AYC is ably represented by Mr. Dennis Sangale, Commissioner for Peace and Security, Mr. Kawsu Sillah, Executive Secretary, Mr. Cedric Dzelu, Director of Admin and Finance and Ms. Nuralain Abukar, Director of Resource Mobilisation and Partnership at the just concluded 8th Youth Forum of UN ECOSOC on “Empowered, Included and Equal” held on 8-9 April 2019 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Following the successful 3rd Pan African Youth Conference on African Unity and Development, jointly organised by The Gambia National Youth Council and the AYC Secretariat in Banjul, The Gambia from 23-27 March 2019, the delegation were accompanied by Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports of The Gambia, Mr. Hadrammeh Sidibeh, H.E. Lang Yabou,  Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the United Nations, Ms. Ndey Mary Njie, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Dembo Kambi, Chairman of The Gambia National Youth Council, Mr. Lamin Darboe, Executive Director of The Gambia National Youth Council and Ms. Fatou Jeng, Youth Representative to represent the Gambia’s contribution towards the implementation of UN SDGs and outcome of the 3rd Pan African Youth Conference at the official opening of the 8th Youth Forum of UN Economic and Social Council – the largest gathering of young and world leaders in the United Nations. 

During the two days Forum, the delegation took part in plenary, thematic and regionally-based discussions on Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Youth Empowerment co-organised by UNFPA, UN ECOSOC Youth Forum, Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as Nationals Training Academy of Arab Republic of Egypt, Institutional Youth Engagement in Achieving the SDGs, co-organised by the Permanent Missions of Japan and Germany to the United Nations, Key regional concerns and priorities for youth regarding the SDGs implementation, co-organised by UNDP, UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), UNMGCY and other partners, Taking Action – Youth as Champions for Peace and Security, co-organised by UN-HABITAT and UNODC and How can youth in Africa be empowered to best leverage opportunities for quality jobs in agriculture, co-organised by UNIDOA and FAO.

Furthermore, the representatives participated in “Interactive Roundtable on Investing in Youth Development: Financing and other Means of Implementation”, Relevant and inclusive education for young people, organised by the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations, Interactive Dialogue on “Youth, Peace and Security: Challenges and Prospects”, Have Your Say – Empowering Youth to Support SDG16 organised by UNODC, Access to youth to social rights- the role of Youth NGOs and international institutions, organised by the Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations, Youth at the Centre of National and local migration policy making, co-organised by IOM and UNMGCY, Lisboa+20 – Youth Consultation on effective youth participation mechanisms, organised by the Permanent Mission of Portugal, The role of Private Sector for Youth Empowerment and Employment in Morocco and across Africa, co-organised by the Permanent Missions of Morocco, Senegal, Ghana  and Nigeria to the United Nations and Investing in Youth-led organisations to advance the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, co-organised by UNAOC, UNFPA and Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations.

Finally, the team participated in Youth and Industry 4.0 – Implications of the Fourth Industrial revolution on the Future of Work and Education, organised by UNIDO, the Interactive Roundtable on Looking to the Future: A dialogue on the High-level Political Forum (SDG) Summit in September 201o before attending the official closing ceremony where the Director General of ILO, Mr. Guy Ryder, Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth and Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations addressed the delegates before H.E. Ms. Inga Rhonda King,  President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) declared the 2019 UN ECOSOC Youth Forum concluded.

Bilateral Meetings

Meeting with AU Youth Envoy

The delegation on the sideline of the Forum, received Ms. Aya Chebbi, African Union’s Youth Envoy at the Gambia’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations to discuss on how the Mission, Ministry of Youth and Sports of The Gambia, The Gambia National Youth Council and the African Youth Commission can support her efforts in mobilising and organising youth in action for African Unity and Development. Both the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, and Gambia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN gave their blessings and assured the full support of Gambia Government to the empowerment and development of the African Youth for the realisation of the Africa 2063 aspirations of #TheAfricaWeWant.

Meeting with UNODC

This meeting is attended by Deputy Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of The Gambia to the United Nations Mr. Lamin Faati, Official from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), and representatives of National Youth Council and the African Youth Commission.

Mr. Lamin Darboe, Executive Director of National Youth Council chaired the meeting whilst Mr. Faati delivered the welcome remark. Mr. Darboe, informed the meeting that Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports and The Gambia’s Ambassador to the UN would have loved to be part of the meeting but had to leave back home to attain to other official engagement but they blessed the meeting and sent their regards.

In his introductory remarks, Mr. Kawsu Sillah, Executive Secretary of African Youth Commission said this partnership started in Banjul where the UNODC successfully hosted a side event at the recently concluded 3rd Pan African Youth Conference on African Unity and Development, held in The Gambia in March 2019. He informed the gathering that this is a follow-up to that to discuss way forward. He then passed the floor to Mr. Gilberto Antonio Duarte Santos the team leader from UNODC to deliver his presentation. Mr. Gilberto started by thanking the Gambian Mission, representatives of NYC and AYC for the granting them the audience and the partnership. He introduced the UNODC and its Education for Justice Project. He said the initiative seeks to empower young people to make changes in the rule of law and justice processes in their respective countries. ‘’This meeting is about to talk more on how we can together empower youth to become leaders in their area, and to work with Government to build a better society for all particularly the young people’’, Mr. Gilberto said. The next speaker was Ms. Wambui Kahara, Youth Advisor at UNODC who started by appreciating the partnership with NYC and AYC on the joint side event held in Banjul in March. Ms. Kahara expressed the interest of UNODC to work with NYC and AYC again in co-organising joint activities in Ethiopia and New York on SDG 16 before and during the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July this year.

Mr. Lamin Darboe, on behalf of National Youth Council and African Commission thanked UNODC for the support. He assured the commitment of both organisations to this partnership. ‘’From our current transitional justice processes, to our active role in the implementation of UNSC 2250, to the formation of Children’s Network on Transitional Justice and Children National Assembly of The Gambia, our country has a lot to share, and we are more than happy to work with you in creating the changes that will come from the young people’’, Mr. Darboe said. The meeting agreed to work on the concept note for side events in collaboration with AYC, NYC, and AU Youth Envoy’s Office.

Meeting with UN Youth Envoy

The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports and delegation also paid a courtesy visit on the UN Youth Envoy at her office. The meeting chaired the ambassador focused on possible bilateral cooperation between the Ministry of youth and sports and the office of the youth envoy. She was reminded of her visit to Gambia in 2018 and Graduation ceremony of the GSI that she attended during her visit. She was also briefed on the progress made in terms of youth involvement in the reform agenda of the Gambia especially the within the transitional justice processes.

On her part the Un Youth Envoy, thank the Minister and his delegation for the visit and express her appreciation for all the work done government of the Gambia in youth mainstreaming. She noted that Gambia National Youth Council is one of the functioning and vibrant youth councils she knew of globally. On the possibility of support, she commits to facilitate linkages between Ministry of Youth and Sports, and other donor foundations such as the Qatar foundation for possible support to Gambia.