UNDP Empowers AYAG Members to Influence Policy and Shape The Gambia’s Future

With more than half of The Gambia’s population under the age of 25, the country’s future will be shaped by a generation of young people whose ideas, aspirations, and leadership are critical to achieving sustainable development. Recognizing the importance of youth participation in decision-making, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), with support from UNDP, established the Adolescent and Youth Advisory Group (AYAG) to ensure that young people have a direct voice in shaping UN programmes, policies and partnerships in The Gambia.

As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen meaningful youth engagement, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) led the Policy and Advisory Skills Lab during the AYAG–UNCT Youth Accountability Dialogue and Policy Bootcamp, equipping AYAG members with the skills needed to engage effectively with senior UN leaders and contribute informed recommendations on national development priorities.

From the outset, UNDP has been instrumental in bringing AYAG from concept to reality. Through seed funding, technical expertise and dedicated staff support, UNDP helped establish and operationalize the youth advisory mechanism, creating a platform where young people can engage directly with senior UN leadership. The organization also supported the development of the AYAG Constitution, laying the foundation for a representative, accountable and youth-led body capable of influencing development conversations at the highest levels.

The Policy and Advisory Skills Lab builds on this commitment by focusing on the practical skills young advisers need to fulfil their role effectively. Rather than emphasizing policy theory, the session was designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to analyse development challenges, identify evidence-based solutions and communicate recommendations clearly to decision-makers.

The interactive session deepened participants’ understanding of AYAG’s role as an advisory body to the United Nations while strengthening skills in policy analysis, strategic thinking and evidence-based problem-solving. It also enhanced participants’ confidence in engaging senior leaders during the UNCT–AYAG Accountability Dialogue.

At the heart of the discussions was a simple but powerful question:

“If you had five minutes with the Head of Agency, what three recommendations would you want the UN to act on over the next two years?”

The responses generated by participants served as the foundation for discussions between AYAG members and the UN Country Team, ensuring that youth perspectives help shape UN priorities and interventions in The Gambia.

The discussions also highlighted UNDP’s comparative advantage in democratic governance, public policy, institutional development and capacity strengthening. By supporting young people to become effective policy advisers, UNDP is helping ensure that youth engagement goes beyond participation and translates into meaningful influence on development outcomes.

This work is part of UNDP’s broader investment in youth empowerment and innovation across The Gambia. Through initiatives such as YouthConnekt, the UNIPOD Innovation Hub, the Accelerator Lab, innovation challenges and hackathons, and the global timbuktoo Initiative, young Gambians are gaining access to opportunities, mentorship, networks and innovation ecosystems that enable them to contribute to national and continental development.

UNDP has also championed youth leadership in governance, peace and security. Through support to the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda and the development of The Gambia’s National Action Plan, young people are increasingly recognized as agents of peace, social cohesion and democratic participation. Their leadership remains essential to preventing conflict, strengthening inclusive governance and building resilient communities.

As The Gambia prepares for important electoral processes, youth engagement is more important than ever. Young people are not only voters but also advocates, community leaders and peacebuilders. Through its technical leadership in democratic governance, UNDP continues to work closely with the Independent Electoral Commission, civil society organizations, political parties and other stakeholders to promote civic participation, informed public discourse and peaceful democratic engagement, while helping counter misinformation, hate speech and political polarization.

Today, AYAG represents far more than a youth platform. It is a bridge between young people and decision-makers; a space where evidence informs action, ideas become solutions and the next generation helps shape The Gambia’s development future.

By leading the Policy and Advisory Skills Lab, UNDP is investing in a generation of informed, confident and capable youth leaders who can provide strategic advice, hold institutions accountable and contribute meaningfully to national development. Because sustainable development is strongest when young people are not only beneficiaries of change, but architects of it.

About the author

Adama Jallow is the Head of Solutions Mapping – Inclusive Growth at UNDP The Gambia