Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) for Youth in MENA : Policies to Promote Employment Opportunities
On January 18, 2011, the Arab Development Summit Youth Forum met in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, aiming to provide young Arab leaders and Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) entrepreneurs with the opportunity for dialogue with Arab decisio...
Main Authors: | , , |
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Format: | Brief |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Washington, DC: World Bank
2012
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2011/02/14288216/information-communications-technologies-ict-youth-mena-policies-promote-employment-opportunities http://hdl.handle.net/10986/9456 |
Summary: | On January 18, 2011, the Arab
Development Summit Youth Forum met in Sharm-el-Sheikh,
Egypt, aiming to provide young Arab leaders and Information
and Communications Technologies (ICT) entrepreneurs with the
opportunity for dialogue with Arab decision makers,
providing recommendations on how to empower youth in Middle
East and North Africa (MENA) through ICT. Tunisia's
Jasmine revolution and its aftermath highlighted demand from
youth for good governance. Access to information, freedom of
expression and overall economic opportunities, ranked
highest among the priorities articulated by youth-led Arab
movements for change. The issue of youth employment is key
to inclusive development in MENA which has the youngest
population (average age 23 years) together with the highest
global youth unemployment rate. While demand for ICT has
been increasing dramatically, there is a regional youth
digital divide. Mobile penetration is high but only 1.6
percent of the population has internet access. Addressing
challenges on the supply-side and the demand-side can enable
youth to reap the benefits of ICT. |
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