Africa: International Organizations

• Regions:     Africa | Asia-Pacific | Europe | Middle East & North Africa | Latin America & Caribbean

Regional Youth Funding in Africa

• International Organizations with Operational or Grant-Making Programs
• Regional Organizations with Operational or Grant-Making Programs
• Organizations Providing Funding for Youth Projects
• Other Interesting Funding Initiatives

THE UNITED NATIONS AND YOUTH IN AFRICA

The UN Development Assistance Framework organizes the in-country programs of agencies in terms of their specific mandates. There are some regional interventions serving youth in several countries in Africa (such as the Africa Youth Alliance [see below]), but there is no “one-stop shop” providing an overview of the UN efforts regarding youth across the African continent. Nevertheless, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Africa Portal (www.undp.org/africa) provides access to information about UN actions in general, through country offices and programs throughout Africa, including specific youth-related activities where they exist. For the most part, youth remains an “invisible” category, but are among the beneficiaries of larger programs (MDGs, UNAIDS) and a variety of country programs. Only some UN agencies have specific programs targeting youth and children (e.g., UNICEF and UNFPA) and these may differ from country to country. Where a country office has put in place a UN Theme Group on Youth, youth can gain more visibility. One highlight for Africa as a good practice in the field of youth in the UN system is Botswana, which has a UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health.