The SADC Youth Forum being hosted by National Youth Council (NYC) together with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat kicked off in Windhoek on Thursday.

The forum is an official structure of SADC aimed at providing opportunity and space for youth to voice and provide inputs on priority issues to be considered by the SADC Ministers Responsible for Youth according to NYC Executive Chairman, Mandela Kapere.

In a statement Kapere said the forum aims to review and draw out priority actions from minimum standards for youth participation and leadership and the conceptual framework for youth innovation and entrepreneurship.

Furthermore the forum will seek to develop a plan of action for youth participation in implementing the SADC Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting (MER) Framework for Orphans and Vulnerable Children and youth, he added.

Meanwhile, the expected outcomes of the two day event will be policy and strategic priorities for the Ministers and subsequently, Council and Summit consideration and approval for the SADC conference of Youth Ministers to be held in 2019

NYC Communications Officer, Brian Prince said that around 50 delegates from SADC member countries are expected to take part in the event.