Opening Remarks by Foreign Minister for the Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Meeting Plenary Session
London : Secretary General,
Excellencies, Ministers,
Senior Officials,
Youth Leaders,
distinguished guests,
members of the media,
I am very pleased to be here with you all and to have the honour of serving as your Chair for this the 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting.
This meeting is significant as youth ministers have not met since 2017 and so much has happened in the world since that time. In this meeting we have the opportunity to reflect, to share and agree on the way forward. In this the year of youth, we have a responsibility to honour the mandate given by our heads at their last sitting in Kigali. I believe the vision of the leaders in making this the year a year dedicated to youth led development is timely. We live in a ‘Young Commonwealth’. (In my own country, Pakistan, almost 70 percent of our citizens are under 30 years of age. I believe we have one of the youngest populations in the Commonwealth). If we are able to work with our young people, listen to their ideas and suggestions, invest in creating an enabling environment for them to succeed, I believe a path for a more sustainable, peaceful, prosperous and fairer Commonwealth can be achieved by 2030. Our work here, in the next few days, would have made a difference in the world.
My Government recommended the theme ‘Aiming Higher, Delivering More for young people in the Commonwealth’. Aiming higher, delivering more for young people expresses the combined aspiration and commitment of the Commonwealth family to invest in and promote young people’s development, particularly through the creation of opportunities for youth employment and entrepreneurship, recognising that the future success of the Commonwealth rests with the continued commitment and contributions of young people in promoting and sustaining the Commonwealth, and its values and principles as enshrined in Article 13 of the Commonwealth Charter.
I am happy to report that all Commonwealth member states have taken significant steps to educate and train youth, empower girls and raise awareness about climate change. Lets all learn from each other’s experiences. From Pakistan’s perspective, the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PYMP) is a flagship program of the Government prioritizing youth empowerment. It strives to mainstreaming and inclusion of marginalized youth; particularly girls, religious and ethnic minorities; persons with disabilities and transgender community. Let me share with you all some of the key steps we have taken in this regard;
i. Trained free of cost, some 400,000 youth in both high-tech skills and conventional trades, with a special emphasis on catering to foreign markets.
ii. Instituted a National Innovation Award to encourage young people to come up with innovative and out-of-box solutions to the most pressing challenges of the day.
iii. Launched the Green Youth Movement for environmental conservation, through some 137 University based Green clubs.
iv. Engaged youth in meaningful policy making through initiatives such as the National Youth Council
v. We have developed a Digital Youth Hub, providing an online portal for securing job opportunities.
In our deliberations we will discuss how we, as Commonwealth member states, can implement a robust set of polices and programmes which will help us achieve the targets and goals set out in the SDGs. For this meeting we have identified four sub-themes for our consideration: Engagement, Education, Employment and Environment. I look forward to our discussions on these theses as I believe they represent strategic areas that are critical for national development.
- Education is the cornerstone of personal growth and national development. Investing in quality education (formal and non-formal) equips young individuals with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities required to tackle the challenges of the modern world.
- Creating the conditions for economic empowerment of young people through diverse and inclusive opportunities that align with the changing global economy, will assist young people fulfil their talents and abilities.
- Engagement is the catalyst for building active and responsible citizens. Encouraging youth participation in decision-making processes and civic activities enhances their sense of belonging and ownership within society.
- The environment is the legacy we leave for current and future generations. As custodians of the planet, it is our responsibility to address climate change and promote sustainable practices. Young people are at the forefront of climate activism, demonstrating a profound commitment to environmental preservation.
At the end of this meeting we will agree on a Ministerial Statement and Action Plan. Let us work together to have robust meaning set of action that will define the next 50 years of the Commonwealth Youth Programme.
I look forward to a meaningful contribution and commitments so that this meeting will be a remarkable success. Thank you.