AHDR 2016 examines challenges and opportunities facing youth in the Arab region, especially since 2011, and seeks to provide an overview on youth in the region and stimulate a broad dialogue between youth and key stakeholders on the future of development in the region, focusing on the role of youth as critical partners at this very point in time.

Stockholm – Despite significant progress in human development over the past 25 years, the Arab States region has, among developing regions of the world, the highest youth unemployment rate and the lowest share of primary school age children attending school. A stronger focus on youth and others excluded – particularly women and girls, rural dwellers, and those living in conflict-affected areas – is now needed to ensure sustainable human development for all.

The failure to secure a job, Ifrah believes, was not her fault but long standing cultural and institutional barriers that limit women’s ability to explore beyond the traditional housework. She did not give-up hope and started seeking help. In her quest to succeed in her journey, she joined Ministry of Planning and International Cooperations as a volunteer and worked with the Director General Office.

Safiyo Jama Gayre is a 60 years old student at the Faculty of Sharia and Law at Puntland State University in Garowe, Somalia. In the Monthly meeting of the law students in the university, Safiyo opens every session with a prayer because it’s a tradition in Somalia that the oldest person opens meetings or community gatherings. This session’s prayer is her last with this group of students as she is graduating this year

Since 2010 UN Somalia Joint Rule of Law project has been supporting Baahi-Koob, a free comprehensive one stop care center, located in Hargeisa city. Baahi-Koob, a Somali phrase which translates to ‘covering all needs’ has become well recognized for providing essential, services to victims of Sexual and gender based violence in and around Hargeisa city. Specifically, the Centre has been providing post rape care services such as psychosocial counselling for survivors and their families, forensic examination, evidence collection and specimen analysis, pregnancy prevention (emergency contraception), STI prevention and HIV prevention (using post exposure prophylaxis within 72 hours after incident) as well preparing victim to take case through the the criminal justice system .

UNDP Parliamentary Support Project had been supporting Somali National Federal, Somaliland and Puntland parliaments to function as inclusive, transparent and effective law-making bodies which engage in national dialogue on policy priorities, peace-building across a divided political spectrum and state-building as...

Somali Civil Society, in collaboration with the Aid Coordination Unit at the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Planning & International Cooperation and UNDP through its Strengthening Institutional Performance Project organized a civil society engagement workshop in Mogadishu on 12-13 March 2016. This...

Dry seasons and water shortages have been a constant problem in the Puntland region of Somalia. Scarcity of water and the lack of rain restricts pastoralists who struggle to provide bare necessity to their livestock, which is their source of livelihood. Paying to use With UNDP’s Environment and Energy Project...

A New Generation in Somalia

Yesterday marked the official opening of the model police station and community policing center in Gardo. Supported by UNDP’s Rule of Law project, the model police station was a reconstruction and add on from the previous station that was built in 1932. Both centers are running completely on solar energy. In...

A three-day Consultative Process on Somalia’s Draft Political Parties Law concluded in Mogadishu on Monday 23 November 2015. At least 200 delegates attended the consultative meeting. Participants included representatives of political parties, federal and regional administrations and the civil society. “The draft...

Shukri is a Young Graduate in Garowe, Puntland.