Leave NO youth behind: The National SDGs Youth consultation workshop to inform the Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the United Republic of Tanzania
By: Mulika Tanzania
Tags: Vnr, Youth, Sdgs, Sustainable Development, Unfpa

Leave NO youth behind: The National SDGs Youth consultation workshop to inform the Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the United Republic of Tanzania Mulika Tanzania Apr 1, 2019·4 min read

The group photo of the youth representatives with a guest of Honour, Dr. Hashina Begum, UNFPA Deputy Country Representative (seated front row at the center) during the Youth Consultation on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the United Republic of Tanzania which was held on 28th March 2019

‘’We cannot always build a future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future. The youth must be at the center of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and transforming our world — in defining the world you are living in and in shaping the world you will inherit by 2030'’, Dr. Hashina Begum, UNFPA Deputy Country Representative during the Youth Consultation on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Voluntary National Review.

The guest of Honour, Dr. Hashina Begum, UNFPA Deputy Country Representative emphasizing a point during opening remarks at the Youth Consultation on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the United Republic of Tanzania

The National SDGs Youth consultation workshop to inform the Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the United Republic of Tanzania was held in Dar es Salaam at Dar Social Hall, 28th March 2019, under the theme of Leave NO Youth behind.

Mulika Tanzania working together with United Nations Association (UNA) Tanzania, Restless Development and African Youth Adolescents Network on Population and Development (AfriYAN) pioneered the National SDGs Youth consultation.UNA Tanzania being the co-convener of the Tanzania Sustainable Development Platform in Tanzania led the youth thematic group.

Mulika Tanzania/AfriYAN ESA Vice President, Mr.Hussein Melele sharing the importance of engaging youth on SDGs implementation during the Youth Consultation on SDGs Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the United Republic of Tanzania

The youth consultation has been designed to embrace the “Leave No One Behind” theme of the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs), focusing on youth’s meaningful participation in the implementation of the SDGs with special emphasis on Goals number 3, 4, 5,8, 10 and 16.

The National SDGs Youth Consultation gathered 50 representatives of youth-led, youth-based organizations working in different thematic areas across Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. The selection ensured zonal/regional representation on making sure all voices of young people are well captured during the consultation.

Ms. Vivian L Ngowi, Assistant Project Coordinator, Kijana Wajibika from Restless Development Tanzania sharing insights with the participants during the Youth Consultation on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the United Republic of Tanzania

The participants were put in the working group based on their focused works on targeted SDGs.They were also provided with the key questions as to guide their engagements during the consultation such as;

• What are the main challenges youth face during the SDGs implementation and what are the key lessons learned so far in Tanzania?

• What efforts have been made to make sure marginalized groups are not left behind in the SDGs implementation, and what are the best ways to engage them more?

• What are the best practices or innovations from youth organizations that exist on the SDGs implementation?

• Any recommendations on how to improve the respective SDGs implementation in Tanzania

The guiding questions gave a spark on the foundation of the discussion on the matter among the participants. The inputs gathered from the consultation will be featured in a National VNR report through the CSOs VNR report.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations Association of Tanzania (UNA), Mr. Reynald Maeda sharing the objectives of the Youth Consultation on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the United Republic of Tanzania

Furthermore, there will be a special report with a key focus on young people engagement in SDGs implementation. The reports will provide a clear landscape of the challenges and success stories of the youth in SDGs implementation in Tanzania.

The Programme Analyst of Youth Development, UNFPA Tanzania, Ms.Tausi Hassan sharing on how UNFPA Tanzania has been engaging youth in different programmes on realizing their potentials in the implementation of SDGs as active partners.

The National CSOs report which features youth special report will be also submitted during the HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM (HLPF) 2019 UNDER THE AUSPICES OF ECOSOC at UN HQ in New York. The meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2019 which is convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, which will be held from Tuesday, 9 July, to Thursday, 18 July 2019.

The Programme Analyst, Population and Development of UNFPA Tanzania,Mr Ramadhani Hangwa presenting the progress made by the ICPD agenda as an indispensable part of Agenda 2030 in particular around reducing preventable maternal mortality and the unmet need for family planning and eliminating violence against women and harmful practices.

In 2019, 51 countries (10 for the second time) have volunteered to present their national voluntary reviews to the HLPF. Tanzania as a country is also scheduled to report in July of 2019, which will be the first time the country has volunteered to be reviewed. This is a positive step toward implementation progress.

The Executive Director of Peace Life of People with Disability Foundation, Ms. Sophia Mbeyela presenting the challenges and success that people with Disability face during SDGs implementation the Youth Consultation on SDGs Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the United Republic of Tanzania

“Nothing about us, without us!” These early experiences of youth engagement with the SDGs demonstrate that youth leadership and commitment make a big difference. The challenge now is to do even better. To meet the vision of the 2030 Agenda, all youth must be engaged and empowered. Much more space is needed for young people — at the local, national, regional and global levels.

We do appreciate the United Nation Association (UNA) of Tanzania, MULIKA Tanzania, Restless Development, AfriYAN Tanzania Chapter, and moreover UNFPA Tanzania for always being supportive working with and for young people on making sure the young people’ potentials are fulfilled.