Following the successful inauguration of the Gambia, Kenya and Uganda National Consortiums last year 2018, the AYC is set to officially launch its Consortium in Senegal with the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Dakar as pioneer member. JCI Dakar is part of JCI global movement that challenges the status quo by inspiring young people to recognize their responsibility to create a better world and empower them to drive change.
The official launch is in line with the AYC’s core mandate and founding principles to foster synergies among youth and youth organisations, build capacities of youth-led and youth-serving organisations to provide youth friendly space and amplify youth voices in current policy and decision making processes. Since its inception in 2013, the AYC has been in the forefront promoting Pan-Africanism, mobilizing young people for African Unity and Development through influencing youth inclusion, participation and engagement in the implementation of the Africa 2063 Agenda as well the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, supporting advocacy actions on the ratification and implementation of the African Youth Charter, other youth rights-based legal instruments and contributing to advancing the AU Shared Values in African countries and diaspora.
The ceremony will be officiated by Ms. Natalie Sonia Mukundane, Executive Chairperson of the AYC and graced by youth leaders, government officials, representatives from youth civil society and non-governmental organisations, UN agencies, other partner agencies and youth development actors in Dakar, Senegal.
With this launch, Senegal becomes the fourth country in Africa officially mandated to implement AYC activities at national level in alignment with AYC Strategic Plan 2018-2020, which outlines practical steps to create decent job and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people, improve health services including comprehensive sexuality education in formal and non-formal education, promote human rights and deliver good governance, accountability and social cohesion at all levels as well as encourage inclusion and active participation of youth in the maintenance of peace and security in the country, at regional and continental levels.
The launch will take place on Saturday 27th July 2019 from 9:00am at the Goree Institute located at Villa Malolo, 1 rue du jardin Ile de Gorée – BP 05.
The High-level Political Forum(HLPF) will be held from 9 to 18 July 2019 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The HLPF will serve as a central platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The theme will be “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.” The focus will be on reviewingthe progress and implementation of a specific set of SDGs: Goal 4, Quality Education; Goal 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth; Goal 10, Reduced Inequalities; Goal 13, Climate Action; Goal 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; and Goal 17, Partnerships for the Goals.
Today, the world is the youngest it has ever been with over one billion youth, of which 600 million live in violence- and conflict- affected areas. Of the approximately 1.4 billion people worldwide living in countries impacted by crime, violence, conflict and fragility, 50 per cent are under the age of 20. In 2016, children under the age of 18 constituted 51 percent of the refugee population, compared to just 31 per cent of the global population. Forced displacement has mainly affected developing nations, which currently host the majority of the forcibly displaced.
During the side event, participants will look at the theme of the HLPF, “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”, from a youth perspective. Participants will identify mechanisms that empower youth,discuss youth’s role in peace and security, and advance collaboration efforts in the implementation and localization of SDG 16, including how it is relates to SDG 4. The discussions will also focus on how education can play a key role in the implementation of SDG 16. Achieving inclusive and equitable quality education for all will require increasing efforts, especially in sub-Saharan Africa for vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities, indigenous people, refugee children and poor children in rural areas. UNODC’s Education for Justice (E4J) initiative – under the Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration – has been developed to create and disseminate education materials in UNODC mandated areas of crime prevention and criminal justice across the primary, secondary and tertiary education levels. Overall, the objective is to empower youth to become socially responsible global citizens with a sound moral and ethical compass who are prepared to tackle the world’s challenges related to the rule of law, particularly on SDG 16 and other related Sustainable Development Goals.
This session will build on the previous UNODC and The Gambia National Youth Council joint side event that took place in Banjul, The Gambia during the AYC 3rd Pan African Youth Conference on African Unity and Development which brought together youth representatives from across Africa to engage in a dialogue with young African leaders, who are involved in government, policymaking and youth empowerment initiatives. As an independent Pan-African youth network founded by young leaders to foster synergies among youth and youth organizations, The Africa Youth Commission (AYC) will be a key partner in the side event. AYC is committed to providing a space and voice for youth to be key partners in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the UN Agenda 2030; Sustainable Development Goals, UNSCR2250 and the Africa 2063 Agenda.
The Gambia National Youth Council, Office of The African Union Youth Envoy, The United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth will also play a significant role in the side-event.