Commonwealth Year of Youth Extended Until CHOGM 202418 January 2024For immediate release
| At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting(CHOGM) in Rwanda, 2023 was declared as the Commonwealth Year of the Youth, and a series of initiatives to deliver on that mandate began. At the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (CYMM) in London, it was decided to extend the Year of Youth until the next CHOGM, which will be held in Apia, Samoa, in October 2024. It was agreed in the CYMMoutcome statementthat the Year of Youth should be extended to “ensure maximum and sustained impact”. A new logo has been designed, and a series of videos have been commissioned to share the renewed vision for the extended programme.When the year of focus was declared, the Commonwealth Leaders had said that 2023 should be focused on empowering young people, raising their issues among stakeholders and governments, as well as accelerating progress on youth-focused issues. The Year of Youth also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), which supports member countries with youth development work.Layne Robinson, Head of Social Policy Development at the Commonwealth Secretariat, under whose portfolio the CYP falls, said:“While we are proud of what we have achieved during 2023, the extension of the Year of the Youth until the next CHOGM will allow us to leave a more lasting legacy and reach even more young people. We thank the leaders across the Commonwealth for giving us this opportunity to work with them to deliver even more effectively and significantly for the young people we serve.” Sixty per cent of Commonwealth citizens, accounting for 1.5 million people, are aged 29 or younger.The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, spoke of the importance of youth at the launch in January 2023, she said then:“The Commonwealth’s future success rests with them. So here today we commit to investing in and promoting their development and engagement at community, regional, national and pan-Commonwealth levels throughout this year and beyond.”The Secretary-General also reiterated the valuable contribution that young people across the Commonwealth make to human development, the importance of empowering their work and amplifying their perspectives.The Year of Youth has included initiatives including the relaunch of theYourCommonwealthwebsite, which is dedicated to honing the talents of your writers and journalists as well as sharing the voice of youth advocates.The year’s initiatives have also included webinars featuring youth perspectives, sporting activities, and a supplement featuring young writers in British newspaper,The Voice,which has a strong readership within the African and Caribbean diaspora.The Year of Youth also featured prominently in conference and other events including the Commonwealth edition of Kenya Innovation Week, the4th Commonwealth Conference on Youth Workand the 2023Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work.In March, a contingent of leaders from across the Commonwealth youth networks were brought together for a two-week youth network summit designed to upskill them, allow them to learn from each other and to facilitate the development of pan-Commonwealth initiatives. Some of those young leaders were also present during the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in May to speak directly to leaders and share their perspectives.Part of the work that is being done now includes partnerships to provide opportunities. One such partnership with technology giant, Intel, will provide online training in AI for thousands of young people. The AI for Youth program will allow them to develop skills, in statistical data, computer vision, and natural language processing, as well as social skills, such as problem-solving, AI ethics, and security.The Year of Youth coincided with the 50th anniversary of work of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) in supporting member countries with youth development work.View the Year of Youth initiatives here Notes to EditorsThe Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign states. Our combined population is 2.5 billion, of which more than 60 per cent is aged 29 or under.The Commonwealth spans the globe and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. Thirty-three of our members are small states, many of which are island nations.The Commonwealth Secretariat supports member countries to build democratic and inclusive institutions, strengthen governance and promote justice and human rights. Our work helps to grow economies and boost trade, deliver national resilience, empower young people, and address threats such as climate change, debt and inequality.Member countries are supported by a network of more than 80 intergovernmental, civil society, cultural and professional organisations.For more information and regular updates about Commonwealth activities and initiatives, subscribe to our monthly newsletter.Media Contact For media enquiries, please contact:Ijeoma Onyeator Communications Officer Communications Division Commonwealth Secretariat E: i.onyeator@commonwealth.int M: +44 07483919976 |
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