Addis Ababa-25th November 2018: Following the appointment of AU Youth Envoy on Africa Youth Day the 1st of November 2018-the first planning meeting between the AU Youth Envoy, Youth Advisory Council and stakeholders is set to take place at the AUC Headquarters. The planning session will be a two day intense strategy process envisioned as an engagement and consultative process between the AUC, the AU Envoy and Youth Advisory Council.

The meeting will frame out the work plan of the AU Youth Envoy and the Youth advisory board over the next two years and how they are to engage youth in the continent in line with the programmatic areas of the AUC and its policies for youth. The core strategy session builds on reports the AUC HRST Youth Division has produced such as the Demographic Dividend policy, the status report on African Youth, Agenda 2063 and the discussions and policy roundtables with Experts, the AU Youth Envoy as well as the Advisory Council are some of the engagements that will take place. The planning session which sends strong messages and calls to action throughout the continent such as “The Africa We Want – Youth as partners, assets and a prerequisite to sustainable development” will derive specific deliverables over the next two years for the AU Youth Envoy and her Advisory Council.

Attending the planning and strategy session will be other AUC Departments such as the Department of Political Affairs, the Bureau of the Chairperson, the legal Counsel, the Peace and Security Department and the Gender Office to name a few. The AU partners in attendance are UNICEF and the UNFPA who will present consolidated global outcomes on youth development issues.
H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission emphasizes that “The vision of Agenda 2063 requires various simultaneous steps towards realization, more so the role of the youth as the agents of change for accelerated growth. Post the installation of the AU Youth Envoy, we are engaging all internal stakeholders to ensure that her dynamic role is amplified, transparent and visible throughout the continent.”

H.E. Prof. Sarah Anyang Agbor, Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology asserts, “African Youth have the greatest stake in the future of the continent and bear many ideas for imparting socioeconomic change on behalf of the African continent. As a commission we endorsee all her endeavors in bringing about this change that continent needs”

AU Youth Envoy Ms.Aya Chebbi says this meeting is the beginning for structuring the proper frameworks to engage youth on the continent and build inclusive and empowering platforms for driving the Pan-African youth agenda. She adds that “It is high time for African youth voices to heard at the table of decision-making and this is a role I do not take lightly and I appreciate the support and commitment of the Youth Division and the whole commission to achieve our mission.”

Head of Human Resources & Youth Development Division Ms. Prudence Ngwenya who will be moderating the strategic proceedings added that “as a commission we encompass and embrace the economic, political as well as socioeconomic contributions youth have for the continent particularly in issues around corruption, migration, peace and security, sexual reproductive health and governance to name a few”. She states that “in the same wave length where we as the Youth Division are planning to convene to derive the Africa Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (APAYE) which will replace the Decade Plan of Action (DPoA) for Youth, we note the contributions that the AU Youth Envoy will have moving our strategic youth policies forward”

Youth and organizations across the continent are urged to continually engage with the AUC Youth Division on social media and have their voice heard and amplify their agenda for the continent media using the hashtag: #BetheFutureToday

For further information contact:
Mr. Kholekile Mnisi: Communications Officer- AUC Youth Division
Email: mnisik@africa-union.org
Tel +251 953148149

Media inquiries should be directed to:
Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou| Head of Information Division | African Union Commission |
Tel: +251 (0) 911 36 11 85 | E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org |