News & Insight

Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) is looking for an intern to join its communications team to produce content for the various programs and projects. We are looking for someone with a strong interest in impact communications and demonstrated curiosity and/or experience in youth development, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and community engagement processes. The successful candidate will be offered a paid internship with an initial duration of 3 months and the potential for a longer period based on performance. Key Skills Required: Excellent writing and editing skills Strong visual skills and some experience with designing materials for print and online Experience with photo and video editing Understanding of Social Media platforms and strategy Passion and interest in youth, peacebuilding, development and the SDGs How to Apply Please send your CV and a brief covering letter, outlining how you meet the person specification (see Job Description on page 2), to recruitments@yppdatwork.org with a copy to peter@yppdatwork.org, mohamed.samba@yppdatwork.org. YPPD is committed to increasing women representation in its workforce and strongly encourages applications from women. Applications will be acknowledged, but due to the high number of applications, we apologise in advance as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Deadline for Applications: 6th January 2022   About Youth Partnership for Peace and Development YPPD is a youth empowerment think tank that was established in August of 2005 to enhance the capacity of young people and their communities, as well as the creation of open societies that promote sustainable development. Since its establishment in Sierra Leone, the organization has been able to increase young people’s understanding to find practical approaches to building wholesomely functioning societies that promote peace and mutual co-existence while deepening voices and actions which demands equity and accountability for all. It maintains the view that young people can be agents of positive change and works for ways of enabling youth to step forward for social transformation. The overarching goal of YPPD is to contribute to the endeavours of supporting youth development, peaceful conflict resolution, stability, sustainable development, peace and democracy in Sierra Leone. It works to increase the capacity of vulnerable groups through training, partnership, advocacy, enhancing the youth knowledge base and equipping them with skills to learn, grow and act. YPPD’s work is inspired by the daily struggles of our communities and the enormous opportunity that exists in collaboratively working with others in the search for sustainable solutions. DOWNLOAD FULL ADVERT FOR COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN AT YPPD

Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) is looking for a firm or someone with a strong interest, passion and expertise in organizational development and management of accounting and finance systems and in particular, QuickBooks. YPPD has recently identified an upgraded version of QuickBooks as well as refresher training for its financial accounting processes. QuickBooks is one of the powerful accounting software that helps institutions to run their operations with ease and professionalism by enabling them to manage myriad accounting needs. With QuickBooks, organizations are able to get an overall understanding of their financial positions at any time and with the right skills set, staff within the finance department are able to effectively utilize the potentials that such packages bring to the organization’s development strives. YPPD is therefore accepting Expression of Interest (EOI) from qualified and professional training institutions to offer and deliver the following: Install and customize QuickBooks appropriately for YPPD’s use Establish YPPD’s financial and accounting systems in addition to ensuring transfers of its Financial data, both paper-based and electronic to the QuickBooks system. Train and provide technical guidance to YPPD Finance staff and program staff as means to provide hands-on understanding and support to the new work environments Please download full Terms of reference here EOI – QuickBooks Training ToR

International Youth Day in Sierra Leone: Kolhat Barray Project Accompanying Youth-Led Advocacy Actions In Sierra Leone, despite tremendous efforts by the government and development partners over the years, youth participation, active inclusion and representation in critical decision-making processes affecting their lives remains daunting and the situation is worse for especially young women and girls. Youth lacks the education and required life skills that makes them productive and hence many are found on the street unemployed and unproductive. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the problem by increasing the proportion of young people especially adolescent girls not in employment, education or training. To contribute to changing this narrative, the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development through the Kolhat Barray Project worked collaboratively with the National Youth Leadership Summit Committee and the Ministry of Youth Affairs among other institutions to mark the 2021 International Youth Day event in Sierra Leone with the theme “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”. Organized in the confines of the Sierra Leone House of Parliament, the Kolhat Barray Project utilized the advocacy opportunity to support the IYD 2021 commemoration as means build effective alliance and advocate on the need for affirmative actions on the UNSCR 2250 as specifically mentioned in the recently revised National Youth Policy. Two major activities were carriedout during the IYD 2021 commemoration including a press briefing  and a National Youth Leadership Summit that brough together 250 young people from across Sierra Leone. Happening at the very moment when the revised National Youth Policy was approved and and launched, a hearty congratulations to the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Youth Affairs for facilitating such a golden process. The National Youth Commission’s work in fully implementing and delivering on the policy provisions cannot be overstated in addition to allowing every Sierra Leonean youth to fully reach their potentials as means to be sure there is no one leaving behind. The Hon. Vice President, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh who gave the keynote address via video, informed participants of H. E. President Julius Maada Bio’s New Direction Government’s commitment to supporting youth empowerment. The Vice President expressed delight in the steps taken so far in terms of addressing youth empowerment in the country; recognizing the need to sustain and actions for creating the spaces for inclusive and meaningful youth engagement. “And today, when you look around Sierra Leone, we have dynamic young Ministers; Ministers that are young. You talk of the Minister of Youth, to Education, to Mineral Resources. Several of our Ministers are youth,” the Hon. Vice President, Mohamed Juldeh Bah noted. We convey our appreciation to YACAP for facilitating this Year’s Youth Summit, as part of the support that YPPD and Cordaid provided to this event was made possible through the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF) as part of the Inclusive Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Project which is dubbed as the “Kolhat Barray project.”     Download Press Statement

Job title: Gender Advisor, Inclusive Conflict Prevention and Peace (national post) Organization: Youth Partnership for Peace and Development Duty station: Freetown, Sierra Leone Job type: Full-time Reports to: Project Manager YPPD   YPPD in Brief The Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) is a youth empowerment think tank established to enhance the capacity of young people and their communities to promote Peace, Human Rights, Health, and inclusion of marginalized groups, as well as the creation of open societies that promote sustainable development. Since its establishment in Sierra Leone, the organization has and continues to increase young people’s understanding to finding practical approaches to building wholesomely functioning societies that promotes peace and mutual co-existence while deepening voices and actions which demands equity and accountability for all. It maintains the view that young people can be agents of positive change and works for ways of enabling youth to step forward for social transformation. The overarching goal of YPPD is to contribute to the endeavors of supporting youth development, peaceful conflict resolution, stability, sustainable development, peace and democracy in Sierra Leone. It works to increase the capacity of vulnerable groups through training, partnership, advocacy, enhancing the youth knowledge base and equipping them with livelihood skills. It is a platform for diverse kinds of actions committed to engaging key stakeholders at different levels of development across the country. YPPD’s work is inspired by the daily struggles of our communities and the enormous opportunity that exists in collaboratively working with others in the search for sustainable solutions. YPPD envisions a society where young people regardless of their social status are empowered and capable enough to lead, participate and influence in order to gain access to equal opportunities as stakeholders across all sectors of mainstream development.   Description of the project The Inclusive Conflict Prevention and Peace Project funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF) that aims to enable young women and men, organized through youth-led CSOs and CBOs and working in solidarity with older women and men, to foster more inclusive, gender-sensitive, and conflict-sensitive community-based dispute resolution (CBDR) mechanisms in rural and peri-urban Sierra Leone. This headline goal will be achieved through: (1) equipping and mobilizing young people to identify and take action on key drivers of conflict, insecurity and injustice in their communities; (2) supporting and influencing CBDR mechanisms to adopt more inclusive, gender-sensitive, and conflict-sensitive practices, with specific focus on addressing needs of young women; and (3) enabling young people, working intergenerationally, to advocate for evidence-based conflict prevention policy and practice, and build trust with key conflict prevention stakeholders. The project will be implemented as a collaboration between Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD), one of Sierra Leone’s leading youth organizations, and Cordaid, a Dutch international humanitarian and development NGO.   Job overview Reporting to the Project Manager, the Gender Advisor will have responsibility for providing technical expertise and leadership that ensures the project is both gender-sensitive and gender-transformative.   Key responsibilities Conduct and consolidate rapid gender analyses of situations at project sites and use this information to develop, with partners, gender-based action plans for various aspects of the project Incorporate gender dimension into needs assessments, research frameworks and youth self-assessment tool Advise and assist in the development of gender-sensitive training materials, adapt existing training resources and support their integration into internal and external training initiatives Assist all implementing actors (Cordaid, YPPD, and other partners) to incorporate gender analysis, use gender-disaggregated data, and build-in gender-transformative elements to their project activities Assist community-based dispute resolution (CBDR) providers to systematically integrate gender-sensitivity in their work, especially through responsiveness and accountability toward young women Facilitate a community of practice of young female activists within the ambit of the project Form strategic alliances with key actors internally and externally to advocate for gender-sensitive and gender-transformative programming and policies Support implementation of overall monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework Contribute to tracking of project indicators against targets Perform other tasks as assigned Qualifications 5+ years of professional experience in a gender-focused role in the fields of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, security and justice, public affairs, or youth mobilization and advocacy; previous experience in a gender advisory role strongly preferred Strong track record working with and for youth Superior communication skills in English, fluency or facility in other Sierra Leonean languages preferred Academic qualification in a relevant discipline (anthropology, development studies, education, women’s studies) preferred Proven sharp analytical skills Proactive, entrepreneurial, and effective in a fast-paced cross-cultural work environment Strong written and verbal skills for communicating with a diverse audience, including internally and external high-level stakeholders Salary To be negotiated based on experience TO APPLY Send your Cover Letter and CV by email to the Human Resources Manager at: recruitments@yppdatwork.org   Please address the Subject of your email as: Gender Advisor – Inclusive Conflict Prevention and Peace.  DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS JANUARY 13th, 2021 @ 5PM  WOMEN CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. Only successful applicants will receive a response

Job title: Project Manager YPPD, Inclusive Conflict Prevention and Peace. (national post) Organization: Youth Partnership for Peace and Development Duty station: Freetown, Sierra Leone Job type: Full-time Reports to: YPPD Executive Coordinator YPPD in Brief The Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) is a youth empowerment think tank established to enhance the capacity of young people and their communities to promote Peace, Human Rights, Health, and inclusion of marginalized groups, as well as the creation of open societies that promote sustainable development. Since its establishment in Sierra Leone, the organization has and continues to increase young people’s understanding to finding practical approaches to building wholesomely functioning societies that promotes peace and mutual co-existence while deepening voices and actions which demands equity and accountability for all. It maintains the view that young people can be agents of positive change and works for ways of enabling youth to step forward for social transformation. The overarching goal of YPPD is to contribute to the endeavors of supporting youth development, peaceful conflict resolution, stability, sustainable development, peace and democracy in Sierra Leone. It works to increase the capacity of vulnerable groups through training, partnership, advocacy, enhancing the youth knowledge base and equipping them with livelihood skills. It is a platform for diverse kinds of actions committed to engaging key stakeholders at different levels of development across the country. YPPD’s work is inspired by the daily struggles of our communities and the enormous opportunity that exists in collaboratively working with others in the search for sustainable solutions. YPPD envisions a society where young people regardless of their social status are empowered and capable enough to lead, participate and influence in order to gain access to equal opportunities as stakeholders across all sectors of mainstream development.   Description of the project Inclusive Conflict Prevention and Peace Project is funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF) aims to enable young women and men, organized through youth-led CSOs and CBOs and working in solidarity with older women and men, to foster more inclusive, gender-sensitive, and conflict-sensitive community-based dispute resolution (CBDR) mechanisms in rural and peri-urban Sierra Leone. This headline goal will be achieved through: (1) equipping and mobilizing young people to identify and take action on key drivers of conflict, insecurity and injustice in their communities; (2) supporting and influencing CBDR mechanisms to adopt more inclusive, gender-sensitive, and conflict-sensitive practices, with specific focus on addressing needs of young women; and (3) enabling young people, working intergenerationally, to advocate for evidence-based conflict prevention policy and practice, and build trust with key conflict prevention stakeholders. The project will be implemented as a collaboration between Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD), one of Sierra Leone’s leading youth organizations, and Cordaid, a Dutch international humanitarian and development NGO.   Job overview Under the overall coordination of the Project Coordinator at Cordaid, the Project Manager will have responsibility for implementation of all YPPD project activities. Key responsibilities Develop and implement an effective project implementation strategy in collaboration with the Project Coordinator at Cordaid and other stakeholders Lead the work of delivering an advocacy and communications plan that amplifies youth voices, promoting dissemination of results and maximizing visibility for partners and UNPBF Ensure all project-based needs and requirements are shared with project personnel in a timely way, and resources effectively planned and allocated, for optimal value-for-money implementation Lead project quality control and contractual compliance, and monitor overall financial integrity, for YPPD within the project Contribute to risk mitigation and lead crisis response actions as needed Establish and maintain relevant relations with key Sierra Leone government and international stakeholders Support implementation of overall monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework Contribute to tracking of project indicators against targets Qualifications 5+ years of professional experience successfully managing projects in Sierra Leone or similar contexts, preferably in the fields of conflict prevention and peacebuilding and / or youth mobilization and advocacy Strong track record working with and for youth Superior communication skills in English, fluency or facility in other Sierra Leonean languages preferred Academic qualification in a relevant discipline (anthropology, development studies, economics, political science) preferred Proven sharp analytical skills Proactive, entrepreneurial, and effective in a fast-paced cross-cultural work environment Strong written and verbal skills for communicating with a diverse audience, including internally and external high-level stakeholders   Salary To be negotiated based on experience TO APPLY Send your Cover Letter and CV by email to the Human Resource & Operations Manager at: recruitments@yppdatwork.org   Please address the Subject of your email as: Project Manager – Inclusive Conflict Prevention and Peace.  DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS JANUARY 13th, 2021 @ 5PM  WOMEN CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. Only successful applicants will receive a response

Background On 14 June 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 73/299 to commemorate in 2020 the 75th anniversary of the establishment of United Nations under the theme “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism”. The resolution emphasized the need to engage young people in all commemorative activities and decided to convene a youth plenary at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, under the auspices of the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session and the President of the Economic and Social Council, in conjunction with the youth forum of the Council in 2020. The Youth Plenary, an inclusive, forward-looking, youth-driven global dialogue on the theme of the 75th anniversary of the UN, was to take place on March 31, 2020, followed by the ECOSOC Youth Forum, April 1-2, 2020. As per the GA Resolution (73/299) youth representatives from the Youth plenary are expected to address the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the UN 75 anniversary on 21 September 2020, sharing a summary and outcome of the discussions. In addition, the outcome of the discussions will be shared during the HLPF on 7-16 July 2020. The youth plenary is also seen as an opportune moment to support and amplify youth voices for a peaceful, just, and sustainable world as outlined in the priority area of the UN Youth Strategy: Youth 2030, which the UN Secretary General launched in September 2018 to strengthen UN’s position as not only working “for” young people but “with” young people. As the preparation for the UN75 Youth Plenary in conjunction with the 9th ECOSOC Youth Forum were in full swing in February 2020, the world was hit by the coronavirus pandemic which has affected the lives of people in over 199 countries and territories. Due to the crisis situation, in early March, the convening bodies of the two events, the ECOSOC President’s Office (PECOSOC) and the Office of the President of the General Assembly (OPGA), in collaboration with the co-organizers, the Office of the Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth (OSGEY) and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) decided to postpone the events for later in the year. Discussions on possible dates for the UN75 Youth Plenary are underway, while the ECOSOC Youth Forum will be either canceled or scaled-down and organized in a different format which will still allow for youth input into the HLPF in July. Despite the current circumstances, the two Member States co-facilitators for the development of the Member States Declaration for the UN 75th Anniversary, namely Qatar and Sweden, through their Permanent Representatives to UN in NY, consider youth input into the UN75 Declaration important and valuable, and have reached out to OPGA and OSGEY to collectively elaborate a plan for making this possible. Objectives To gather youth input into the Member States Declaration for the UN 75th Anniversary which will be adopted at the high-level meeting in September 2020, through engagement of key youth organizations and networks. To organize an online townhall meeting with young people representing diverse youth organizations and networks from all regions of the world during which they will present their constituencies’ input to the two co-facilitators of the intergovernmental negotiations on the UN75 declaration. Format The discussions will revolve around the elements paper that the Permanent Representatives of Qatar and Sweden as co-facilitators of the intergovernmental negotiations on the UN75 declaration has circulated to Member States. Key questions and guidance to be used for gathering youth input will be developed to guide the process. These will be shared with the youth organizations and networks who in turn are to gather input from their membership (i.e. hold virtual consultations, survey, polls, etc.) based on the guiding questions using formats which best suit their capacity in the current COVID-19 pandemic context. Youth organizations and networks will summarize the discussions in short and concise manner to be shared as input by young people during the Townhall Meeting with the two co-facilitators of the intergovernmental negotiations on the UN75 declaration. Outcome Youth input into the Member States declaration for the UN75th anniversary contributing to the shared vision for a common future and the commitment to multilateralism in tackling world’s greatest challenges. Link to the survey http://bit.ly/UN75YTH

Here are some useful resources: A Closer Look at UNSCR 2250: The UN Security Council Resolution 2250, Youth, Peace & Security is a key tool for those who want to promote policy or implement programs that enhance youth participation and inclusion in peacebuilding. To better understand what 2250 means, take a look at: 2250 explained: A more in-depth explanation of the resolution and what it means Guide to 2250: Everything you need to know about 2250 in one place: what does the resolution say? Why does it matter? What can you do with it? Guiding Principles on Young People’s Participation in Peacebuilding and Practice Note on Young People’s Participation in Peacebuilding: Guidance to key stakeholders, including Governments, UN entities, donors, national and international non-governmental organizations and civil society actors on meaningful youth engagement and participation, especially in conflict or transition settings. Agreed UN Language on youth participation in peacebuilding:  An analysis on the language used and decisions made at the United Nations in Relation to youth, peace and security in the past decades. Explore the Tools Available to You The resources below are intended to help with the implementation of 2250 through local YPS coalitions, national policy in collaboration with Governments, or programs with peacebuilding organizations. Translating youth, peace and security policy into practice: Use this guide to kick-start UNSCR locally and nationally. Framework for Action: Youth, Peace and Security, From Policy to Practice: A strategic guide by the Inter-Agency Working Group on ways to shape this field. Transforming Violent Extremism: A Peacebuilders Guide: Insight for practitioners on successes and challenges of current practices to address violent extremism, including a chapter on youth, transforming violent extremism. Network for Youth in Transition: Comprehensive, evidence-baed, free resource site to foster an exchange of ideas and resources focused on youth, conflict and transition. It includes extensive research, funding, evaluations, blogs and informative videos on the topic. Build on What Has Been Done Amman Youth Declaration: Outcome document of the Global Forum on Youth, Peace and Security that offers a roadmap towards a strengthened policy framework on Youth, Peace and Security Youth Action Agenda to Prevent Violent Extremism and Promote Peace: Outcome document of the Global Youth Summit against Violent Extremism, exploring youth participation in countering and preventing violent extremism. There are other countless ways in which you can #Acton2250. You can join the conversation and share your input by registering on the Youth4Peace Portal, posting and connecting with other young peacebuilders through social media, or participating in online and in-person forums. For more information on how to get involved, click here.

For UHC Day 2019, Youth Partnership for Peace and Development will partner with WASH-Net in organizing a national  roundtable that will bring together diverse media institutions, civil society and health sector practitioners as means to raise the profile of Universal Health Coverage in Sierra Leone. The Media round table will be culminated with joint civil society press statement that reminds and urge government for accelerated delivery of health for all and in line with the UHC core demands. Follow-up media activities will be series of Radio and TV panel discussions targeting CSO and government representatives in health.The event will be held on 12 December, 11 am – 4 pm. This event presents a great opportunity to increase awareness of universal health coverage, but one challenge will be ensuring that the increased awareness will reach the audiences that need the greatest awareness – the political leaders. The roundtable event will provide a unique platform for dialogue between diverse array of stakeholders such as government representatives, health workers and civil society. It is expected that inviting varied stakeholders will increase the number and scope of partnerships around UHC and UHC advocacy. This event will also help build a united voice on the state of health coverage in Sierra Leone.The media coverage and high-level engagement will expand awareness of universal health coverage in Sierra Leone. We hope that increasing awareness will further lead to increased advocacy and momentum among the wider citizenry.

Dear IfE Members, Partners and Friends, Initiative for Equality (IfE) is all set to launch our Action Groups, providing coordination for global collaborations on critically important equality-related issues. We need your help to make it happen! Can you make a donation to support this exciting initiative? Each Action Group will start out with a global teleconference, including presentations on the topic followed by an on-line discussion for members to begin developing strategies and actions. Nearly 400 people representing every continent have already signed up for the Action Groups, so a free service such as Skype won’t work – we need funds for a world-class teleconferencing system that is able to handle large meetings, and works well for participants with poor internet connections. We also need to support the annual costs of our website and mass email platforms in order to coordinate this project. As a grassroots network, we don’t receive corporate or government funding; we only take on projects that our network members support. Please donate here to help make this happen! The specific Action Group topics include these listed below. In addition, there will be general strategy discussions among IfE members on the most effective ways forward. You can read more about these groups here, and can sign up here. Arts for Equality Refugees & Migrants Democratic Economies Environment and Resources Equitable Development Participatory Politics Ending Discrimination Friends, the world appears to be in trouble these days. We are witnessing an upsurge in conflict, social breakdown, environmental degradation, climate change, economic crises, displaced persons – and a dangerous political backlash driven by fear. Each of these problems is made worse by the growing inequalities that block participatory solutions. IfE’s global network, with members in over 130 countries, is one of the bright spots! We are coming together with serious intent: to share information, develop strategies, and plan for a more equitable future. We need your participation in one or more of the Action Groups, and we need your donation, large or small, to help us put together the needed communications infrastructure for a truly global community. Please make a donation now so we can launch the Action Groups! As soon as we have enough money to support the needed communications technology, we will begin opening the Action Groups one at a time. We look forward to your participation and support, however you can help. Together we can take urgently needed steps that will help to change the world!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Our youth are not failing the system; the system is failing our youth. Ironically, the very youth who are being treated the worst are the young people who are going to lead us out of this nightmare. These are cross-section of youth benefiting from YPPD Computer Training program in Paynesville, Monrovia, with the total of 35 young people undergoing a 4 months intensive inclusive computer skills training from various communities around Paynesville. photos from the training center in Monrovia, Liberia. This is unfolding in our district, the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) Liberia is butressing the government’s effort in her capacity development agenda for young Liberians. YPPD’s Community Inclusive Skills Training program is gradually creating impacts in the lives of the youth in this district and beyond. The organization has just received another donation of 39 refurbished laptops from her partners in the USA for the expansion of our ICT hub for youth of Liberia. We are grateful to all like-minded partners and friends who are standing by us to make the change we want to see. Youth Capacity Building and Empowerment is our #1 priority. YPPD Empowering Youth for Change.

Stakeholders on Thursday, 5th February held a one-day consultative Forum in Freetown on Action/2015 which seeks to fight against poverty, inequality and climate change. Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) in collaboration in partnership with the Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) is coordinating this initiative at the national level together with the Action 2015 Taskforce. The Forum was organized by Youth Partnership for Peace Development (YPPD) in collaboration with Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) at the Civil Service Training College in Freetown.Sierra Leone Action/2015 Campaign Coordinator, Musa Ansumana Soko, said Action 2015 is a global movement of citizens set by various institutions around the world that hopes to build a global movement for change. ‘’In 2015, two inter-governmental processes on climate change and the post-2015 sustainable development agenda provide a powerful opportunity for collective and decentralized large-scale, public-facing actions aimed at compelling governments at all levels to commit to ambitious and transformative action to end poverty, address inequality and ensure sustainable development,’’ he said. According to the Senior Planning Officer at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, M.K Lebbie, the high level participation of youths in the forum underscored the great importance they attached to the post 2015 development agenda. He said one needs to know that the world has undergone far-reaching changes in the past two years, adding that significant progress in many fields that are important for human welfare has been made through national and international efforts. ‘’Developing countries, including Sierra Leone, are still facing serious economic difficulties and an unfavorable international economic environment, and the number of people living in poverty has increased,’’ he stated. Lebbie noted that the key challenges for government are to ensure that commitments by partners and private sectors are realised in a timely and transparent manner. Representative of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Aiah Wurie Kembay, stated that EPA-SL in an institution charged with the responsibility for the effective protection and management of Sierra Leone’s environment, adding that environment and development are in extricable. ‘’Development is a process of improving the quality of all human lives,” he said.He said empowerment as a policy approach to sustainable development should be prioritized in all sectors within Sierra Leone. Sahr Kendema of the Campaign for Good Governance (CGG) said development has been a relative term as most countries across the world share similar characteristic.He said most of these countries are underdeveloped because the problem of poverty, inequality, environmental problems, injustice, accountability, rule of law and illiteracy has not been met.He disclosed that most countries are yet to achieve all the goals set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).