Ministers Meet to Address Youth Poverty, Crime and HIV/AIDS
17 May 2006
The issues of youth poverty, crime and HIV/AIDS will be at the forefront of discussions at the sixth meeting of Commonwealth Youth Ministers in Nassau, The Bahamas, from 22-26 May 2006.
"It is a present day tragedy that over half a billion young people [aged 15-29] in the Commonwealth are living on less than a dollar a day," said Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon.
"When you add that statistic with the worldwide statistics that 130 million young people are illiterate, 88 million are unemployed and 10 million are living with HIV/AIDS, in many ways, prospects for young people have never looked so grim.
"Saying that, good things are happening in the Commonwealth," continued Mr McKinnon. "Our Commonwealth Youth Programme is an international leader in creating youth enterprise and employment, training young people, giving young people a voice through national youth councils and raising awareness in areas like HIV/AIDS where we run a highly successful Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living."
On these issues of youth poverty, HIV/AIDS and crime the Commonwealth Secretariat is working with the United Nations to develop a Youth Development Index, along the lines of the UN's Human Development Index. The implementation of this index would assist in measuring the effect of investment in the fight against youth poverty, HIV/AIDS and crime. The index would also provide invaluable data on other key issues such as population, education, employment, health, environment, drug abuse and migration.
Over 200 participants representing 53 Commonwealth countries will attend the meeting at the Radisson Cable Beach & Gold Resort, Nassau. The meeting's theme is 'Youth Empowerment for the Eradication of Poverty, Crime and HIV/AIDS'. The meeting of ministers will be preceded by the Pan-Commonwealth Youth Caucus and Regional Advisory Board Meetings on 22-23 May.
"We are looking forward to meeting in The Bahamas and to our voices being heard as youth of the region," said Norman Gilbert, Regional Youth Caucus Co-ordinator for the Caribbean Region. "We are also looking forward to understanding how we as youth can help in achieving the objectives of the Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment, and in so doing address the many problems facing our youth."
This will be the second Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting where young people will have the opportunity to participate in meetings alongside youth ministers. The idea to give national youth representatives a seat at ministerial meetings was piloted at the last meeting of Commonwealth Youth Ministers in Botswana in 2003. The young delegates will be able to make direct interventions and fully participate in the meetings at the discretion of the head of their national delegation.
The Official Opening of 6CYMM will take place at the Wyndham Resort Ballroom on Tuesday 23 May 2006 at 1800 hours. Speeches will be given by the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, the Hon Perry Christie, and Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon. Accredited media are invited to attend.
Note to Editors:
A press briefing will be held for accredited media from 1030-1100 hours on Tuesday 23 May at the 6CYMM Media Centre at the Radisson Cable Beach and Golf Resort.
For media enquires please contact Robyn Bresnahan, Communications and Public Affairs Division on +44 (0) 207 747 6383 (until 19 May) and at +1 (242) 327 6000 for the duration of 6CYMM (22-26 May).
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