Africa endorses the Commonwealth Youth Council

The Africa Region has endorsed the Commonwealth Youth Council. The Africa Regional consultation meeting on CYC was held in Dar es Salaam Tanzania from Monday 28^th January to Friday 1^st of February 2013. 54 delegates drawn from ministries of youth, National Youth Council, International Development partner organization and Regional Youth Caucus Representatives from 21 members countries across the Africa Region met and unanimously agreed to adopt the Commonwealth Youth Council as a stronger more structured way of fostering youth participation and representation in the Commonwealth. The meeting further proposed amendments and endorsed the draft constitution for the CYC.

The consultation meeting was officially opened by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Bilal, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania who assured delegates of his government’s full support and cooperation in the establishment of the CYC.

The Commonwealth Youth Council was recommended as an independent youth led council that would strengthen and widen the current Pan-Commonwealth Youth Caucus in order to represent a wide cross section of youth in the commonwealth. The recommendation of the EPG was adopted by Commonwealth Heads of Governments at their meeting in Perth Australia in 2011.All CYP centres have now held their consultation meetings and their recommendations will be table at the 8^th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in Papua New Guinea.

A comprehensive report on the consultation meeting will be circulated soon.