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Kampala, Uganda | THE COMMONWEALTH | Youth development topped the agenda as the Prime Minister of Uganda, Ruhakana Rugunda, met with Secretary-General Patricia Scotland in Kampala, ahead of the 9th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting that starts on Monday.
The pair exchanged views on how countries can overcome the challenge of youth unemployment and unleash young people’s entrepreneurial spirit to contribute to national development and economic prosperity.
The PM stressed the importance of equipping young people with skills and creating jobs, as he reflected on the opportunities presented by the upcoming summit, the theme of which is ‘Resourcing and Financing Youth Development: Empowering Young People’.
“Young people are a great asset: knowledgeable and with skills to transform Uganda into a middle income country,” Rugunda said at a press conference following their bilateral meeting. “The Government of Uganda is happy to host the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting and we thank the Secretary General for the good work she is doing.”
Delegates from more than 30 countries have started arriving in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, for the ministerial meeting which is accompanied by a youth leaders forum and a stakeholders forum. The summit runs from 31 July to 4 August.
The Youth Leaders’ Forum, between 31 July and 1 August, offers a space for young leaders from Commonwealth member countries to influence and shape the global debate on youth development.
A few photographs of the Commonwealth Secretary General, Patricia Scotland (@PScotlandCSG) today at Namboole.
Pictures by @kabderrick pic.twitter.com/JlcQOBw9cZ— Derek ✴️ (@kabderrick) July 28, 2017
Young people are the richest asset
During their meeting in Kampala, the Secretary-General and the Prime Minister praised the Commonwealth Secretariat’s youth development programme and the need to empower young people and women through initiatives that encourage entrepreneurialism.
“Young people are our richest asset. To make sure we take advantage of that asset we have to look at how we can enable young people to realise their talents, to support their innovation, their initiative and their creativity. All of this is going to be discussed at the Youth Ministers Meeting here in Uganda,” said the Secretary-General.
In addition, the two Commonwealth leaders spoke of the threat of desertification to countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Secretary-General’s new regenerative development approach to reverse the impacts of climate change. The new services offered to Commonwealth member countries by the launch of the Secretariat’s Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform were also discussed.
In her remarks, Secretary-General Scotland, who presented the PM with a signed copy of the Commonwealth Charter, expressed her gratitude to the Government of Uganda for hosting next week’s conference. “I am very proud to have Uganda’s whole support and would like to thank the Prime Minister for his graciousness,” she said.
“I commit us – the Commonwealth Secretariat and myself as Secretary-General – to work hand in glove with Uganda so that we won’t just be talking about these developments, we will be delivering together, so there is a practical benefit for the people of Uganda and the whole Commonwealth.”
.@PScotlandCSG holds up the inaugural #Commonwealth #Youth Ministers Cup trophy ahead of the football match kick-off #CYMM pic.twitter.com/XxV0EDUEOl
— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) July 28, 2017
Later on Friday evening, the first ever Commonwealth Youth Ministers Cup was held at Nelson Mandela stadium in the capital city. The youth football tournament saw a young team from local school Standard High beat rivals Saint Mary’s New Hope on penalties.
The cup winner’s trophy was awarded by the Commonwealth Secretary-General. The event was organised by Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, Minister for Youth and Child Affairs.
Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting
The Commonwealth brings together government ministers, senior officials, young leaders, and youth workers from across the globe for the 9th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (9CYMM) in Kampala, Uganda, from 31 July to 4 August 2017.
The theme of the meeting is Resourcing and Financing Youth Development: Empowering Young People.
The high-level summit, held every four years, comes as the world’s youth population reaches a record 1.8 billion people aged 15 to 29. Today the youth sector stands at a crossroads, with pressure on governments to do more for their young citizens with fewer resources, and growing aspirations by young people to contribute to their societies.
The meeting will enable government ministers and senior officials to share good practices, debate emerging issues, take stock of pioneering Commonwealth initiatives and forge new partnerships for resourcing youth development. Ministers will engage directly with young leaders and youth sector stakeholders to ensure multiple perspectives are included in decision making.
