It is crucial for COP26 to meaningfully consider and engage with the COY16 Global Youth Statement, which seeks to officially represent the voice of the youth and their policy demands. Youths around the world are ready for change, will political leaders at COP26 deliver it?
The Youth4Climate Manifesto
The Youth4Climate Manifesto highlights youth voices under 4 main themes; 1) Youth Driving Ambition, 2) Sustainable Recovery, 3) Non-State Actors’ Engagement, 4) Climate-Conscious Society. The Youth Café, as a youth-led and youth-serving organisation with a focus area in Environmental Preservation and Climate Change, fully supports The Youth4Climate Manifesto.
4th Africa - Europe Youth Summit | Abidjan Youth Declaration X AU-EU Youth Plug-In Initiative Youth Agenda
The discussions during the AU-EU Summit were on 6 priority thematics: Business, Job Creation and Entrepreneurship; Education and Skills; Peace and Security; Governance and Political Inclusion; Climate and Environmental Preservation; and Culture, Sports and Arts, including 3 cross-cutting issues (gender equality, migration and digitalisation). The recommendations from the Youth Summit will provide inspiration and hopefully direction for the Africa-EU partnership in the years to come. The Youth Café fully supports the AU-EU Summit.
COVID-19 And The Youth Policy Report
In increasing numbers, young people are proactively combating the spread of the virus and working to mitigate and address the pandemic’s impacts. This report highlights young people’s actions to help curb the spread of the Corona virus, the impact of the pandemic on young people and considerations to take into account when engaging with young people during and after the pandemic.
Youth Development | African Union (AU)
Africa has the youngest population in the world with more than 400 million young people aged between the ages of 15 to 35 years necessitating an increase of investment in economic and social development factors, in order to improve the development index of African nations. The AU has developed several youth development policies and programs at the continental level aimed at ensuring the continent benefits from its demographic dividend. The policies include the African Youth Charter, Youth Decade Plan of Action, and the Malabo Decision on Youth Empowerment, all of which are implemented through various AU Agenda 2063 programmes.