PRESS RELEASE Nº301/2014
Ministerial Session of the First Ordinary Session of the Conference of Specialized Technical Committee on Youth Culture and Sports (STC-YCS-1)
Addis Ababa, 31st October 2014: On the eve of celebrating the African Youth Day on 1st November 2014, the Ministers’ Session of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Youth, Culture and Sport (STC-YCS-1) opened on 31st October at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Ministerial Session was preceded the Experts’ session in which different issues pertaining to the development of the Youth, Culture and Sport sectors at continental level as well as establishment of synergies among the three sectors to enable the joint operationalization of the Specialized Technical Committee were discussed.
In his welcoming remarks, H.E. Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, the AUC Commissioner for Social Affairs highlighted that the theme of the meeting “Building the Interface between Youth Culture and Sports” is not only appropriate in linking youth to very important sector, but it underlines the value of these sectors in “ameliorating the problems associated with the youth bulge, especially the youth employment deficits the continent is confronted with,” he said.
Dr. Kaloko also talked about the need to address the migration crisis particularly among youths in Africa, which he called “a running sore and an embarrassment to a continent so endowed with a substantial percentage of the world’s mineral and natural resources.” He then noted that the “Africa we want” is attainable if only dedicated and concerted efforts on the part of all Africans- young and old, cultural workers and artists, sports women and men, including Africans in the Diaspora- are honestly invested.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Mr. Mulugeta Seid, State Minister of culture and Tourism of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, noted that Ethiopia is expanding its cultural cooperation with several African states, in the spirit of African Cultural Renaissance and Pan-Africanism. He called upon African Member States to join efforts to make the African culture the source of African strength and spirit of African Unity.
In the parallel event, African youth from different African states have convened at the AUC headquarters in Addis Ababa in a preparatory meeting aiming to build a year-long road map of activities and to celebrate the African Youth Day on 1st November.
The 1st Specialized Technical Committee Meeting on Youth, Culture and Sport (STC –YCS1) is being attended by Ministers in charge of Youth, Culture and Sports, government experts or directors responsible for the concerned sectors as well as a selected number of youth leaders, Pan-African and international organizations working in the areas of Youth, Culture and Sport, invited guests and observers.

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For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: DIC@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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