STATEMENT TO ALL THE AFRICAN YOUTH

From the CHAIRPERSON OF THE
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION
ON THE OCCASION OF THE
8TH EDITION OF THE AFRICAN
YOUTH DAY
1ST NOVEMBER 2013
On the commemoration of 2013
African Youth Day, I wish to
congratulate and extend my best
wishes to all the young people of
this continent.
This celebration is very important
to us at the Commission of the
African Union, especially because it
coincides with the celebration of
the 50th anniversary of the
formation of the Organisation of
African Unity. This organisation
was founded in 1963 and for the
period of its existence incorporated
programmes and strategies for
self-reliant development and
cooperation among African
countries. This dream and
aspiration for a self-sufficiency led
to the formation of the African
Union in 1999. It is for this reason
that the African Union was formed
and has as a vision “an integrated,
prosperous and peaceful Africa,
driven by its own citizens and
representing a dynamic force in
global arena”. It is against this
background that the African Union
set out the Agenda 2063, a
strategic plan of action, which is
aimed at ensuring that we work
together to achieve the vision of
the African Union in the next 50
years. Depending on how the
agenda 2063 will be implemented,
Africa’s development will reflect
your efforts, involvement and
commitment for action. Africa we
want to see and deliver in 2063 will
be the legacy you will handover to
your children and grandchildren.
It is not enough to speak, write and
disseminate a content and planned
strategy to improve the
development of the African
continent and its people. It is not
enough to involve the youth in the
process. It is important and non-
negotiable to ensure meaningful
participation of all segments of
African citizens in the
implementation of the agenda
2063. There will be no excuse for
anybody not taking part in this
process. Each stakeholder must
play its role. African Youth, be
aware that you have to play your
part, starting from now. Be
confident that we know that YOU
CAN DELIVER.
More than anything else, we, The
African Union and its Commission,
realise that the success of this
Agenda 2063 can only be achieved
with the active engagement and
participation of all, especially the
young people, who will be
delivering to the younger
generation in 2063. We realise that
when we speak of a transformed
Africa we speak of the Africa where
the young people of today are our
main players and partners for a
sustainable development of the
continent. We also acknowledge
the fact that the resourcefulness,
energy and dynamism of our young
people are important assets, which
should help us achieve our
objectives. For these reasons, we
are earnestly desirous of the full
commitment of young people, both
on the continent and in diaspora, to
the vision of a prosperous and
peaceful Africa by 2063.
A key component of our call, today,
is for young people to take
ownership of this vision of a
prosperous and peaceful continent.
As recommended by the framework
of Agenda 2063, our invitation on
this day is for young people to
work with us at all levels for a
common goal – a desire for
accelerated progress on the
continent. Ownership of this vision
ensures that young people take
their future, our collective futures,
into their hands. It means that
young people are active and
engaged to meaningfully participate
in the conception, design,
implementation, monitoring and
evaluation of Agenda 2063.
It must be said that effective
engagement and involvement in
development begins from being
adequately prepared, educated,
skilled and trained to take action.
For this reason, it is important to
proactively improve our work on
human capital development. We are
fully committed to seeking out new
ways to aggressively develop new
skills and update competencies for
the requirement of a modern
technology and innovations on the
continent. More importantly, our
young people should show
commitment for self-development
and make themselves open to the
various opportunities, which are
made available to them. Action is
required more than ever. We have
said it all. Reports, resolutions,
decisions, declarations are all
adopted. Only actions,
implementations, innovations are
what Africa needs most. Youth
United in Action towards the
Agenda 2063 is and must be the
one of the ways to go for positive
and constructive changes
While we discuss the need for
young people to take action, I want
to enjoin the AU Member States to
accelerate their work towards
creating an enabling environment
to make this happen. May I remind
us of our commitment to youth
engagement and the Entry into
Force of the African Youth Charter
and the African Youth Day, the 8th
edition of which we celebrate
today? I enjoin all member states
to invest in youth and support
activities towards the ratification
and implementation of the African
Youth Charter thus re-affirming
their commitment towards the
development of the youth on the
continent.
Finally, I call on all of us, partners
in development, to continue to
create platforms and networks that
increase participation of our young
people in very concrete ways, to
continue seeking opportunities and
challenging yourselves so as to
significantly continue to contribute
to a prosperous and peaceful
continent.
As we have made commitments to
the future we want, I enjoin us to
always remember to match our
words with concrete effort and
actions as we chart this new
course.
All the best,
Long live African Youth!
God bless Africa!
I thank you!