20/04/2025
PRESS STATEMENT
Liberia’s Education Minister, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, Featured as Distinguished Panelist at Harvard University’s 2025 African Development Conference
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA | April 12, 2025
The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Liberia is pleased to announce the esteemed participation of its Minister, Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah, as a distinguished panelist at the 2025 African Development Conference (ADC), held on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Organized annually by African students from Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, the ADC stands as a premier global platform that convenes renowned policymakers, academics, and advocates to engage in critical discourse on Africa’s progress and prospects.
This year’s conference, themed “Africa by 2040: The Future of Africa’s Youth,” centered on youth empowerment, inclusion, and transformative leadership for sustainable development.
Minister Jallah served on a high-level panel moderated by Dr. Nadi Albino, Deputy Director and Global Lead on Partnership at UNICEF.
The session explored “The Role of Effective Governance, Legal Reforms, and International Collaboration in Empowering Youth—With Emphasis on Gender Equality and Combating Gender-Based Violence.” In her compelling presentation, Minister Jallah outlined three transformative pillars crucial for empowering Africa’s youth:
Legal Reforms – She emphasized the need for inclusive, youth-driven legislation that ensures access to quality education, robust vocational training programs, and legal protections for vulnerable populations, particularly adolescent girls.
Political Inclusion – Dr. Jallah called for institutional reforms to increase youth representation in governance. She advocated for lowering the age of political candidacy, implementing youth quotas, strengthening civic education, and protecting young people from political manipulation—highlighting Nigeria’s “Not Too Young to Run” Act as a replicable model.
International Collaboration – The Minister urged global stakeholders to expand partnerships by increasing funding for youth-led innovations, creating more scholarship opportunities, engaging the African diaspora, and ratifying international frameworks that safeguard youth rights.
In conclusion, Minister Jallah declared:
“Empowering Africa’s youth is not optional—it is essential. The journey to 2040 demands courage, innovation, and solidarity to build inclusive systems where all young people can thrive.”
The Ministry of Education applauds Dr. Jarso Maley Jallah for her exceptional representation of the Republic of Liberia on the international stage. Her participation underscores Liberia’s deep commitment to inclusive education, youth empowerment, and sustainable national development through global partnerships and strategic reforms.
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https://orgs.law.harvard.edu/adc/