INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY SOLIDARITY STATEMENT 2025

The statement argues that unsustainable sovereign debt and unfair global tax rules are stripping public budgets of funds for education, healthcare, and climate resilience, thereby hindering the potential of Africa's youth. It highlights that Sub-Saharan Africa's youth NEET rate of 21.9% in 2023 exceeded the global average, putting young people at risk of poverty and forced migration. To address this, the authors demand the conclusion of a robust UN Tax Convention to curb illicit financial flows and the establishment of a UN Framework Convention on Sovereign Debt to provide a human-rights-based system for resolving debt crises.

• Africa has the world's highest entrepreneurship rate, with 22% of working-age Africans engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activity according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.
• Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa face a significant lack of decent employment; in 2023, the rate of youth not in employment, education, or training (NEET) was 21.9%, surpassing the global rate of 20.4%.
• Sub-Saharan Africa is one of only three regions globally assessed as off track for the Sustainable Development Goal target 8.6 regarding the reduction of the young NEET population.
• Unsustainable sovereign debt is diverting billions of dollars from public investments in education, healthcare, and climate adaptation toward creditors, which the authors describe as a "generational betrayal."
• The authors advocate for two primary global mechanisms: a UN Tax Convention to rebalance taxing rights toward developing countries and curb tax abuse, and a UN Framework Convention on Sovereign Debt to create a predictable, impartial system for resolving debt crises.

APA

Nshimiyimana, F., & Kafuko, J. (2025). INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY SOLIDARITY STATEMENT 2025. African Forum and Network on Debt and Development. https://www.afrodad.org/campaign/statements/international-youth-day-solidarity-statement-2025

Chicago

Nshimiyimana, Fidélité, and John Kafuko. INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY SOLIDARITY STATEMENT 2025. African Forum and Network on Debt and Development, 2025. https://www.afrodad.org/campaign/statements/international-youth-day-solidarity-statement-2025.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Nshimiyimana |first1=Fidélité |last2=Kafuko |first2=John |title=INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY SOLIDARITY STATEMENT 2025 |publisher=African Forum and Network on Debt and Development |date=12 August 2025 |url=https://www.afrodad.org/campaign/statements/international-youth-day-solidarity-statement-2025 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{nshimiyimana2025international, author = {Nshimiyimana, Fidélité and Kafuko, John}, title = {{INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY SOLIDARITY STATEMENT 2025}}, publisher = {African Forum and Network on Debt and Development}, year = {2025}, month = aug, url = {https://www.afrodad.org/campaign/statements/international-youth-day-solidarity-statement-2025}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }