Delegates of UNDP’s 2023 Ready Set Great youth conference have ratified a Call To Action on Youth Poverty aligned to Jamaica’s Vision 2030, while vowing to continue their advocacy for solutions that can empower youth to escape poverty. 

The Call to Action - deliberated by delegates on 17 October 2023 in four thematic breakout groups and adopted following revisions and a second round of reviews - categorises solutions under four adapted Vision 2030 Goals as follows: Youth empowered to achieve their fullest potential; Youth living in a safe, cohesive, and just society; Youth accessing the benefits of a prosperous economy; Youth contributing to and championing a healthy natural environment.

Some key solutions articulated under goal one called for learning opportunities for students with special needs and learning disabilities; tertiary level programmes aligned to emerging trends and requirements for sustainability and resilience to future shocks and crises, and improved access to more affordable tertiary education.

As their contribution to safety and security, delegates called for formal training for educators in conflict resolution; an anti-bullying policy tailored for all relevant levels of the education sector; increased number of national campaigns tackling bullying and mental health interventions and counselling for perpetrators (bullies).

The Call to Action also focused on improving youth participation in economic growth and prosperity. Solutions advanced included provision of reliable infrastructure to facilitate online transactions and e-commerce; improvement in access to devices and the internet, and policies that promote youth-driven innovation, partnerships, and opportunities.

The Ready Set Great Call to Action also sought to position youth as movers and shakers within the nature based green and blue economy by advocating for policies and programmes geared to increase youth participation in the blue and green economies; opportunities for youth to convert green skills into sustainable economic activities, as well as calls for an increase in knowledge, awareness and skills among youth to utilize Nature Based Solutions to improve conservation efforts.

Delegates committed to continuing their joint conversations around Youth poverty in order to assess progress, update their solutions and to partner on advocacy, outreach, and communication campaigns.

Ready Set Great was convened by the UNDP on 17 October which is globally commemorated as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. More than 300 delegate participated on location at the Jamaica Pegasus and online. The Call to Action can be accessed at https://readysetgreatja.com/call-to-action-on-youth-poverty-2023/ .