The PoA aims to guide multi-hazards reduction and management of disaster risk in development processes at all levels as well as within and across all sectors in Africa, in line with the Sendai Framework. It seeks to strengthen DRR in Africa and its integration into policies of the African Union, RECs and Member States in line with the Sendai Framework.
Key provisions in the PoA include the establishment of Youth Advisory Board. The foundation of the board is strongly influenced by the Youth Engagement Platform (YEP) to ensure coherence with ISDR globally and the UN department of Economic and Social Affairs (ECOSOC), to by 2020, promote collective and meaningful youth involvement in DRR policy development, implementation, follow up and review. Africa’s population has risen considerably over the last decades; currently estimated at 1.2 billion inhabitants, and 60% of the population are below 35 years. By 2050, Africa’s population is estimated to be 2.4 billion. This implies that more than a billion Africans would be youth by 2050. With increased disaster risks, young people would continue to be disproportionately affected by disasters. In that light, involvement of youth to play an active role in DRR is paramount. The AU Commission will work with children and youth stakeholder groups to establish Youth Advisory Board for Disaster Risk Reduction to enhance meaningful engagement and participation of young people in DRR within the Africa region. The demographic weight of young people is undoubtedly an important asset and their involvement could contribute efficiently to fight the phenomenon. This initiative, inspired by the Sendai Framework Action Plan 2015-2030 in the priority 2 ‘Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk’, is highly relevant.