President Uhuru Kenyatta was on Monday endorsed as the global champion of the young people's agenda during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in the US.
Uhuru will champion the newly launched UN Global Generation Unlimited initiative through which the global body seeks to get every young person into quality education, training or employment by 2030.
In his acceptance speech, President Kenyatta explained that progress for the youth would translate to progress for the entire world.
“We do not champion the cause of youth opportunity and hope as a favour, but rather as the necessary, undeniable, embrace of our collective future,” he stated.
The Head of State applauded UNICEF's leadership in defining an ambitious agenda which he noted was equal to the urgency of the moment.
“We must give young people education, and employment opportunities if our societies are to live up to their full promise,” Uhuru added.
President Kenyatta promised the youth his full support as he endeavoured to champion their cause but cautioned that the youth must also seize the occasion and shoulder responsibilities to move the world forward.
“On your part, embrace your chance to lead by seizing the opportunity and turning it into tangible achievement. You must stand up, offer yourselves, dedicate yourselves, shoulder responsibility, and carry the world into the future,” he told the youth who were adequately represented at the launch.
President Kenyatta enumerated the various pro-active interventions Kenya has put in place for youth empowerment including the policy that targets 30 per cent of all government procurement that is awarded to the youth, women and the disabled, access to concessional loans, technical and vocational skills training, volunteer programs, government internships and apprenticeship programmes.
Under the new initiative, Generation Unlimited will complement and build on existing programmes that support adolescents and young people.
The partnership platform will focus on three key areas; secondary education; skills for learning, employability and decent work; and empowerment.
