Position Paper on Engaging Rural Youth at IFAD: An Approach for Connecting Youth Voices to Action

The purpose of this position paper is to put forward recommendations for enhancing the involvement of youth in IFAD governance at all levels.

This is one of the key components of the Rural Youth Action Plan for delivering on the Eleventh Replenishment of IFAD’s Resources’ commitment to increase the youth-sensitivity of IFAD investments in response to the challenge posed by youth unemployment.

Four scenarios have been developed on the basis of extensive regional consultations with young rural men and women, the experience of IFAD field staff in working with specific target groups, the views of key stakeholders, lessons learned from other organizations and United Nations agencies, and a review of materials and the literature on youth engagement.

The recommended scenario – Scenario 4: A grass-roots approach for connecting youth voices to action – is aimed at addressing the factors that are hindering the organization of what are at present fragmented rural youth voices at the grass-roots level.