Youths attending a previous Commonwealth Ministries meeting

The Commonwealth Secretariat has today convened the 9th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (9CYMM) at the Munyonyo Country Resort in Kampala, Uganda which runs from 31st July – 4th August 2017.

The theme of the meeting is Resourcing and Financing Youth Development: Empowering Young People.

Hosted by the Government of Uganda, the meeting will bring together Youth Ministers, senior officials, representative youth leaders, youth workers and other youth sector stakeholders from across the Commonwealth.

CYMMs provide a rare opportunity for Youth Ministers to debate emerging youth development issues; share good practice and identify collaborative opportunities; take stock of current policy and programming; identify and agree pragmatic actions to strengthen youth development; and agree on strategic actions to address the issues and challenges facing young people; and in so doing seize the opportunities in the Commonwealth in relation to the theme.

The high-level summit, held every four years, comes as the world’s youth population reaches a record 1.8 billion people aged 15 to 29. Today the youth sector stands at a crossroads, with pressure on governments to do more for their young citizens with fewer resources, and growing aspirations by young people to contribute to their societies.

The meeting will enable government ministers and senior officials to share good practices, debate emerging issues, take stock of pioneering Commonwealth initiatives and forge new partnerships for resourcing youth development. Ministers will engage directly with young leaders and youth sector stakeholders to ensure multiple perspectives are included in decision making.