The 2013 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration

The 2013 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration is a statement of recommendations for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, formulated by South African youth during the 2nd Annual South African Institute of International Affairs Young Leaders Conference in Johannesburg. The document outlines priorities across three thematic areas: addressing inequalities, managing conflict, violence and disasters, and ensuring environmental sustainability.

• The youth leaders identify four structural barriers to addressing inequalities: economic, social, political, and environmental. They argue that human rights should be the primary standard for judging and holding all policies accountable.
• Regarding global development, the declaration calls for a Post-2015 Development Agenda that is adaptable to different contexts and ensures international aid promotes self-sustainability. It emphasizes the need to improve the quality and comprehensiveness of education beyond mere enrollment and advocates for the inclusion of young people in organizations like the UNDP and UNFPA.
• The document recommends specific measures for the African community to achieve economic equality, including the implementation of technology in developing countries and the use of trade unions to balance technological advancement with human labor. It also calls for an independent body to monitor government funding distribution in health and education to ensure transparency.
• To address conflict and violence, the declaration calls for the diversion of funds from militaristic and weaponry initiatives toward other needs. It advocates for region-specific skills development in recently conflict-free areas, the protection of refugees' basic needs, and the use of preventative diplomacy and mediation by regional organizations.
• The declaration proposes a global network for disaster relief that integrates early warning systems and response stations, with a specific focus on supporting disaster-prone areas such as Small Island Developing States.
• On environmental sustainability, the document emphasizes 'common but differentiated responsibilities' between developed and developing nations. It calls for the implementation of the Green Climate Fund, the promotion of energy efficiency, and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices to reduce hunger, specifically targeting education for women subsistence farmers.
• For South Africa specifically, the youth leaders call for policies that ensure natural resources benefit the national economy, the mandatory installation of water recycling and renewable energy systems in new buildings, and the adoption of waste management practices similar to the Mariannhill Landfill and Conservancy in Durban.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2013). The 2013 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/2013-SAIIA-Young-Leaders-Declaration-final.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The 2013 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration. 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/2013-SAIIA-Young-Leaders-Declaration-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The 2013 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration |date=2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/2013-SAIIA-Young-Leaders-Declaration-final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs20132013, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The 2013 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/2013-SAIIA-Young-Leaders-Declaration-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }