Call for Candidates

The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Namibia is part of the European Union External Service, and is one of the 140 Delegations throughout the world. Under the leadership of the Head of Delegation, the EU Delegation is working together with a range of stakeholders, notably European Member States as a Team Europe, Government Authorities and Civil Society actors to achieve sustainable development and reduce poverty, promote democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. With a large population of youth,  the future prosperity of Namibia will largely depend on the ability to provide young Namibians with opportunities for employment, education, health and access to decision-making processes.

What is the Youth Sounding Board (YSB)?

Engage, Empower and Connect

The YSB aims to provide a space for meaningful involvement of young people in the EU’s cooperation with the Republic of Namibia. It will create opportunities for young people to express their views, connect and exchange between themselves, with the EU Delegation in Namibia and the EU Member States (EU MS), and with other stakeholders and decision-makers.

The YSB will advise the EU Delegation on youth participation and empowerment on a broad range of topics such as employment, education, training and entrepreneurship, green and digital transition, social inclusion and health, good governance and gender, sports, culture, arts, , etc.

It will ensure that youth dimension is well considered in all actions relevant to EU-Namibia cooperation activities, and thereby contribute to make EU action more participatory, relevant and effective for young people in the country.

It will also be complementary and supportive to the third Namibian National Youth Policy in force since 2021.

How will the YSB work?  

The YSB will be composed of 20 to 25 young people (18 – 30 years) from the Republic of Namibia.

The YSB members will participate in their individual capacity and serve a mandate of one year renewable. Among others, they will:

• Develop a work plan with objectives and activities as well as monitoring mechanisms to assess the progress of their participation on a continuous basis ;
• Structure themselves (nomination of the chairperson(s) and the secretary(ies) + role descriptions), in collaboration with the EU delegates;
• take part in capacity-building activities organised by or channelled through the EU in order to be acquainted with the EU-Namibia partnership framework;
• engage in consultation and exchange activities in relation to their mandate;
• Discuss and deal with ad-hoc issues or requests from the EUD and EU MS using online tools and platforms;
• Build links with similar structures and existing youth initiatives at local and country level, but also in the sub-Saharan region and in the EU (the EU HQ international INTPA Youth Sounding Board, youth engagement platforms established by EU MS, etc.);
• Contribute to build a sustainable network of YSB alumni to maintain engagement beyond their one-year renewable mandate and to ensure a smooth transition between the cohorts of candidates;
• Participate in at least one plenary meetings per year in person;

1. 13. of the YSB are expected to engage for approximately 20 days per year (estimated as 8 hours per day, including meeting days). The number of days will depend on the work plan agreed by the YSB and the EUD covering the above objectives and related activities. It will be subject to modifications depending on unforeseen priorities.

The mandate is voluntary and unpaid. The EUD will cover travel, accommodation and meeting costs for participants in line with EU Delegation rules and regulations, when and where justified. In addition, a monthly allowance for the coverage of data costs may be provided to each member.

How can I become a member of the EU-Namibia YSB?

The EU-Namibia YSB aims to be diverse and inclusive in terms of gender, age, ethnic and cultural background, geographical location, professional position, life and family situation, disability status and sexual orientation. It should bring together a broad range of opinions and experiences. To ensure diversity, all young and motivated people are welcome to apply, including those with less experience. Candidates with special needs, disabilities, in situation of vulnerability are encouraged to apply.

All candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• Be between the age of 18-30 at the end of the application period (12 June 2023)
• Have a good command of English;
• Be a resident and a citizen of the Republic of Namibia;
• Be able to devote at least 20 days to the YSB per year.

Candidates will be selected based on the following selection criteria:

• Shown initiative in youth participation and youth empowerment;
• Outreach and youth engagement skills and practice, including work with youth organisations and experience with youth who are disadvantaged or in vulnerable situations;
• Communication skills including language skills and experience with traditional and social media;
• Creativity and motivation, including ideas for YSB functioning and activities.

How can I apply and what is the timeline?

Download Application Below:

Candidates will need to complete an application form, in which they will identify themselves, briefly describe their experience in youth empowerment and express their motivation in joining the YSB.

Duly completed application forms will need to be sent to our functional mailbox:

DELEGATION-NAMIBIA-YOUTH-SOUNDING-BOARD@eeas.europa.eu. Receipt of applications will be confirmed by email.

Deadline for submission: 12 June 2023

The selection process will be conducted in two stages (indicative dates):

19^th of June: selection of a shortlist. Candidates will be informed of the outcome of this preselection within 2 days, whether or not they have been shortlisted.

Interviews will follow, on line or face to face.

30^th of June:  selection of the members of the YSB. Candidates will be informed of the outcome of the final selection within 2 days, whether or not they have been selected.

Indicative timetable (subject to modifications depending on the number of applications received):

12 June 2023: Application Deadline

19 June 2023: Candidate Shortlist (interviews to follow)

30 June 2023: Announcement of selected candidates

What else do I need to know?

In case of any question or enquiry, please contact Herve Rousseau at DELEGATION-NAMIBIA-YOUTH-SOUNDING-BOARD@eeas.europa.eu. The EU Delegation might ask for further documentation and proof of information provided in the application form in the course of the selection process from the shortlisted and selected candidates (e.g. social media handles, CV, etc.).

The selected candidates will be requested to provide a copy of their identity document to prove they meet the eligibility criteria. They will also have to read the privacy rules and agree on the rules.

The EU Delegation will draw up a reserve list of candidates.

Herve ROUSSEAU (EU Delegation Youth Focal Point), on behalf of EU Ambassador Sinikka ANTILA.