Commonwealth Heads of Government declared 2023 as the Commonwealth Year of Youth, dedicating it to youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development. This report assesses the impact, successes and challenges of this ambitious programme of events, activities and partnerships.
In June 2022, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda, leaders declared 2023 as the Commonwealth Year of Youth. This coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, established in 1973 to empower member countries to support young people under 30 in reaching their full potential.
The Year of Youth brought youth voices to the forefront and catalysed a wide array of positive activities, benefiting individuals, communities and nations alike. The initiative encouraged member countries to develop and support projects throughout the Commonwealth, ranging from local events to global virtual events, all related to youth. It was many-layered, and support was provided in different ways.
While it is too early to fully measure the achievement of the Year of Youth's vision and mission, the initiative has undeniably set the groundwork for long-term impact, demonstrating progress in the right direction.
This results assessment finds that the Year of Youth initiative was successful despite challenges such as lack of dedicated staff at the beginning of the year, absence of a funding structure and some communication challenges. While many of the issues were addressed as the year progressed, it discusses how the Commonwealth Secretariat could benefit from streamlining some of its procedures.
