On International Youth Day, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey, began her workday by hosting an intimate breakfast with a cross-section of young people working at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Engaging with young people was not a symbolic gesture; the Secretary-General spoke passionately about the importance of hearing their perspectives and centring them in decision-making. With two-thirds of its population under the age of 30, the Commonwealth relies on the energy and ideas of its young people to shape its future.

The youth-led event, held on 12 August 2025, brought together the Secretariat’s emerging talent to share their perspectives on the Secretary-General’s vision. That vision is now being incorporated into the 5-year Strategic Plan, which will serve as a blueprint for the Secretariat’s work until 2030.

The Secretary-General welcomed the participants, both in person and online, encouraging active engagement and emphasising the importance of their work:

“You are not just the leaders of tomorrow. You are shaping the Commonwealth today.”

She was also joined by the Secretariat’s Chief of Staff, Kwabena Osei-Danquah, who was noting the ideas shared by the young people.

Young professionals working at the Commonwealth Secretariat sitting in a circle with the Commonwealth Secretary-General
Young professionals working at the Commonwealth Secretariat shared their perspectives on the Commonwealth Secretary-General's vision for the strategic plan.

Youth voices: Shared perspectives

They accepted the invitation to share their views enthusiastically. Mukhtar Adesunkanmi, a Political Officer, shared his experience of participating in Commonwealth club activities at school in Nigeria as one of his early memories. He proposed reviving them in primary schools and universities in member countries.

Cynthia Nyongesa, who works in the Rule of Law team and is from Kenya, shared ideas about how to promote good governance. She said:

"There has been a lot of distrust between young people and leaders across many countries. This is the perfect opportunity to start rebuilding trust and accountability, especially through intergenerational dialogue, where young people speak to their leaders about their concerns, such as systemic inequalities.

When young people have the opportunity to speak to leaders who listen to them, then we can ensure that we have democratic resilience".

 

Emily Gilmour, a Health Officer from the UK who also moderated the event, emphasised the importance of mainstreaming youth at all stages of programming. For her, it is vital that young people are involved in decision-making within the Secretariat and beyond. She said:

“In the Social Policy Development team, the majority of the staff are young people, and it really makes a difference to see that at every stage of programme delivery - idea creation, delivery and evaluation - young people's voices are heard and incorporated."

Others shared their ideas on spreading the message of the organisation’s new strategic direction.

Emily Gilmour, Health Officer, speaking into a microphone
Emily Gilmour, a Health Officer at the Secretariat, moderated the event.

Emmanuel Anie-Akwetey, Political Affairs Officer, suggested that we ramp up the use of “social media and AI to share information across platforms and spaces where young people are active, encouraging them to get involved.”

There was a moment of inspiration from Nazzy Amin, the Operations Assistant in the Communications Division, who recited a poem ‘Threads of Belonging’ that she had written about navigating her dual identity as being from Pakistan, but living internationally.

A Ghanaian in the Climate Change team, Knollis Delle, discussed the Secretariat’s Young Professionals programme and its impact on young people, from gaining practical work experience to participating in innovative projects. He suggested enhancing the programme to include a broader range of young people and find opportunities for them to serve in other diplomatic spaces.

Knollis Delle, Assistant Research Officer, speaks into a microphone
Knollis Delle, Assistant Research Officer in the Secretariat's Climate Change Programme.

The responses were honest and insightful, generating so many ideas for strategic interventions that the Commonwealth Secretary-General asked the young people gathered to collaboratively refine and submit them to her. She emphasised that the gathering was the start of an ongoing dialogue and a commitment to ensuring that youth voices are not lost within the corridors of power.


Media contact

  • Ijeoma Onyeator, Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
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