Highlights from the Commonwealth’s celebration of International Youth Day 2024

Four youth leaders speak on a panel for International Youth Day

On 12 August 2024, the Commonwealth Secretariat celebrated youth achievements and contributions to a peaceful society at a time when conflict, climate change and digital exclusion have exacerbated inequalities among 1.2 billion young people aged 15-24 years globally.

The theme of this year’s International Youth Day, From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development, acknowledges that without youth-driven innovative solutions, efforts to achieve global targets for peaceful, equitable and inclusive societies will be thrown off track.

Recognising the pivotal role of young people in driving peace and progress across the world, International Youth Day is a rallying point for a call to action and positive engagement.

This call is at the heart of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), which has empowered 60% of its population below the age of 30 for the last 50 years, and the Commonwealth’s Year of Youth activities.

Here are selected highlights of a live broadcast and events where the Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with the Khalili Foundation and Peace One Day, showcased youth workers, mentors and extraordinary young leaders. The International Youth Day celebrations featured various sectors, including social development, education, and community leadership, at Marlborough House, the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Representatives from peace-building, community, civil society, industry, and advocacy organisations participated in a series of celebratory events and an online broadcast. ‘Youth Live’ featured young people doing extraordinary projects, sharing inspiring stories and provided opportunities for other young people to get involved with transformational initiatives.

1. Virtual Museum capturing 50 years of the Commonwealth Youth Programme

A youth leader explores the new virtual museum through a VR headset — Guests were invited to wear virtual reality headsets to explore the new virtual museum during the launch event.

This innovative digital space brought the Commonwealth's rich history, diverse cultures, and shared values to life. Guests were invited to wear virtual headsets and, through immersive experiences and engaging narratives, were transported through pivotal points of the Commonwealth Youth Programme from 1973 to 2023. The museum is not just a repository of history but will continue to be updated and adapted.

The museum's interface was designed to highlight the diversity of wood, water, and landscape of the Commonwealth, and it was held together with a honeycomb design that represents the connectedness of the 56 member countries. The posters, animations, videos, 3-D artefacts and other content showcased the accomplishments of young people in youth policy formulation, promoting youth entrepreneurship, empowering professional youth workers, and ensuring the full participation of young people in decision-making.

Access the virtual museum

2. Commonwealth Youth Council at 10 years

The Secretary-General and youth leaders celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Council with a cake — Youth leaders and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Council.

In a robust panel session, youth leaders, including the Vice-Chairperson of Policy & Advocacy at the CYC, Nahjae Nunes, converged to discuss the 10th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Council. They highlighted the role of youth activism and its impact on global affairs. The CYC, which was first inaugurated at a youth summit in India a decade ago, has seen transformational change over the years. Its leadership looks forward to greater inclusion of young people in the political process.

Read more about the celebrations

3. Celebration of the Commonwealth Youth Awards

Hosts of Youth Live, Darasing Khurana and Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE, held a vibrant conversation with Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2023, Maya Kirti Nanan, and past winners of the Commonwealth Youth Awards. The awards recognise young individuals who have significantly contributed to peace and development. Through this award, the Commonwealth honours and celebrates youth leadership, vision and activism, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.

4. The Commonwealth’s AI for Youth training courses

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) are driving rapid digital transformation with an enormous impact on the global economy and jobs across the Commonwealth. Keeping up has never been so vital.

The next generation of innovators need the right skills and resources to understand what AI is, what it can do, and how to ensure it does not prioritise efficiency over ethics. Under the Commonwealth’s AI Academy and in partnership with Intel, the AI for Youth courses provide a pathway for young people to become AI-ready.

Dr Radika Kumar, Adviser, Artificial Intelligence & Transformative Technology at the Commonwealth Secretariat, joined the Youth Live broadcast to share how young people can access AI training free of cost.

Learn more about AI for Youth courses

5. Report launch of Commonwealth and Cambridge collaboration

Panel at the launch event for final report for "Their Future, Our Action and the COMPASS Model: A New Approach to Finance in Commonwealth Small Island Developing States." — From left to right: His Excellency Mr. Paul Andrew Gomez, High Commissioner of The Bahamas, The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Professor Nazia M. Habib, Founder of CRSD and Nahjae Nunes, Vice-Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council, joined a panel to discuss the launch of the report.

The Commonwealth Secretariat and Cambridge University’s Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development (CRSD) launched the final report of their two-year collaboration on the "Their Future, Our Action" project as part of the International Youth Day celebrations.

The report titled "Their Future, Our Action and the COMPASS Model: A New Approach to Finance in Commonwealth Small Island Developing States" highlighted the innovative Common Pool Asset Structuring Strategy (COMPASS).

Professor Nazia M. Habib, Founder of the Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development, highlighted the collaborative effort behind COMPASS, saying: "We co-created the innovative ideas you see in this report, backed by rigorous research and analysis."

6. The Commonwealth Music Relay

The Youth Live broadcast featured music performances from young artists from various Commonwealth countries, celebrating cultural diversity and unity through music. Viewers enjoyed music from Uganda, Cameroon, the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries.

The original soundtrack was produced in collaboration with The Commonwealth Resounds, a Commonwealth accredited organisation. The relay aims to highlight the power of music in bringing people together and fostering a sense of shared identity.