The Commonwealth Secretariat is holding a launch event at Marlborough House to mark the beginning of the Year of Youth 2023 – a seminal 12 months dedicated to action on Commonwealth-wide youth issues.
The Commonwealth’s 56 member countries have a combined population of 2.5 billion people, of which more than 60% are under 30 years of age.
The launch, to be attended in person by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Ministers, stakeholders, youth representatives and members of the Year of Youth Advisory committee, will see the unveiling of the Year of Youth logo and further details of the series of high-profile youth events planned for this year.
These events are designed to include and empower the under-30s, as well as stakeholders and governments, to act on youth-focused issues as a priority and will include events such as Commonwealth Day, the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago, and the Commonwealth Youth Awards.
There will also be an announcement made concerning the Year of Youth Champions, a host of high-profile public figures who have committed to using their platforms to raise the profile of Commonwealth young people throughout this year.
The Year of Youth is a mandate given by leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda in June. There, Heads declared that 2023 would be named the Year of Youth and see youth issues pushed to the top of the global agenda, with a renewed focus for member countries and stakeholders on strengthening their commitment to youth engagement and empowerment.
The Year of Youth coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) which has been supporting member countries with youth development work for half a century.
