AYC at 2019 United Nations Public Service Forum

AYC is pleased to have participated in the 2019 United Nations Public Service Forum, held on 24-26 June 2019 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

We are represented by our Executive Chairperson, Ms. Natalie Sonia Mukundane Kyamutetera. During the Forum, Ms. Mukundane delivered a presentation on “Engaging African Youth effectively in Decision Making processes and Public Service delivery”.

In addition, she moderated a Ministerial Roundtable on “Enhancing Engagement of Vulnerable Groups in Decision-Making and Public Service Delivery”.

AYC at Regional Trade Forum for West and Central Africa

The Africa Forum on “AfCFTA in motion: Taking Africa’s integration to the next level for a prosperous continent”, co-organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the European Union, and the Government of Republic of Senegal, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC). The Forum took place at King Fahd Hotel in Dakar, Senegal, on 24 to 25 June 2019.

By signing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), African leaders took a giant step forward for the development of the continent, signaling that the ideals in the Abuja Treaty on the African Economic Community will now be realized. The AfCFTA has the potential to generate a range of benefits through supporting trade creation, structural transformation, productive employment and poverty reduction. We are now on a clear path to the realization of these benefits with the ratification by the required 22 signatories.

It is in this context that the forum is jointly organized and brought together ministers and policy makers, private sector, civil society, academia, international organizations and other influential stakeholders from across the continent, to discuss what is required to ensure that the AfCFTA becomes a reality and truly contributes to Africa’s socio-economic development. The forum will, in addition, provide an opportunity to learn, share, and actively engage and network with intra-African actors across a diverse range of different sectors.

We are represented by Ms. Christine Sayo, AYC Director of Advocacy and Communications. Ms. Sayo this afternoon spoke in ‘’Women and Youth Business Roundtable’’ where the panel addressed the following fundamental questions:
• What skills must Africa’s youth be equipped with to ensure that they are positioned to take advantage of these opportunities?
• What supportive measures, such as access to subsidized credit, capacity development and business mentoring opportunities, will be required?
• How will they be paid for and by whom?

Download Programme Guide

AYC participated in Gamal Abdel Nasser Transformational Leadership Fellowship

Gamal Abdel Nasser Transformational Leadership is the first (African by African) Fellowship organized by African Youth Bureau in collaboration with Pan-African Youth Union and other partners under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Arab Republic of Egypt.

The initiative brought together young African leaders from all parts of Africa and diverse background to discuss the role of African youth in promoting youth leadership in socio-economic and political development of the African continent. It complements the African Union’s “Africa Unite for Youth: Bridging the Gap and Reaching out to African Youth the 1 Million By 2021 Initiative” launched by H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) during the second African Youth Forum, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 24 to 26 April 2019.

Arab Republic of Egypt as 2019 President of the African Union is committed to achieving the objectives of African Union and the implementation of the Million by 2021 Initiative which seeks to empower and build the capacities of one million young Africans in the areas of education, employment, entrepreneurship and participation in policy and decision making processes by 2021.

Representing the AYC, Mr. Flomo Mau Maiwo, Deputy Executive Chairperson shared his experience and the contribution of AYC in harnessing the talent and potential of African youth to realize the demographic dividend as well as our collective aspirations of the Africa 2063 Agenda for the Africa We Want.

The intensive 15-days fellowship was started on June 8th and closed on June 22nd 2019 in the capital city of Egypt, Cairo. Fellows took part in interactive discussions and public lectures on promotion African values through self-reliance, solidarity, hard work, collective prosperity, building on the African successes, experiences and best practices for the formulation of the African model of transformation and development. In addition, they participated in site visits, high level engagement with ministers, policy makers, civil society actors, business community, and other distinguished personalities.

Mr. Mohammed Abdualshakoor, former AYC Commissioner of Peace and Security from Republic of Sudan and some members of AYC also attended the fellowship.  

AYC at Restless Development’s African Youth Powering the SDGs Webinar

AYC in collaboration with Restless Development and other partners organised a joint webinar which brought together young people from across the Africa Region to share their reflections on the main outcomes and agreed actions from the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) that took place in Marrakech, Morocco from 16 – 18 April.

This interactive webinar ‘A Journey of SDG Accountability from Marrakech to New York’ was held on May 16th, 2019 at 10am GMT, and the second in its kind, the regional webinar series of the ‘African Youth: Powering the SDGs’. The discussion was led by young people who participated in the preparatory process of the fifth ARFSD and attended the Forum in person.

Objectives:

• Share outcomes from the ARFSD and outline relevant implications and opportunities for young people in the region in terms of SDG implementation, follow up and review;

• Increase awareness and understanding towards the HLPF as a key decision making and influencing forum for SDG follow up and review;

• Create opportunities to strengthen youth networks and collaboration at national and regional levels between young people on SDG follow up, review and reporting- particularly towards the HLPF.

Africa is home to over 1.2 billion people, over 60% of whom fall below the age of 25. Youth are often seen as the future. We know we are more than the future, we are the today. The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 will depend on us, young people, playing a respected and formal role in tracking their implementation and ensuring governments remain accountable to the commitments they have made. It is therefore in our view critical that young people continue to engage in the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) and the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), to ensure our governments are reporting accurately and openly on the SDGs – the achievements, but also the failures and challenges that need to be addressed. At these Forums we further need to ensure that the roles of young people as lead implementers and influencers of the Goals are fully recognised and supported.

Our Executive Secretary, Mr. Kawsu Sillah, speaking at the webinar says, ”the role of young people is not just to hold our governments accountable to the SDGs, but young people are taking action across the region to implement the Goals”. He cited the example of Africa Youth SDGs Forum.  He added that, National consortiums and networks like the Africa Youth Commission has an important role to play in following up with governments on key outcomes.

Mr. Keith Andere, AYC Director of Programmes delivered a presentation on how young people can get engaged and influence decision through UN Major Group of Children and Youth (UN MGCY). ”Young people have the ability to self organise for the ARFSD, for example through officially mandated networks like the UN Major Group of Children and Youth, but we need to be given the opportunity, space and crucially the funding to fully participate and share our recommendations and insights alongside governments to ensure our voices are heard”, Mr. Andere said. 

Download Concept Note

For more, listen to the webinar here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2SZ9JxKGfw