A diverse audience of a hundred participants from 32 European and African countries attended the Thematic Meeting on Migration, Youth and Development, held on 19-20 October 2023 in The Hague, and many more connected online. For the first time, youth activists participated in a Rabat Process meeting alongside representatives of partner countries of the Rabat Process and the Khartoum Process, as well as those of partner and observer organisations.
The meeting was co-chaired by the Netherlands and Nigeria, two countries that recently joined the Rabat Process Steering Committee. Both countries sent high-level representatives to open the meeting: Paul Huijts, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and Honourable Minister Betta Edu, Federal Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation of Nigeria.
An inclusive, multi-stakeholder platform
The two-day meeting provided a multi-stakeholder platform which enabled the participants to engage in dialogue and reach a better understanding of current challenges, best practices, and emerging trends in the field of youth participation in the context of migration and development.
To help shape the agenda, the Lagos and Abuja Youth Advisory Committees of the Netherlands were consulted and participated in the meeting, alongside many other youth activists. Their voices were heard throughout the two days, while they were actively shaping the meeting as moderators, speakers and participants. A video produced by the Rabat Process features six of these activists.
Background of the meeting
The meeting was based on the conviction that youth can be a positive force for development if they are empowered with the right knowledge and opportunities and have a central and interactive seat at the table. It is a timely choice to address youth engagement within the Rabat Process, since the share of young people in many regions of the world is growing rapidly. These young people will be seeking work and other opportunities to create a bright future for themselves.
The meeting’s topic echoes the priorities of Domains 1 and 3 of the Cadiz Action Plan 2023-2027, the multi-annual strategic framework of the Rabat Process. More particularly, its objective 1 aims to “maximise the positive impact of regular migration” and objective 3 recognises the need to “promote regular migration and mobility, in particular of young people and women, between and within Europe, North, West, and Central Africa.”
Interactive sessions and working groups
The meeting started with an interactive ice-breaker session, before diving deeper into the topic through expert presentations, panel discussions and working groups. The four working groups focused on
(1) Reinforcing youth participation in decision-making processes,
(2) Leadership empowering young women,
(3) Reinforcing education and recognition of certification and skills,
(4) Youth entrepreneurship, digital education and innovation.
Recommendations and conclusions
The thematic sessions and working groups led to numerous practice-oriented recommendations addressed at Rabat Process partner countries, featured in the outcome document. In addition, the following general conclusions were made at the end of the meeting:
- Young people, who are drivers of positive change, should not solely be seen as the future but also as the present: discussions involving youth should occur now.
- It is essential to foster youth involvement in policy dialogue and conversations to increase policy effectiveness and inclusiveness.
- Building trust with youth is very important: young people should have a place at the table and access all relevant information and documentation.
- Empowering innovators fosters job security and improving skills in countries of origin and destination is of upmost importance. In that regard, youth mentorship is crucial because “if you don't breed leaders, you will be lonely at the top”.
- To conclude on youth engagement, everyone agreed to say: “Nothing about us without us”. Discussions should not only be about youth but also with youth.
Documents
• Outcome Document
• Presentations
Gallery
