The Lead Country Process of the Youth Employment Network (YEN) is the joint policy response of the UN, World Bank, and ILO to better employment opportunities for young people. It was created in 2001 under an U.N. Resolution.
A recent analysis of the Lead Country Process underlined important achievements in regard to awareness rising and advocacy. Since its creation, 21 countries have joined the Process and committed to tackling the youth employment challenge at the highest level. Despite these major achievements, there is substantial room for improvement, in particular as regards to the engagement of Lead Countries to fulfill the requirements of the Process. Accordingly, the YEN Secretariat revised the Lead Country Process after in-depth discussions held in June 2008 during the Third Lead Country meeting. The revision aims at converting the Process into an effective benchmarking tool on successful youth employment policies and programsunder a new framework of benefits and commitments.
Benefits for YEN Lead Countries
The YEN sets out 4 services that it provides to Lead Countries:
1. Technical assistance in the development of youth employment initiatives with a focus on Monitoring and Evaluation
2. Capacity-building on how to engage youth in national youth employment initiatives
3. Support in devising fund-raising strategies for youth employment programs
4. Access to experiences and good practices from other countries
Commitments of YEN Lead Countries
YEN requests that Lead countries commit to delivering the following:
1. Annual reporting on youth labour market indicators and policy and institutional achievements
2. Sharing key youth employment documents with other Lead Countries and the YEN Secretariat at annual Lead Country meetings
3. Identifying responsible agency or department for national youth employment initiatives and name a technical YEN focal person
4. Developing action plans and other significant and strategic initiatives to mainstream youth employment at the national level
Implications of Non-Compliance
The revised framework of benefits and commitments brings in an important element to the Process: sanctions. Countries that do not comply with their commitments will no longer be considered Lead Countries.
The sanction scheme will follow the subsequent timeframe:
1. If a Lead Country fails to live up to its commitment to report annually on youth labour market indicators and policy and institutional achievements, it will be notified after the deadline for reporting has passed. In this notification the YEN Secretariat will provide a two-month extension for submitting the reports.
2. If the Lead Country misses the second deadline, the Secretariat will study the circumstances and may consider an additional two-month extension.
3. If the Lead Country is not entitled to or misses the third deadline, it will lose its Lead Country status and will have to reapply for it.
Renewing your Lead Country Status
1. Current Lead Countries must read and ensure an understanding of the framework of benefits and commitments as well as the implications for non-compliance.
2. Send a formal letter of request to renew the Lead Country status from the YEN Focal Point in the Government to the YEN Secretariat.
Steps to become a Lead Country
1. Future Lead Countries must read and ensure an understanding of the framework of benefits and commitments as well as the implications for non-compliance.
2. Send a formal letter of request to become a Lead Country from the Head of State or Government to the UN Secretary General or the Director-General of the ILO.
Key Documents:
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