Youth Strategy for Africa 2019-2022: Environmental Sustainability for Socioeconomic Empowerment

This document presents the United Nations Environment Programme’s Youth Strategy for Africa (2019–2022), which advances environmental sustainability through socioeconomic empowerment and meaningful youth engagement. Based on a regional survey and the 2018 Africa Youth Conference, it aligns with the United Nations Youth Strategy, Agenda 2030, and African Union Agenda 2063, as well as United Nations Environment Programme Africa priorities on natural resources, waste management, and energy, with climate change as a cross-cutting issue. It promotes green, blue, and circular economy approaches, applies Hart’s Ladder of Youth Participation, and uses a sustainability business model canvas to guide partnerships and enterprise development. The strategy identifies youth opportunities and environmental outcomes across focus areas, while cross-cutting actions address entrepreneurship, skills development, finance, innovation, networks, and governance through advisory platforms, analysis, joint programmes, and support for participation.