Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Youth advocacy groups in South Sudan on Friday celebrated the parliament’s passage of a National Youth Development Policy 2025, calling it a critical step toward empowering a generation that has been central to the country’s struggles and future.
The policy, passed Thursday by the Revitalized Transitional National Legislature, establishes a framework for youth inclusion in governance, economic development and peace-building. It mandates quotas for youth representation and budget allocations, though implementation will be a key test.
Florence Agiba, Executive Director of the youth-led organization Markaz Al-Salam, described the policy as “a generational shift towards inclusive governance.”
“It represents a renewed commitment to empowering youth as active architects of peace, prosperity and progress,” Agiba said during a press briefing in the capital, Juba.
She commended parliament, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Youth Union and the Norwegian People’s Aid for their roles in the policy’s formulation. She said the collaborative effort ensured the policy “reflects the aspirations and realities of South Sudan’s diverse youth population.”
The new framework promotes youth access to education, employment, climate change action, information technology, and leadership opportunities.
Agiba also highlighted several upcoming youth-related bills that she described as “blueprints for opportunity, inclusion and action.”
A key demand from advocates is the full implementation of the policy’s financial and political quotas.
Agiba called for the enforcement of a “10% national budget allocation for youth development, a 20% quota for youth participation at all levels of leadership, and 0.05% of non-oil revenues” as critical for genuine empowerment.
Thess Marial Rong, Secretary for Information and Spokesperson for the National Youth Union, also hailed the policy as a “historic milestone and a victory for all the young people of South Sudan.”
“The passage of this policy is a clear demonstration that our leaders recognize the central role of youth in nation-building, peace and development,” Marial said.
He explained that the policy defines youth as persons between 18 and 35 years and provides a “strategic roadmap” to address unemployment, access to education, health services and civic engagement.
Marial echoed the call for the quotas to be reflected at all levels of government, from national to county administrations, and urged the government to “allocate adequate resources for the policy’s implementation.”
While celebrating the milestone, Agiba of Markaz Al-Salam appealed for the official youth age definition to be aligned with regional standards of 15 to 35 years. She argued that the previous absence of a clear policy had hindered young people’s access to national and regional opportunities.
“Before we had the National Youth Development Policy, it was difficult to support young people,” Agiba said. “The policy defines who is a youth and outlines the challenges they face, the solutions, and who holds responsibility. This opens doors for South Sudanese youth to thrive.”
Both Agiba and Marial expressed their organizations’ commitment to working with the government and partners to ensure the policy translates into tangible improvements for South Sudan’s youth.
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