NEPAL YOUTH COUNCIL (NYC)

NYC 2019

Nepal today stands at the cusp of transformation with the introduction of the federal system of┬аgovernance. The elections to the three tiers of autonomous governments at the central, provincial┬аand local levels have been successfully held. Of significance, is the presence of 41.12% of┬аelected women representatives in local governance as a result of the affirmative action provided┬аby the Constitution.

Although, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has developed a ten-year strategy and programme┬аentitled, тАЬYouth Vision 2025тАЭ, for harnessing youth resources with the aim of promoting their┬аprofessional growth and entrepreneurship, every day around 1500 to 2000 people migrate for┬аoverseas┬аlabour┬аemployment mostly to the Gulf countries and Malaysia. The majority of them are┬аyouths. The remittances that they send to the country contributes 30% to the GDP. Nevertheless,

the economic-socio costs of migration for┬аlabour┬аemployment are high. Most of those who opt for┬аmigration often end up being victims of unsafe migration and trafficking. Worst still, it is reported┬аthat almost 8-10 corpses of migrant┬аlaborers┬аarrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport every

day. The hidden dimension of┬аlabour┬аmigration in the form of maimed or injured┬аlabour┬аmigrants,┬аpsycho-social problems either suffered by them or their families, especially wives of migrant┬аlabourers┬аyet to be addressed by Government of Nepal.

Today, youths comprise 40% of the worldтАЩs population. This is a sizeable number that holds┬аpromise for driving the economic development of the country as they represent a vital resource┬аfor┬аthe transformation┬аof any nation. In Nepal, out of the total population of approximately 23 million,┬аyouths between the ages of 16 тАУ 40 constitute 40%. The government has formulated several┬аpolicies┬аthat target the youths to encourage their participation in national development such as┬аthe 2004 Agricultural Policy, 2006 Labour and Employment Policy, 2011 Industrial Policy and┬а2014 National Employment Policy.

Nevertheless, half of the youth population are either unemployed or under-employed. In twenty┬аyears time, they will become old. Therefore, there is an urgent need to harness youth leadership┬аand action in shaping the development of the country. This can be possible when there are safe┬аspaces for youths from diverse backgrounds, castes, ethnicity, sex, and geographic location to┬аengage in the public sphere whether it be in decision-making, business, and entrepreneurship,┬аsocial development and digital world without fear of violence and coercion.