Honourable Nancy Tembo, M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs, on 14th April, 2022, received in audience Ms Won Young Hong, UNFPA Country Representative to Malawi, who came to present the UNFPA Strategic Plan 2022-2025. In her remarks, Ms Won said the Plan had been aligned to both the Malawi2063 and the Malawi2063 First-10 year Implementation Plan (MIP-1), as it sought to meet the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Ms Won, therefore, requested the ministry to utilize its international influence at both the SADC and the African Union levels to highlight the important role that the youth play in development through the population dividend. 

 

Responding to the presentation, Honourable Tembo observed the importance of proactive action in youth engagement particularly through promoting girl education, women and youth economic empowerment, and combating climate change. Apart from supporting healthy population dynamics, Honourable Tembo observed that these activities also inoculate the youth against the threat of radicalization/extremism. She also indicated that the African Union had adopted 2018-2027 as the decade of youth dividend, although there had been no progress report presented at the last AU Summit on the subject. 

 

Honourable Tembo urged the UNFPA to consider hosting a multi-stakeholder workshop to ensure coordination in the implementation of youth and girl- focused programmes in Malawi.