H.E. President Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi of the Republic of Botswana joins GenU as Leader
His Excellency will work with GenU and UNICEF to forge partnerships across sectors to enable all of the world’s 1.8 billion youth to access learning, skilling & livelihood opportunities
New York, April 16 – We are delighted to announce that H.E. Mokgweetsi E. K. Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana, has joined Generation Unlimited as Global Leader. President Masisi will play a crucial role in forging new multi-sector partnerships across geographies and spur political and financial commitments to enable all of the world’s 1.8 billion youth to access learning, skilling, and livelihood opportunities.
President Masisi will join the ranks of prominent global GenU Leaders including António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda; H.E. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya; and H.E. Paula Mae Weekes, President, Trinidad and Tobago, to mobilize resources, secure commitments, and advocate for Generation Unlimited’s goals to support all of the world’s 1.8 billion young people to be in education, training, or employment by 2030.
“I graciously accept the honour to serve,” said President Masisi. “I am excited and will give it my very best and enjoy working with young people. Our commitment is based on a determination to build a knowledge-based economy. We are working hard through SmartBots to roll out digitization and empower our young people.”
Ms. Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF said: “I am delighted that H.E. President Masisi of Botswana has joined Generation Unlimited as a Global Leader. His Excellency will work together with Generation Unlimited and UNICEF to forge new partnerships and spur commitments to connect young people to education, skilling, employment, and entrepreneurship. Millions of young people are not developing the foundational, transferable, digital, entrepreneurial and job-specific skills they need to realize their potential. Generation Unlimited is working to make sure that every young person is in school, learning, training or age-appropriate employment by 2030. This goal is ambitious. It’s necessary. It’s urgent. And with the commitment of leaders such as President Masisi, it’s also achievable."
Mr. Kevin Frey, Chief Executive Officer of Generation Unlimited said: “It’s an honor to welcome H.E. President Masisi as a Global Leader. “The president’s announcement comes at a critical point for young people. More than 267 million young people are not in employment, education or training, a trend which is set to worsen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The need is big, and the time is now. President Masisi’s leadership will be crucial to realizing our ambition to transform outcomes for young people in Botswana, and globally.”
The need to equip youth with the skills required to thrive in the digital and green economy has never been more urgent. As of August 2020, at least 463 million students around the globe remain cut off from education, mainly due to a lack of remote learning policies or lack of equipment needed for learning at home. Since the sudden school closure due to COVID-19 last year, more than 1 billion students globally have been affected.
By 2021, Generation Unlimited will reach 500 million young people in 106 countries with world-class digital learning, skilling, and livelihood solutions.