The Forum is an annual national mechanism for aligning perspectives, solutions, and partnerships across sectors. It underscores Namibia’s long-standing commitment to participatory development, one in which young people are not passive beneficiaries but co-designers of the solutions that shape their futures.

Leadership Calls for Action.

“We must build ladders of opportunity that enable a journey from learning to earning, to leading.”Ambassador Dr. Kaire Mbuende, the NPC’s Director General

 Ambassador Dr. Kaire Mbuende, the NPC’s Director General, emphasized the need to design practical and scalable interventions. He described Namibia’s youth unemployment rate, estimated at 44.4%,as both an economic concern and a human story; noting that behind every unemployment figure lies “a person, someone whose dreams are delayed.” He also noted that “Namibia is home to a vibrant and ambitious youth population yearning to contribute meaningfully to the country’s development. However, many remain without pathways to dignified work or sustainable enterprise.” Dr. Mbuende further emphasized that the task ahead requires more than creating employment opportunities, stating that “[w]e must build ladders of opportunity that enable a journey from learning to earning, to leading.”

These reflections set the tone for the Forum’s discussions, which collectively underscored the importance of youth-centred policy design, innovation, and equitable opportunity structures.

 Integrated Approaches to Youth Empowerment

“We design with the youth, not for the youth.”

Led by UN Resident Coordinator Ms. Hopolang Phororo, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Namibia joined the United Nations Country Team participation in the Forum. The UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Amanda K. Serumaga reiterated UNDP’s commitment to supporting sustainable youth employment through integrated systems and innovation-led interventions.

The UNDP also highlighted youth focused initiatives including youth participation in decision-making processes; promoting opportunities in the green and digital economies, including renewable energy and circular economy pathways; and entrepreneurship and enterprise development.  

By connecting initiatives such as EMPRETEC, BIOFIN, YouthConnekt, and social protection reforms, the UNDP is working to build coherent pathways that enable young people to shape Namibia’s economic, social, and environmental transformation.

Youth Reflections: What Young People Need to Thrive

A youth-led panel discussion offered insights into young peoples lived experiences, and priorities. focused on four themes: perceptions of opportunity, incentives for the creative sector, linkages between innovation and mental health, and strategies for reaching vulnerable and remote communities. 

The forum revealed that while young people demonstrate strong willingness and readiness to engage in national development processes, participation is constrained by persistent systemic barriers such as centralised information flows, stringent experience requirements, and weak mentorship structures that undermine equitable access to opportunities. Persistent disparities in access to opportunities across Namibia, with limited information flows and the centralisation of resources disadvantage those outside major urban centres.

 While recognising the importance of proactive engagement personal agency and mentorship; they also stressed that meaningful progress depends on stronger and more targeted government outreach through appropriate channels. 

The youth highlighted on the significant potential in the creative and digital economies economy, for job creation and growth.  Strengthening youth employment pathways, particularly within the creative industry, requires targeted investment, sustained capacity development, support for digital monetisation, and stronger cross-sector collaboration to position the sector as a viable economic driver.

Moreover, linking innovation ecosystems, including innovation labs, to the mental health sector demands dedicated financing, structured mentorship, and inclusive governance frameworks that acknowledge youth as co-creators of solutions rather than passive beneficiaries.

Participants emphasised the key role that innovation labs and other youth focused hubs, including for mental health solutions, could help ensure clear processes, accessible funding, and sustainable platforms to support start-up development. Across all themes, youth consistently advocated for inclusive, multi-sector collaboration and outreach initiatives that bridge geographic and structural divides to ensure equitable participation, resilience, and empowerment.

Finally, supporting vulnerable communities needs a two-pronged approach that advances both individual actions while also reforming access to information and improved service-delivery systems to ensure equity, inclusion and that no one is left behind.

As Namibia works toward inclusive and sustainable growth, partnerships across government, development agencies, civil society, and youth themselves will be indispensable. The Forum’s collective message was clear: the future of Namibia’s development lies in unlocking the agency, creativity, and leadership of its young people.