Lord Fakafanua, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Tonga, chaired the Reporting Session at the Tenth IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Yerevan, Armenia, from September 12 to 14, 2024.
The conference, themed “Avoiding Lost Generations: Preserving Education and Employment in All Circumstances,” focuses on youth education and employment challenges.
Lord Fakafanua led the session, “Countdown to 2030: Where are we on youth education and employment?” He spoke on the importance of education and employment for young people, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Quality Education (SDG 4) and Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8).
Lord Fakafanua said, “We must take urgent action to protect the future of young generations.”
Global crises like conflicts, pandemics, and climate change have severely disrupted young people’s access to education and employment. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has led to significant job losses and income reductions for vulnerable youth.
The conference aims to address these urgent issues and explore solutions to ensure continuous access to education and employment. Discussions will focus on global progress towards achieving quality education and decent work, the socio-economic impact of crises on youth, and policies to support marginalized groups.
Source: Legislative Assembly of Tonga