as music or poetry.
7. Statistic data and studies about the youth
a) Establish documentation centers dedicated to outputs on youth in the different
countries;
b) Make Youth Observatories accessible to all youth in the sub‐region;
c) Involve youth in designing questionnaires and generating statistical data, but
also in disseminating the performed studies.
B. Private organisms and non‐governmental organizations should:
a) Set mechanisms to mobilize youth in favor of sustainable development;
b) increase their ownership of existing treaties, protocols and programs on
integration in North Africa;
c) Support youth associations in setting up intra North Africa networks;
d) Inform youth about project opportunities and adapt these to their needs and
expectations.
C Regional groups such as ISESCO and sub‐regional such as UMA should:
a) Support establishing youth networks to share experiences and best practices;
b) Finance or help countries mobilize resources which are necessary for financing
youth initiatives;
c) Involve youth as partners and not only as a public targeted by the programs.
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D. the ECA and other concerned organisms of the United Nations system such as
UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, etc. should:
a) Support member countries and the RECs to effectively mainstream
environmental and social issues in development strategies and programs;
b) Allow youth access to UNV programs design and participation;
c) Involve the vulnerable youth who have experiences to share in programs, but
also in the formulation and implementation of these volunteering programs;
d) Favor the UNV presence in the biggest number of North African countries;
e) Reinforce regional cooperation to increase knowledge and transfer of
technologies;
f) Favor youth participation in international and regional conferences;
g) Support the development of indicators which could measure sustainable
development; through training addressed to young people from deprived areas;
h) Establish youth information and capacity building programs on sustainable
development;
i) Include the ecological issues in the internal policy of UN agencies by revising the
communication products in order to make them more respectful of the
environment;
j) Encourage and promote "green jobs" for youth (mainly in rural areas), through
an effective training, and offer them a real opportunity for lasting and
meaningful jobs.
By adopting this Declaration, we, the young, , participating at the North African
Development Forum "Youth, Actors of Development in North Africa ", commit
ourselves to implementing its recommendations and, in this regard, ask the ECA and
relevant institutions to establish appropriate mechanisms to implement, follow‐up,
and update these recommendations. We therefore demand that a preliminary study
be carried out within 6 months and a detailed study within one year.
We are deeply grateful to the Tunisian Government and people for their warm and
friendly welcome.
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