London, 27 March 2013 ‒ Commonwealth youth ministers will make a strong statement about the role of youth in development when they meet in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from 17 to 19 April 2013 under the banner ‘Young People at the Centre of Sustainable Development.’
Delegates from the Commonwealth’s 54 nations are expected to attend the meeting, which will also bring together decision-makers, civil society representatives and young people to discuss strategies and policy solutions for youth development.
The Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting takes place alongside a youth leaders forum for young Commonwealth representatives from 15 to16 April, and a youth stakeholders forum for participants from civil society, international organisations and the private sector from 16 to 18.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said: “Young people are the majority in most Commonwealth countries, and their numbers are increasing. In just two years, there will be three billion young people in the world, with 2.5 billion living in developing countries.
“All indicators suggest that these young people will be exposed to greater challenges than any other social group. In the Commonwealth, we believe that young people should be at the centre of development, social transformation and leadership, as partners and contributors, if progress is to be enduring.”
Ministers are expected to discuss development through a youth lens, and how this can lead to the empowerment of young people, thereby enhancing democratic governance and social and economic progress. Delegates will seek to establish a Commonwealth consensus on youth development to be shared with the UN High Level Panel for inclusion in a new set of global goals after 2015, and with the Commonwealth Heads of Government when they meet later this year.
Ahmad Alhendawi, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, who was appointed in January this year, will address the summit.
Other topics to be covered include values-based leadership, youth voice and youth-led initiatives, and the economic empowerment of young people, with key experts providing input for ministers’ deliberations.
At the Youth Leaders Forum, delegates will finalise a framework for a new, independent Commonwealth Youth Council. It will represent a wide cross section of youth in the Commonwealth. This follows a recommendation by the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, which Commonwealth leaders adopted at summit in Perth, Australia in 2011.
The Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting will unveil the new Commonwealth Youth Development Index. It is the first global index of its kind, which measures the status of young people, aged 15-29 in five key domains: education, health, employment, and civic and political participation. The index will help youth ministers and other policy-makers identify areas for investment to ensure young people fulfil their potential.
The Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting takes place every four years.
