DHAKA, July 31, 2017 (BSS)-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 August 4.
State minister for Youth and Sports Dr. Biren Sikder will represent Bangladesh at the 9CYMM that brings together over 200 senior government representatives from more than 30 countries, as well as young people, youth workers and donor organizations.
The theme of the meeting is ‘Resourcing and Financing Youth Development: Empowering Young People’, said a media release today. 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.
Leading development partners and donors joining Ministers at the summit include the African Development Bank, the Amersi Foundation, Comic Relief, DFID, the IFRC, the MasterCard Foundation, NEXUS, UNICEF, UNFPA and USAID.
It comes as the Commonwealth Secretariat publishes the findings of a study of the status of youth work in 35 countries, which unearths a gap in legislative and policy provisions that protect and professionalise the status of youth workers.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “This meeting offers an historic chance to seize the opportunities created by our expanding youth population.
In order for young women and men to contribute to national well-being and economic prosperity, we must find innovative ways to promote their participation in civic and political life, remove barriers to entrepreneurship, and expand opportunities for education and meaningful employment.”
During the summit, two new Commonwealth network organisations will be formally launched: the Commonwealth Consortium on Youth Work Education and Training, and the Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Worker Associations.
Both groups are focused on enhancing the critical work done by Youth Work Professionals to support and develop young people to become positive, productive citizens.