


Fiscal discipline reduces unsustainable debt levels, freeing resources for investments in sectors like agriculture, tech, and green industries, which are critical for youth employment.
As the Harare Declaration states, the African youth bulge as an engine for the continent’s structural transformation agenda is at risk of being a missed opportunity due to being saddled with accumulated debt, while potentially being locked out of accessing finance that is desperately needed to invest in them, and making them carry the burden of a mortgaged future. Instead of investing in our potential, governments are forced to divert billions to creditors, too often to lenders who prioritise profit over people. This is not only an economic imbalance; it is a generational betrayal. We thus demand debt and tax justice that put people and the planet first.
The Youth for Tax Justice Network (YTJN), in collaboration with partners including, Africa-Europe Foundation and the Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF) is spearheading a side event at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4).
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Africa, home to the youngest and fastest growing population globally, has faced shrinking fiscal space, capital flight, and uneven access to international financial markets. For African youth, who not only represent over 70% of the continent’s population but also the continent’s potential drivers of innovation and growth, these challenges translate into restricted opportunities, heightened vulnerabilities, and a fragile future.
Youth are also greatly impacted by climate change due to the loss of educational and skill-building opportunities. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that by 2050, climate change would cause up to 1.8 billion school days to be lost worldwide, which will have a catastrophic effect on the education and skill-building of young people.