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Multilateral Partnerships Crucial for Development

24 May 2005

"It is important to let young people participate as often as possible in programmes targeted at their development. By giving them a voice, you can hear and understand their wishes and hopes." Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon has said partnerships with other organisations, including UNICEF, add greater impact to the effectiveness of development programmes. They also reduce the duplication of aid and the waste of valuable resources.
 
The Secretary-General made these comments at the launch of the 'Adolescent and Youth Participation Handbooks' at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, UK, on 23 May 2005. The four publications were jointly produced by the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) and UNICEF based on their work in more than 70 developing countries around the globe.

Mr McKinnon emphasised that it was also important to develop partnerships with young people in devising programmes that benefit them. He stated that young citizens of the Commonwealth whom he had met during his travels had shown a great deal of enthusiasm about the world around them and had expressed their desire to be part of it. "It is important to let young people participate as often as possible in programmes targeted at their development. By giving them a voice, you can hear and understand their wishes and hopes."

The handbooks, the Secretary-General said, will help encourage and increase the participation of young people in building strong and healthy communities. He stated that youth participation can play a role in helping young people to "shape solutions to the challenges they face".

The four publications, which are accompanied by an interactive compact disc, publicise the importance of adolescent participation in development, in addition to fostering a greater understanding of the basic rights of young people. They reflect the local, socio-economic and political context of various countries, and will serve as a practical guide for young people.

Ignatius Takawira, Director of the Secretariat's Youth Affairs Division which manages the CYP.

Ignatius Takawira, Director of the Secretariat's Youth Affairs Division which manages the CYP, said that this handbook project was the result of three years of research. He stated the project has demonstrated the benefits that can be derived through partnership with UNICEF. The United Nations organisation has been collaborating with the CYP for more than a decade. Mr Takawira said that by working with governments and other development partners such as UNICEF, the CYP can play a meaningful role in helping to nurture young people in the Commonwealth. He stressed that young people are a valuable resource for the socio-economic and political progress of the association.

Sharing Mr Takawira's views on including young people in the decision-making processes was Gerison Landsdown, UNICEF UK Trustee and an international expert on child rights and child participation. She stated that the principle established in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises children are subjects of rights and must be enabled to take part in decisions and actions that affect them. "Participation is a means through which children can realise their rights. And development depends on meaningful participation. Involving children will lead to better outcomes. This is essential for the effective protection of children and young people. It makes a vital contribution towards their development, and it strengthens understanding of and commitment to the democratic processes."

Dr Victor Karunan, Senior Adviser, Adolescent Development and Participation Divison of UNICEF, who was present at the event, said: "Even before this official launch today, we have received a request from our Middle East and North Africa regional office to translate these booklets and CD into Arabic for wider dissemination in that region. This is symbolic of how people are finding this useful, and we would like to promote more of that. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with [the CYP] at the country and regional levels."