Youth unemployment to be reduced by 2% annually

Commonwealth ministers made a commitment to reduce youth unemployment by the African-Union rate of two per cent annually at the end of their conference in Yaounde on February 10, 2015.

This pledge, amongst others, was taken in Yaounde on February 10, 2015 at the end of the three-day first-ever Africa Region Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Meeting (ARCYMM), presided by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, personal representative of President Paul Biya.

Besides endorsing the call from the Young Leaders Forum of the ARCYMM to aim for a reduction in youth unemployment, the ministers emphasised the need to prioritise the engagement of young people in agriculture and the importance of integrating entrepreneurship education and training curricula.

In the domain of youth participation and civic education, the ministers resolved to commit to clear collaborative paths of action to deal with terrorism and other forces preventing peace and therefore development in Africa in partnership with, and for the sake of young people.

While committing to enhance youth participation in decision-making, the ministers also resolved to take action to advocate stronger recognition of young people in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The recommendations that were read by the Conference Secretary and Director of the Youth Division in the Commonwealth Secretariat, Katherine Ellis, were acknowledged by Philemon Yang who pledged that they will be taken seriously.

Addressing the issue of terrorism, Cameroon’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Bidoung Mkpatt, urged young people to be exemplary in undertaking actions which show that violence and extremism destroy rather than build.

In that vein and on behalf of the participating delegations, the Namibian Minister of Youth, National Service, Sports and Culture, Jerry Ekandjo, expressed support to President Paul Biya for the fight against terrorism as well as ARCYMM’s gratitude for the successful hosting of the conference.

Awards to four meritorious youth workers from South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Uganda, also featured at the closing ceremony of the conference that had as theme, “Young People Building a Stable and Sustainable Future.