UNICEF’s GenU, EAA, Silatech Join Forces for Youth-Led Green Initiatives in Egypt, Lebanon & Jordan
The EAA Foundation, in collaboration with the State of Qatar and UNICEF, organized a high-level event at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly during the Summit on the Future
From left to right: H.E. Bob Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, H.E. Ambassador Sheikha Alya Al Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, H.E. Dr. Georges Kallas, Minister of Youth and Sports of Lebanon
New York, September 21 — Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, Silatech, and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (GenU) today unveiled a major plan to train and mobilize 565,670 young people to access education, tackle climate change, and become community volunteers and entrepreneurs driving sustainable development efforts across Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt.
Announced against the backdrop of the Summit of the Future at UNGA, in response to urgent calls for a new consensus to tackle global challenges, the new three-year, US $33 million partnership with equal contributions from UNICEF, EAA and Silatech, will support access to education and empower young volunteers and entrepreneurs with the training, resources and mentorship they need to take climate action.
In this context, a high-level roundtable was convened to discuss ways to provide educational and employment opportunities for youth in their communities through strategic and local partnerships to support the economies of their countries and empower youth with methods to protect the environment and address climate change. The session was chaired by H.E. Ambassador Sheikha Alya Al Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, and featured participation from Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation H.E. Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater, alongside numerous ministers, distinguished figures, representatives from the United Nations, youth advocates.
The session was attended by H.E. Bob Rae, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York, H.E. Dr. Georges Kallas, Minister of Youth and Sports of Lebanon, H.E. Mr. Farah Abdulkadir Mohamed, Minister of Education of the Federal Republic of Somalia, and also included contributions from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in France, the Islamic Development Bank, Microsoft, Accenture, the African Development Bank, and UNICEF.
During the roundtable held on the sidelines of the "Summit of the Future," Mr. Fahad Al-Sulaiti, CEO of the Education Above All Foundation, stated, "This partnership is a testament to the power of collaborative efforts in providing quality education for children and empowering youth to develop green skills in real life. We aim to address issues in local communities and lead sustainable initiatives, in addition to presenting innovative solutions that contribute to expanding the beneficiary scope through impactful and quality projects, thus achieving sustainable development and enhancing the outcomes of the Future Summit."
Silatech CEO Hassan Al Mulla remarked, "This collaboration with Education Above All Foundation and Generation Unlimited marks a vital milestone for us all. It embeds our ambition for sustainable impact through the extension of value chain by investing in youth at an early stage to ensure their readiness for the job market and through investing in the green economy for a sustainable future for generations to come. At Silatech, we believe in the power of partnership to transform lives, and we remain committed to economically empowering young people across the Middle East and North Africa. Through this project, we are investing in their future by providing them with the Necessary skills and placing them into economic opportunities to drive positive change in their communities and beyond."
The ‘Green Visions and Thriving Futures’ programme reflects a growing recognition that the path to net-zero and climate resilience depends on whether today’s young people gain the skills and knowledge to drive the green transition.
“Green skills and access to green opportunities at scale through holistic, integrated solutions, enabled by global public-private-youth cooperation are essential for moving towards a climate-resilient future,” said UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited CEO, Kevin Frey. “This new partnership is about creating actionable strategies to prepare young people for the opportunities of tomorrow – opportunities that don't just sustain economies, but also our planet.”
The new programme will support 370,000 young people across Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt in greening actions to protect biodiversity, manage waste and conserve water in local communities, with 60,000 participating in a climate action curriculum in preparatory schools. Another objective of the programme is to support an additional cohort of 195,670 youth in Egypt to transition from learning to earning, through placement in jobs or self-employment in sectors such as information technology, healthcare, engineering, and agriculture. This includes 22,500 young people who will develop specific skills in climate action, participate in greening initiatives, and secure green jobs.
“As the largest country in the region, with 27% of its population (28 million) between 10-24 years old, Egypt is uniquely positioned to harness the potential of its young people in addressing employment and the climate crisis,” highlighted Jeremy Hopkins, UNICEF Representative to Egypt. “Thanks to this impactful partnership, thousands of Egyptian youth will be equipped with essential green and digital skills through partnerships under Generation Unlimited Global platform in Egypt 'Shabab Balad', empowering youth to thrive in the rapidly growing green economy and have sustainable income.”
UNICEF Representative to Jordan, Philippe Duamelle, said: “Tomorrow’s world belongs to today’s young people. Therefore, it is of critical importance that they contribute to shaping their future. The ‘Green Vision and Thriving Futures’ programme will enable some 160,000 young people in Jordan to lead advocacy efforts in their communities towards environmental sustainability and youth-led green economy initiatives.”
“Engaging young people on climate change is a crucial strategic step for the future," highlighted UNICEF Representative to Lebanon Edouard Beigbeder. "UNICEF Lebanon will continue supporting young people to become agents of change for climate by providing them with platforms to share their ideas and advocate for action. Through the 'Green Vision and Thriving Futures', more than 105,000 young persons will be empowered to lead on climate action initiatives, share ideas and advocate for action."
With a focus on equipping young people with essential green skills and connecting them to opportunities in the green economy, this new partnership will empower the next generation to confront the urgent challenges of the climate crisis. By linking environmental sustainability with job creation, the partnership aims to demonstrate that economic development and climate adaptation can work hand in hand, creating a foundation for a world that thrives both economically and environmentally.
UNICEF and EAA Foundation have partnered for over ten years, helping to remove barriers to education for more than five million previously out-of-school children. The activity announced today is part of the expansion of the partnership to support children and young peoples’ broader developmental needs.
Silatech’s support for UNICEF began in November 2022 as the main strategic partner of the One Million Opportunities (1Mio) initiative from UNICEF Brazil and Generation Unlimited, providing vulnerable young people in Brazil with opportunities to develop their skills and access decent livelihoods.
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About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
About Generation Unlimited
Launched by the UN Secretary-General at the 2018 UN General Assembly, Generation Unlimited is a leading global Public-Private-Youth Partnership on a mission to skill and connect the world’s 1.8 billion young people to opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, and social impact. Anchored in UNICEF, the partnership brings together global organizations and leaders including Heads of State, CEOs, Heads of UN agencies, and civil society champions with young people to co-create and deliver innovative solutions on a global scale.
About Education Above All Foundation
The Education Above All (EAA) Foundation is a global foundation established in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. EAA aims to change the world, one student at a time. We believe that education is the single most effective means of reducing poverty, creating peaceful and just societies, unlocking the full potential of every child and youth, and creating the right conditions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through our multi-sectoral approach, unique financing models, focus on innovation as a tool for social good, and partnerships, we aim to bring hope and real opportunities to the lives of impoverished and marginalised boys and girls.
EAA is comprised of four programmes: Educate A Child (EAC), Al Fakhoora, Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), and Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC). In addition to providing equitable access to quality education for children worldwide, EAA advocates for the protection of education from all forms of attack.
About Silatech
Silatech is an international, non-profit, non-governmental, socio-economic development organisation with a mission to connect young people to economic opportunities through innovative employment and entrepreneurship initiatives. Our vision is a thriving world in which young people have access to real jobs and contribute actively to the socioeconomic development of their societies.
Silatech was launched by Her Highness, Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser in 2008 with youth at the centre of her vision, driven by the belief that when youth are empowered and invested in, they can become active agents of change within their communities and countries, creating the socioeconomic shifts that are needed to bring about stability, and sustainable economic growth.
Since its inception, through its network of partners, Silatech has connected over 2.5 million young men and women to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities globally and is committed to further connect over 5 million youth to real jobs. Silatech and its partners implement a comprehensive approach and utilise holistic methodologies that support the creation of ecosystems that are conducive to youth socioeconomic empowerment.
For further information, please contact:
Samiha Aboobacker
Communication Manager
Generation Unlimited
[email protected]
Mohamed Al-Amri
Senior Media Relations Specialist
Education Above All Foundation
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +974 5000 9960
Patience Rusare
Senior Media Specialist
Education Above All Foundation
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +974 5993 1560
