YOUTH are meeting in Dar es Salaam under the United Nations (UN) Tanzania for consultations on the Development Vision 2050 which has been linked to the Summit of the Future- a youth gathering for young people to network and forge a new global consensus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September.

Speaking at the event Mark Bryan Schreiner the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA's) Country Representative said the summit represents an opportunity to shape challenging issues to the global sphere such as technological changes and climate change among others.

“Youth engagement helps align SDGs with global progress as well as how to tackle emerging challenges, the UN has managed to link the discussions with Tanzania's development agenda,” he said.

He said the discussions will facilitate strategic planning of the document and the participation of the youth who are the majority of the population helps to make everyone aware of the stages reached in development processes.

In his speech, Director of Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Ambassador Noel Kaganda said there is a need for participation of the youth in development plans.

“There is an importance of youth participation in consultations but also in addressing challenges and improving systems for addressing global challenges,” he said.

He added that the consultation is a clear testimony that youth voices matter as cemented by the formulation of the youth policy in both countries.

The summit will enable youth to restore trust and foster collaboration and promote inclusiveness and renew commitment to achieve SDGS.

He added the summit represents an opportunity to shape challenging issues to the global sphere such as technological changes and climate change among others.

Chief Economist at the National Planning Commission Joseph Maleke said the meeting was aimed at discussing the 2030 agenda saying the voice of the youth was critical as youth are heirs to the future.

“Youth of today are informed and connected to facilitate change and transformation which is a key tool for achieving SDGs,” he said.

He said the consultations were important because they help to ensure that national plans are well planted in the future generations as well as ensuring that they are involved.

The Summit of the Future is expected to take place in September this year at the UN headquarters, New York in the US.