Half the world’s population is under 30, and nine in ten of these young people live in developing countries.
Never before and never again will there be such a large generation of young people ready and able to deliver change in their communities. If we are to ensure national policies or global frameworks – like the Sustainable Development Goals – are to be implemented, we must engage and mobilise the enormous potential of the global youth population to make these promises a reality.
We know that when young people are supported with data, skills, networks and are connected to meaningful opportunities to participate in policy review processes with decision-makers, they will take the lead in holding their governments to account to their commitments.
What is Youth-Led Accountability? ‘The enabling of young people to hold decision-makers accountable for the commitments they have made towards sustainable development, through increased capacity, access and agency.’
Our Approach to Youth-Led Accountability.
We Support Young People to Lead Accountability.
Restless Development works with partners and young people around the world to provide support and training to help them hold decision makers accountable to their promises and commitments.
We Strengthen Spaces for Youth-Led Accountability.
Restless Development works with young people to develop practical recommendations for organisations and policy makers calling for stronger, more accountable and transparent enabling environments that will ensure the meaningful participation of youth.
We Generate Evidence and Share Best Practice.
Restless Development leads and disseminates research on youth-led accountability, ensuring best practices are captured and shared. We work in partnership to build communities of practice on youth-led accountability where young people can share best practice stories, case studies, tools and resources.
Programme spotlight: Youth-Led Accountability to Ensure Gender Equality in India and Tanzania.
Restless Development’s Youth Led Accountability for Gender Equality programme, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has trained, mobilised and connected young leaders in Tanzania and India on greater accountability for SDG 5.
Since the initiation of the project, more than 100 Youth Accountability Advocates and 388 young Changemakers in Tanzania and India have been trained to engage with their peers, communities and local and national governments to build a movement that drives progress towards gender equality.
The Youth Accountability Advocates have connected with hundreds of young people in their communities to educate and collect information regarding their access to sexual and reproductive rights and services.
The information they have gathered from thousands of young people in their communities is being used to drive evidence-based advocacy and to propose solutions for their governments to make their commitments a reality.
Global consensus on youth-led accountability.
At the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Restless Development launched a Global Consensus Statement on Youth-Led Accountability.
The consensus has been developed by a broad coalition with over 35 civil society organizations and a Youth Reference Group.
Our accountability projects.
Youth-led accountability reports and toolkits.
