The Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs is currently rolling out its second and final phase of consultations with provincial executives including the Honiara City Council on the 3-Tier Policy Framework for Youth Development and Empowerment in Solomon Islands.

The proposed 3- Tier Policy Framework comprises of a new National Youth Policy (NYP) 2017 – 2030, a Strategic Framework for Youth Development and Empowerment in Solomon Islands (SFYDESI) and a National Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Strategy (NYEES).

Between June and September this year, high level joint consultations were convened to discuss the priority policy outcomes to be included in a proposed 3-tier policy framework for youth development and empowerment in Solomon Islands.

All provinces including HCC had provided inputs to the priority policy outcomes and strategic action areas proposed for the new National Youth Policy during the consultation workshops.

The current follow up consultations enables the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs to provide feedback to each province and the Honiara City Council on their inputs to the proposed Youth Policy which will be finalised and submitted to Cabinet soon. 

The consultations provide an opportunity for the Ministry and Provincial executives to discuss optimum arrangements to operationalise Policy Outcome 6 of the Youth Policy with a focus on provincial and HCC implementation strategies. With the inclusion of the provincial implementation strategies from each of the nine provinces and the HCC, this has added a 4th Tier to the policy frameworks for youth development and empowerment in Solomon Islands.

Both parties during the consultations are also expected to discuss and agree on a process and timeframe for developing each provincial implementation strategies for youth development and empowerment including the leadership role to be taken by each province with the Ministry supporting each province in the joint endeavour.

The consultations workshops supported by UN Women has been conducted in Honiara, Malaita and Guadalcanal the past weeks and will continue in the other remaining provinces.

The Ministry acknowledges UN Women’s active support continuing inclusive spaces for youths and women’s dialogue in building long term peace justice and security.

UN Women says it is happy to partner with the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs to provide a Platform where young women, young men and provincial leaders in each province can jointly assess the challenges and solutions for young women and men faced at provincial levels.