General Framework

Introduction

The population of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region exceeded 432 million people in 2007, half of which were children and youth under 24 years of age. More than 60% of the people in the region now live in urban areas, which suffer from rapid population growth fuelled by natural growth and high rates of human migration from rural areas to urban areas. This high population growth is not matched by a similar increase in housing, transportation, health, education and other services. If the rapid population growth in the region continues at the same rate (which amounted to about 4.2%), more than 70% of the total population will be living in urban areas by the year 2020, i.e. an increase of 86 million people.

The region has recently witnessed a significant expansion in education and a reduction in gender disparities with regard to access to education and addressing the issues of the marginalised and vulnerable children, as many national, regional and international organizations have started to work with local administrations to develop the appropriate solutions.

Nevertheless, the education and skills training lack quality and relevance, and are not consistent with the needs of the Economy and of Society. These conditions have resulted in high rates of unemployment among young people in several countries in the region, although with some differences. Hence, this conference will shed light on the complex issues, involving several (economic, social, physical ...) sectors, which are closely related to the issues of children and young people in the cities of the region. To address those issues and priorities, it is required to develop flexible, innovative, effective and integrated multi-sectoral policies.

Believing in the need to study the issues of children and young people in the Region thoroughly, and the need to develop effective policies that can improve the situation of children and youth, and to support the efforts of cities and municipalities to improve their living conditions and services directed to them, the Council of the City of Aleppo and the Arab Urban Development Institute decided to organize this international conference, which represents a good opportunity to study these issues, to set priorities and develop effective policies and programs.

Importance

In spite of the fact that the scope of work of most cities and municipalities in the Region is limited to traditional municipal services, such as maintenance of roads and sanitation, solid waste collection and disposal and building licensing, etc., several municipalities are getting involved in critical social issues, such as unemployment and caring for their vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, women and others, to address their issues and special needs.

Mayors and other senior local government officials are in a position to assume greater responsibilities in tackling problems faced by their citizens given their knowledge about the needs and priorities of local communities. They can implement innovative policies for coordination, and provide incentives for the private sector to play a greater role in providing services for the welfare of such groups. The strategic planning undertaken by cities and municipalities constitute a suitable framework that orchestrates the actions of central government agencies concerned with education, health, security and other essential services.

However, a lack of sufficient revenues, knowledge and trained staff are all obstacles that challenge urban officials. Therefore, developing multi-sectoral, flexible, innovative and well-integrated policies is necessary. Enlisting the support of central governments as well as regional and international funding and development agencies is important.

Background

This international conference is the fifth in a series of conferences organized by the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI) and the World Bank with partners from both within and outside the MENA region. AUDI and the World Bank organised the first conference «Children and the City» in Amman, Jordan, in 2002, together with Greater Amman Municipality. The second conference entitled «Children and the Mediterranean» was held in the city of Genoa, Italy, in January 2004, and was promoted by the Gaslini Foundation and the City of Genoa. The third conference, entitled “Urban Children and Youth in the MENA Region: Addressing Priorities in Education», was organised in Dubai in May 2005, by the Arab Urban Development Institute (AUDI)/ the MENA Child Protection Initiative, Dubai Municipality and the World Bank, in collaboration with the Mediterranean Institute for Childhood (MedChild) and other partners. The Fourth Conference was organized in Rabat, Morocco, under the theme «Youth in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Expansion of Economic Opportunities in Urban Areas ... Review of Global Lessons and Preparation of Local Solutions» in December 2006.

Objectives

1.        To highlight the problems faced by children and youth in the MENA region, particularly in areas of education, culture and employment and to draw the attention of city- and municipal officials to the needs of children and youth and to the importance of urgently addressing these problems by following a multi-sectoral strategy.

2.        To highlight the priorities of the education sector, especially for children, and the most effective means to reach out to marginalised and vulnerable children, and define the role assigned to the municipalities and local administrations.

3.        To exchange knowledge and experience between stakeholders and experts working to address the needs of children and young people in cities.

4.        To strengthen partnership between the regional and international governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with the issues of youth and children, including the coordination of their efforts in addressing the priorities of the education of young people and children in the MENA Region.

5.        To present and discuss global experiences and effective policies and programs that may be of interest to local departments in the Region to address youth issues.

6.        The conference will provide opportunities to exchange ideas and experiences, and to highlight the activities and achievements of partners who deal with issues of children and young people from within and outside the MENA Region.

Themes

b)       Employment and unemployment among young people, issues of vocational training and acquiring skills required by the labour market, social gender issues, and a review of programs for youth rehabilitation, employment, and re-integration into labour markets of the cities and municipalities of the Region.

c)       Policies and good practices that have been applied successfully in many cities and municipalities across the world that can useful to the cities and municipalities in the Region.

d)       Transition from school to work: transition through the stages of formal education, vocational training for young people, joining manpower, skills development and urban dimensions of transition from school to work.

e)       Recruitment of young people: young people as productive labour force leading to future growth, active initiatives in the youth labour market, opportunities for re-training and skills development and the role of municipalities and local administrations in support of youth employment.

f)        Vulnerable Youth: addressing the social barriers and other obstacles that may affect the urban youth, and promotion of citizenship and community participation.

g)       Activation of youth-oriented programs and policies: highlighting the progress made in addressing the issues of children and youth in the Middle East and North Africa Region and the world, including the programs and funding mechanisms, laying emphasis on the role of local and national governments in addressing youth issues.

Targeted Audience

• Cities, municipalities, local government institutions, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.
   
• International organizations related to issues of children and young people, such as UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and International Labour Organization (ILO), the Population Council, donors and others.
   
• Researchers and professionals in the areas of urban development, science and social welfare, public policy, education and public health.

Program

• Main speakers are all international and regional experts, sharing experiences from cities, municipalities and institutions. 
   
• Dialogue between officials and children and young people
   
• Workshops