LAST week, the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) and Honiara City Council (HCC) held a joint workshop.

The workshop served to introduce the new 3-tier policy framework focused on youth development and to allow HCC to hold a discussion on the process of developing its Urban Implementation Strategy/Policy for Youth Development in Honiara.

The latter will be supported by the Ministry of WYCFA.

In addition, the purpose of the workshop was to develop a coordinated approach to address youth development and empowerment in the country between the MWYCFA, MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) and HCC at the provincial and government levels.

Moreover the workshop was also to strengthen more effective partnerships and coordination between HCC and the MWYCFA particularly ; in relation to how each provincial implementation strategy/policy for youth development links with the national youth policies and for the joint resourcing of the HCC Implementation strategies/policies for youth development.

On that note, the joint meeting also paved way to enhance policy coherence between the central ministries and the HCC.

Permanent Secretary of the MWYCFA, Ms Ethel Sigimanu spoke on behalf of her ministry.

She said that she is pleased to see that efforts have been made by her ministry.

She said that a mechanism must be in place to support youth development.

Ms Sigimanu also said that the youth cannot be transformed to potential individuals if there is no effort done in addressing their needs.

“Future of youth development in Solomon Islands must be one in which is recognised,” she said.

Ms Sigimanu emphasised that youth development cannot only be talked about but rather put into actions.

“We cannot talk youth development without owning it ourselves,” she said.

Ms Sigimanu added that in the effort to pursue the youth development policy, the government must commit in ensuring that the youth policy involves the youth in the cultural, social and spiritual realm of the country.

She added that the usual perception of the youth as a liability must be now a thing of the past.

Ms Sigimanu also took the opportunity to commend HCC and the youth division for their partnership role in terms of leading change for young people.