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Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (2006-2015) Recommended for CHOGM 2007

1 June 2006

Commonwealth Youth Ministers have recommended that the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Uganda next year endorse the new Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (PAYE) 2006-2015. The PAYE, drafted by the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), was presented at the Sixth Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in Nassau, The Bahamas, which took place on 24-26 May 2006.

In a Communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the ministers said the PAYE, which is aligned to Commonwealth and international mandates such as the Millennium Development Goals, provides the framework for Commonwealth youth development work in the fields of poverty eradication, democracy and good governance, HIV/AIDS and gender equality. They recognised that PAYE continues to provide a deliberate, transparent and accountable instrument for CYP's work in youth development to guide the engagement of member governments, young people and all other stakeholders.

The ministers also commend to CHOGM the CYP Strategic Plan for 2006-2008 which is focused on youth enterprise and sustainable livelihoods; governance, development and youth networks; and youth work, education and training.

The ministers agreed that governments should integrate youth development and empowerment in all policy-making, planning and programme delivery in the political, legal, economic and social spheres to promote sustainable youth development. They expressed concern over the increased pressures on governments and the CYP to develop strategic, integrated and sustainable outcomes to address escalating challenges brought about by a global youth population growth, unemployment, HIV/AIDS, violence and crime, and other challenges including globalisation. These factors contribute to greater inequity, dire poverty, vulnerability and widening social exclusion and marginalisation among young people.

The ministers urged the Commonwealth to redouble efforts at HIV/AIDS peer education and training which focus on life skills as well as lifestyles and behaviour change, and to support countries in implementing youth-centred approaches to counter the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They acknowledged the need to find more creative approaches to spread positive messages on healthy living and HIV/AIDS through music and non-traditional media that will appeal to youth populations.

The ministers noted that substance abuse, the growing incidences of communicable and preventable illness affecting youth and other pathological behaviour result from youth alienation and exclusion and from other challenges of modern-day living. They urged the CYP to continue to focus on education and awareness programmes for governments and youth to create sustainable livelihoods. The CYP's pioneering work in spearheading the Youth Development Index to achieve a standardised tool that can measure critical aspects of youth development was also noted by the ministers.

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 287, 31 May 2006