The Gambia will host the 3rd African Youth Conference on African Unity and Development from March 23-26.
The conference co-hosted by the Gambia National Youth Council and the African Youth Commission Secretariat under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports will attract 300 delegates from across the continent and even beyond.
Participants will include youth organisations and networks, youth leaders, youth activists, young entrepreneurs, representatives of Government, policy makers, Inter-governmental, AU Commission, Nepad Agency, UN agencies, civil society and private sector, academia, and other local and international development partners and foundations from across Africa and Diaspora.
According to the National Youth Council officials this third edition will create a youth-led open space for young people to interact, promote pan-Africanism and participate in the implementation of African Unity project. It will also inspire and encourage active youth leadership and participation in social, economic and political spheres at all levels, among other objectives.
The discussion at the conference will be centered on six thematic areas aligned to the AYC Strategic Plan 2018-2020 and The Gambia Country Programme of Action on Youth.
The Gambia has strong reputation and expertise in youth administration on the continent and the Banjul congress is expected to be the most successful. The first and second editions were held in Ethiopia and Zimbabwe respectively.
The African Youth Commission has, over the last two years, provided a space and voice for youth and youth organisations to set and drive their own development agenda, promoted the involvement of young people as key partners in the implementation of the Africa 2063 Agenda as well the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, supported advocacy actions on the ratification and implementation of the African Youth Charter, other youth rights-based legal instruments and contributed to advancing the AU shared values through a network of locally based youth actors.The annual African Youth Conference on African Unity and Development is a multi-stakeholder youth-led and driven platform aimed at building capacities and strengthening engagement of children and youth in the current policy and decision making processes at national, sub-regional and continental levels.
