Press Release

KRG, UN: Youth, the heart of the socio-economic development

25 August 2020

Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, 25 August 2020 – On 23 August, the Kurdistan Regional Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Culture and Youth, and the Kurdistan Region Statistics Office, together with the United Nations, launched the results of the National Adolescents and Youth Survey, which was conducted by the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government with the support of UNFPA & UNICEF in 2019.

The survey, the first of its kind in over a decade, will enable the Iraq Federal Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to develop adolescent and youth-centred policies based on what adolescents and youth see as priorities.

The event took place at the Kurdistan Institute for Public Administration in presence of the Minister of Planning, Dr Dara Rashid, the Minister of Culture and Youth, Mr Mohammad Said Ali, the UN DSRSG/ Resident Coordinator /Humanitarian Coordinator, Ms Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano, the UNFPA Representative in Iraq, Rita Columbia as well as UN and Government officials.

Speaking at the event, Mr Ali, said: “Young people represent the large and most active demographic group in the Kurdistan Region, therefore, we can consider than this survey covers the aspirations and opinions of the majority of the population. It is vital to take the results of this survey seriously and develop projects that are youth-centred”.

For his part, the Minister of Planning commented on the results saying: “ On this occasion and as we face difficult challenges due to the spread of COVID-19 and its impact on our daily lives, it is of utmost importance to pay more attention to the changes hitting our society and establish projects and programmes based on accurate data and indicators to minimise, as much as possible, the consequences of this pandemic on the socio-economic developments in the Kurdistan Region.”

In her remarks, Ms Vojáčková-Sollorano emphasised the critical importance of making changes while taking into account the needs of youths in the country. “According to the findings of the survey, young people in the Kurdistan Region form 39.5% of the population and almost one-third of them expressed their concerns about access to education opportunities”. She further noted that, the fact that around 30% of youths think about leaving the Kurdistan Region to pursue education and employment opportunities elsewhere, is a worrying trend which the government needs to address urgently. Taking action to address obstacles including gender inequality and uneven access to social economic opportunities, will help the Region tap into youth manpower which is a vital component for the better future of Iraq.

Following the remarks, the President of the Kurdistan Regional Statistics Office presented the survey’s key findings.