commonwealth youth pogramme

The Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment 1

The Commonwealth Plan of Action for YouthEmpowerment

2007-2015

COMMONWEALTH YOUTH PROGRAMME

COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT

The Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment2

Acknowledgements

All those who supported the Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (PAYE)revision process:

Commonwealth Governments

Young people, including Commonwealth Youth Caucus representatives

All those who have supported the Commonwealth Youth Caucus and theCommonwealth Youth Forum:

Commonwealth Governments

Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council (CYEC)

UNICEF

National Youth Councils and other civil society bodies

All Commonwealth Secretariat staff and consultants who assisted withthe PAYE revision process, especially:

Deputy Secretary-General Mrs Florence Mugasha; Commonwealth YouthProgramme Director, Mr Ignatius Takawira; Commonwealth YouthProgramme Director, Dr Fatiha Serour; Andrew Simmons; DwynetteEversley; Cristal de Saldanha-Stainbank; Tina Ho; Omowumi Ovie-Afabor;Daniel Woolford; Dr Rawwida Baksh; Dr Mbololwa Mbikusita-Lewanika;Mischa Manderson Mills; Sonia Alexis; Andrew Robertson

Designed by kc gan designs

Cover illustrated images: Sonde Emmanuel, 20, Nigeria; Jessica Beeton,15, UK; Elizabeth Randall, 17, UK; Nagarajan Vidarthe, 20, India


Contents

Acknowledgements 2

Foreword by the Commonwealth Secretary General 5

Preface 7

Introducing the Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment(PAYE)1. The Work of the Commonwealth Youth 9

Programme2. Rationale for the Plan of Action 123. Youth Empowerment: Definition 15

and Context4. Consultation 21

The PAYE 2007-2015: Action Points and Indicators 23

Implementing the PAYE 42

Contact details 44


CYP works to engage and empower young people to enhance their contribution todevelopment. We do this in partnership with young people, governments and other keystakeholders.

Our mission is grounded within a rights-based approach, guided by the realities facingyoung people in the Commonwealth, and anchored in the belief that young people are:

A force for peace, democracy, equality and good governance

A catalyst for global consensus building; and

An essential resource for sustainable development and poverty eradication.

CYP advocates the effective participation of young women and men in thedevelopment process and for social transformation. We value their full engagement atall levels of decision-making.

Within this framework, our work is guided by the following principles:

Respect for diversity and human dignity and opposition to all forms ofdiscrimination whether based on age, political affiliation, social status, maritalstatus, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, creed or gender;

Adherence to democracy, the rule of law, good governance, freedom of expressionand the protection of human rights;

Supporting the elimination of poverty and the promotion of people-centreddevelopment, and the progressive removal of wide disparities in living standardsand equity;

Upholding international agreements on peace and security, the rule of internationallaw and opposition to terrorism and all forms of extremism;

Strengthening, enhancing and supporting the role of young people in conflictmanagement and the promotion of a Commonwealth culture of peace enshrined inrespect and mutual understanding;

Promoting a supportive environment including family, kinship and communitynetworks as core contributors to youth well being and development;

Advocating for the development of indigenous capital, research and technologyand the promotion of cultural heritage and values as enablers of youthdevelopment.

The Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP)


The Human Rights approach to development acknowledges that under-18s havethe right to expressviews freely in all matters affecting [them], theviewsbeing given due weight in accordance with [their] age and maturity(Convention on the rights of the Child 1989, Article 12)

With roughly half the Commonwealths population aged under 24 years of age(closer to three-quarters in many of our developing member countries), youthissues in development are more relevant to the Commonwealth than to manyothers and are more urgent than ever.

Between 2000 and 2015, over one billion young women and men will enter thelabour force, and currently there are not one billion new jobs waiting for them. Thisraises formidable policy questions. Is there a clear relationship betweendevelopment planning and demography in policy and practice? Are positiveinterventions planned to reflect these demographic trends, in training, employmentand education activities? What should be the positive measurable outcomes ofsuccessfully engaging even a fraction of these young people in economic activity?What is the worst possible scenario if the labour market entrants the one billionplus are marginalised, powerless and excluded?

At their 1997 meeting in Edinburgh, Commonwealth Heads of Governmentendorsed efforts to tackle this policy agenda and crucially, they endorsed theempowerment approach: it was recognised that empowering young peoplemeans creating and supporting the enabling conditions under which young peoplecan act on their own behalf, and on their own terms, rather than at the direction ofothers. (Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment to the year 2005)The Commonwealth Plan of Action was born, and subsequently approved byCommonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

Also at Edinburgh 1997 the first Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) took place, apartnership initiative between the Commonwealths governmental and non-governmental sides (with the critical input of the Commonwealth Youth ExchangeCouncil). CYF has since grown to be a regular event, bringing together officialCommonwealth youth representatives and other young leaders in civil society. I amdelighted that in the new Plan of Action the voices of these young people arefeatured alongside those of government. This is proof positive that theCommonwealth listens to young people and engages them in decision-making atthe highest level.

Foreword by the Commonwealth Secretary-General


The Commonwealth Secretariat and in particular the Commonwealth YouthProgramme wishes governments, young people and civil society partners everysuccess in implementing this new Plan of Action. Collaboration between us all willbe the key to success.

The Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon


Preface

When we commenced the review of PAYE 2000-2005 some time ago, we wantedto know how it had succeeded in helping governments to implement youthdevelopment programmes. We also wanted to hear from young people themselveswhether they felt that PAYE was effective in providing them with a platform forengagement and participation in development at the national level. The fifthCommonwealth Youth Forum (Malta 2005), in which Commonwealth youthrepresentatives played a leading role, was one opportunity to test the waters. Sowas a survey of Commonwealth youth networks.

We received some sobering responses. While the PAYE was considered anexcellent and comprehensive document, not enough people were aware of it andconsequently full use of it was not being made. Young people also said much morecould be done in the way of setting targets in youth development and measuringprogress against them.

This was a wake-up call for us. The PAYE 2007-2015 has been approved as theCommonwealths guiding strategy to guide youth empowerment and participationin the coming years, and is in keeping with the Commonwealths commitment tothe Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Our goal with this PAYE is to ensurethat it is much better marketed, internalised and used by the key stakeholders:governments; youth networks, including our Youth Caucus; other developmentpartners of the Commonwealth Youth Programme within the CommonwealthSecretariat and around the world. It is already fully in sync with our strategic plan2006-2008, and the Youth Development Index (YDI), which we are developing as astandard tool to monitor and evaluate youth development in Commonwealthcountries.

We are seeking creative ways: to make the PAYE the main reference tool forHeads of Youth Departments; to make the PAYE a bigger part of the work of theYouth Caucus in terms of awareness raising and measuring progress; to make thedocument more accessible to everyone engaged in youth development; and to beable to document and disseminate good practices in PAYE implementation. Thereare enormous resource implications in trying to meet these aims. We arechallenged to seek out firm alliances with existing and new development partnersbecause our financial allocations have not increased over the last thirty years.


Making the PAYE work for young women and men in the Commonwealth will taketremendous support and commitment from all actors involved in youthdevelopment. If we fail to engage our young people constructively, we are failingour own development as members of our local and global community. I amheartened that young people also recognise their responsibility in this process, andthat our young Commonwealth citizens acknowledge that the youth populationhas to be the driving force behind these programmes to ensure their sustainabilityand effectiveness.

Dr Fatiha Serour

Director and Head, Youth Affairs Division

Commonwealth Secretariat


Introducing the Plan of Action for YouthEmpowerment (PAYE)

The Commonwealth Youth Programme(CYP), part of the CommonwealthSecretariat, is an intergovernmentalyouth and development agencyworking primarily with membergovernments ministries anddepartments of youth.

The Plan of Action for YouthEmpowerment is a framework forCommonwealth action in youth affairs;as such it is a foundational documentfor the CYP and its ministerial network.However the PAYE also seeks tostimulate and guide action by otherdevelopment partners: fromintergovernmental agencies, to NGOs,to organisations formed of youngwomen and men themselves.

The work of the Commonwealth YouthProgramme falls under three strategicprogramme areas, all of which areguided by the Plan of Action:

Youth Enterprise and SustainableLivelihoods

Youth Work Education and Training

Governance, Development andYouth Networks

A major part of our work in YouthEnterprise and SustainableLivelihoods is the CommonwealthYouth Credit Initiative: an integratedpackage of micro-credit, enterprisetraining and business support targetedat young women and men with thepotential for self-employment. Lack ofcredit is a constraint to thedevelopment of small-scaleenterprises. Most lack access tolending institutions. The reasons forthis range from lack of collateral or acredit track record, to the fact thatmost financial institutions find it tooexpensive to administer the small loansusually sought by the small-scaleentrepreneur. Micro-credit fills this gap.

The Commonwealth Youth CreditInitiative was piloted in Zambia,India, Guyana and Solomon Islands.It has since been replicated in afurther twelve countries. In India theloan write-off rate was 2% and overa thousand enterprises were set up.Nearly a thousand people gainedfunctional literacy through theproject, and nearly 9,000 wereexposed to health awareness campsand exhibitions.

Every year CYP makes awardsworth approximately 35,000 to

1. The Work of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP)


outstanding youth-led developmentinitiatives. Over 150 applications arereceived every year. Many of theaward winners are focused onsustainable livelihoods.

In recent years severalthousand young people havereceived CYP training inInformation andCommunicationsTechnology (ICT) either at CYPregional centres orfrom mobile ICT-equippedvehicles.

Our Youth Work Education andTraining programme is dedicated toprofessionalising youth work in theCommonwealth: building a body ofspecialist knowledge, establishingcodes of ethics, getting competencystandards recognised by public servicecommissions, and organising youthworkers into professional associations.

CYP delivers a tertiary-level Diplomain Youth Development Work,through a network of 27 partneruniversities in 45 countries.

In 2006 nearly 1,800 youth workerswere studying for the Diploma. Over1,500 had graduated in the previouseight years, and a further 320 hadcompleted the Certificate in YouthDevelopment Work or shorter stand-alone courses.

The Diploma is a dream come true foryouth workers here in South Africa. The

qualification is important to giveweight to the profession.

Diploma Graduate Kgomotso Mabusela,South Africa

Our Governance,Development and Youth

Networks programmeaims to promote young

peoples participation inpolicy-making: CYP

will enhance policydevelopment andimplementationthrough the active

participation of young people in youthnetworks, governance and otherdecision-making fora in selectedcountries. This will be achievedthrough the following two programmeareas: 1. National Youth Policy andAction Plans 2. Strengthening ofgovernance structures CYPStrategic Plan 2006-2008

CYPs Youth Caucus is involved inCYPs decision-making at all levels,from strategic planning, to RegionalAdvisory Boards, to CommonwealthYouth Ministers Meeting. Membersof the Caucus are nominated bygovernment at national level.Members then elect regional andpan-Commonwealth representativeswho play a leading international role.

CYP has offered sustained supportfor an anti-HIV/AIDS network, theYoung Ambassadors of Positive

Diploma

Short leadership/management courses

Certificate


Living (YAPL). This was piloted inAfrica and has since been replicatedin Asia and the Caribbean. TheYoung Ambassadors are HIV-positiveyoung people who have volunteeredtheir time to educate others aboutthe epidemic, as well as to press forappropriate policy responses andtreatment regimes in civil societyand government. YoungAmbassadors have spread theirmessage of hope and de-stigmatisation to people in churchgroups, the media, the military,youth clubs and elsewhere. Theiractivities are living testimony to thefact that people living with HIV cannevertheless contribute actively insociety and play leadership roles.

CYP is working with UNICEF andothers to mainstream youthparticipation in developmentinitiatives. This means developingtools and approaches for

consultation and delegation to youngpeople at all stages of projects: fromsituation analysis to implementation,to monitoring and evaluation.

You know the ABC prevention strategy:Abstinence, Be faithful or use aCondom. Well, we are not selective, wejust promote every aspect of preventionand people must choose which isappropriate for them. You will find thatthere are these youth groups promotingabstinence and condemning condomuse. But, you know, the messages theypreach are often contrary to their ownbehaviour. There is this gulf betweenbehaviour and knowledge. Today,everyone knows about HIV, but its justas if they cant connect what they knowto their behaviour. Its like this medicaldoctor who is a secret smoker So ourstories are there to bridge that gulf; ourstories are the solution.

Chama Musoka (Zambia), Vice-President of YAPL

Unlike with some conferences, the CYF communiqu was not written in advance.Instead it grew from what was discussed in working groups and plenary sessions. Arepresentative of each working group served on the communiqu drafting team, whichworked together throughout the Forum.

In plenary, CYF participants were able to debate a first draft. A menu of differentoptions was presented for each of the more controversial issues. Consensus wasreached on nearly all issues. The draft was then refined by a smaller team of the mostexperienced and interested participants, with the understanding that it should respectthe consensus reached in plenary. The final draft was again discussed in plenary. Thedocument was projected and edited on screen to ensure all the key points had beenfaithfully captured.

Democracy in Action: Drafting the 5th Commonwealth Youth Forum(CYF) Communiqu


The official Commonwealth (theSecretariat and member governments)is not a group of separate organisations;it is a network. Working together withcivil society, this network is a powerfulforce for democracy and development.

The Plan of Action for YouthEmpowerment has been developed bythe Commonwealth Secretariat,working closely with Ministers of Youthand young people themselves. It is aframework document forgovernmental, inter-governmental andcivil society action for and with youngpeople in the Commonwealth.

The Plan of Action for YouthEmpowerment (PAYE) takes its placealongside human rights instruments,poverty reduction strategy papers,national budgets and other policyframeworks relevant to young peopleaged 15-29 years. Since it was firstlaunched in the year 2000, its specificcontribution has been to stimulate anassets-based approach to youthdevelopment:

Recognising young people as anasset to their societies;

Building on young peoplescapacities and agency to overcomepoverty;

Engaging young people in decision-making, as partners in democracyand development.

You must, in the formulation of yourpolicy agenda, build on the strengths ofour youth, rather than focus on thesocial ills associated with their presenceamong us.

Tennyson SD Joseph, (PhD) at the CaribbeanRegional Advisory Board Meeting September2005.

Between 2000 and 2005 a lot of goodwork was completed under theguidance of the PAYE. The new PAYE2007-2015 builds upon the lessonslearned. Most importantly it wassought to create greater synergy withthe Millennium Development Goalsand the global human rights agenda.

All Commonwealth governments havecommitted themselves to achievingthe Millennium Development Goals by 2015, and the work of theCommonwealth is geared to assist

2. Rationale for the Plan of Action

A rights-based approach to youthdevelopment involves the followingelements:

Express linkage to rights

Accountability to all stakeholders

Empowerment

Participation and

Non-discrimination and attentionto vulnerable groups.


them in doing so. By extending thePAYE to 2015, there is commitment bygovernments and the CommonwealthSecretariat to mainstream youthdevelopment as a crucial part of this effort.

By mainstreaming is meant thesystematic integration of youth affairsinto the work of all relevant stakeholders.For governments this means:

Allocating a proportion of all relevantdepartmental budgets to youthdevelopment;

Introducing a youth empowermentperspective to the work of allrelevant departments;

Setting up appropriate mechanismsfor youth participation in policy-making;

Systematically monitoring andreporting progress made in youthdevelopment; and

Building the body of knowledge onyouth affairs.

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerTodays livelihoods programmes must take account of adolescent-headed households,out-of-school youth, economic migrants, internally displaced persons and refugees. Inthis more fluid social landscape youth work expertise is needed to help resolveresource conflict issues, build consensus between the generations and promote skillstransfer where traditional pathways have broken down. It is also needed to ensurecross-sector collaboration on youth livelihoods interventions.

2. Achieve universal primary educationAlthough youth workers usually educate in the non-formal setting, they play a role inencouraging out-of-school youth to go back to education, and also in making sure theparent community understands the value of education.

3. Promote gender equality and empower womenA youth-worked community is one in which young women have a voice. Raisingyoung womens expectations and building their self-esteem is at the heart of informaleducation.

4. Reduce child mortality; 5. Improve maternal healthYouth-worked health services are ones which are approachable and non-judgemental toward young mothers, with information campaigns that connect withyouth cultures.

Youth Affairs and the Millennium Development Goals


6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseasesAs agencies look to peer-education as part of combating HIV/AIDS and encouraginghealthy lifestyles, the ability to communicate with young people becomes a life-savingissue. Self-esteem issues are central to young peoples negotiating and sustainingbehaviour change. HIV/AIDS is overwhelmingly a disease of young adults.

7. Ensure environmental sustainabilityYouth workers have a role to play in mitigating unsustainable urbanisation: by helpingyoung people toward a more realistic understanding of life in todays cities, and bybuilding recreation and livelihoods in rural areas. Youth workers are also vital toconservation and public health efforts, the sustainability of which depends on newgenerations.

8. Develop a global partnership for developmentThis Goal sets out a number of macro objectives that would improve young peoplesaccess to sustainable livelihoods, including inter alia: an open trading and financialsystem that is rule-based; debt relief; more generous development assistance; andaccess to affordable essential drugs. It also makes specific reference to youngpeople: In cooperation with the developing countries, develop decent and productivework for youth.

Key Stakeholders inYouth Empowerment: Young

Women andMen; Youth

NGOsGovernments

and PublicSectors

KeyStakeholders

in Youth Empowerment

Family andKinship Units

EducationalInstitutions

Private Sectorand Media

CivilSociety

Organisationsand Networks

Inter-GovernmentalOrganisations

(IGOs)


Commonwealth Youth Ministers andHeads of Government have endorsedthe view that:

1) Young people are empoweredwhen they acknowledge that theyhave or can create choices in life,are aware of the implications ofthose choices, make an informeddecision freely, take action basedon that decision and acceptresponsibility for the consequencesof those actions;

2) Empowering young people meanscreating and supporting theenabling conditions under whichyoung people can act on their ownbehalf, and on their own terms,rather than at the direction ofothers. These enabling conditionsfall into four broad categories:

i) an economic and social base;

ii) political will, adequate resourceallocation and supportive legaland administrative frameworks;

iii) a stable environment of equality,peace and democracy; and

iv) access to knowledge, informationand skills, and a positive valuesystem.

Empowerment is both an end and ameans. Just because not all theconditions of empowerment have beenmet in a particular society, it does notmean we cannot empower youngpeople to help bring those conditionsabout. What the enabling conditionsaffirm, however, is that young peoplecannot be expected to do the job ontheir own and unassisted; empowermentis not about shifting responsibilities ofother stakeholders (such as the state)onto young peoples shoulders.

3. Youth Empowerment: Definition and Context.

The Dynamic Cycle of Youth Empowerment:

EmpoweredYoung People

Enabling Conditions forYouth Empowerment

Collaborationbetween allStakeholders

Government Action forYouth Mainstreaming

Youth Empowerment Outcomes:Development and Democracy


The Commonwealth definition of youthempowerment finds an echo in theWorld Banks 2007 World DevelopmentReport:

Reducing risk-taking among youthrequires that they have theinformation and the capacity tomake and act on decisions.

Let us briefly examine how far each ofthe enabling conditions for youthempowerment have been met, as ameans of contextualising the new Planof Action.

i) an economic and social base

In much of the developing world(excluding India and sub-SaharanAfrica) the youth population will bepeaking in the years leading up to2015. This demographic bulgerepresents a great economicopportunity: young people will behaving fewer children and ratios ofproductive to dependent populationswill improve. However, the benefitswill only accrue if the youth sectorreceives appropriate investment. Undercurrent conditions this largest evercohort of young people are also thelargest ever cohort of unemployed. Inmany countries rising expectationshave been severely off-set by theHIV/AIDS pandemic. In short, Themajority of the developing worlds poorare children and youth. Most of theMillennium Development Goals directlytargeting the young are not likely to be

met unless greater attention is paid tothe next generation. (Children andYouth: A Framework for Action 2005,World Bank)

Globally, young people account forabout 50% of unemployment evendiscounting older youth in the 25-29years category. Unemployment ratesfor these younger youth are over threetimes as high as they are amongadults. And despite gains in primaryeducation, 133 million 15-24 year oldsare illiterate. Among these are many ofthe 13 million young women everyyear who give birth aged 15 to 19.(World Bank, 2005)

The economic and social base, and theyouth population, have in many casesbeen ravaged by HIV/AIDS:

In 2005, more than half theestimated 5 million people whocontracted HIV worldwide wereyoung people aged 15-24, morethan half of them young women.

HIV/AIDS is by far the leading causeof death among Sub-Saharan Africanyouth.

Kenya, it is estimated that the AIDSepidemic will constrain humancapital and income to 1990 levelsuntil 2030. The probability that a 20year-old Kenyan will die beforereaching 40 is projected to be 36%in 2010. Without AIDS thisprobability would have been 8%.(World Bank, 2007)


By killing mostly young adults,AIDS does more than destroy thehuman capital embodied in them; itdeprives their children of the verythings they need to becomeeconomically productive adults their parents loving care,knowledge, and capacity to financeeducation. - (Bell and others quotedin the World Development Report2007, World Bank)

Many countries have suffered economicshocks associated with tradeliberalisation and structural adjustmentpolicies. However, Some countries(e.g. India, and Bangladesh) have usedrural public works programmes as aneffective method of providingemployment to poor workers, especiallyon a seasonal basis legal andinstitutional reforms which reducevulnerability arising from labour marketscan also contribute to reducing povertyamong the working poor. A minimumwage can contribute to providingunskilled workers with better livingconditions. Similarly, social protectionsystems can help workers adapt to bothcyclical and structural change.Countries must be given the space tocraft their own economic policy. (AnAgenda for Growth and Livelihoods,Commonwealth Foundation 2006)

ii) political will, adequate resourceallocation and supportive legaland administrative frameworks

The World Bank points out (2005) thatprogrammes for children and youth

combined have rarely surpassed 15% ofits lending in the last 15 years. Youthremain a largely neglected constituencyin Bank analytical and operational work,either as participants or beneficiaries,despite their demographic importanceand their potential for positive economicand social contributions. However, thismay be beginning to change. Totalinvestment in youth has more thantripled since the year 2000, with thehighest growth being in urban and health sectors.

Political will and commitment at thehighest levels are of primaryimportance in creating the enablingconditions for youth empowerment. Atthe national level, this commitment isreflected in a governments willingnessto allocate adequate financial andhuman resources to youthempowerment. Political will is alsoreflected in legislative, constitutional,policy and administrative provisions asthey relate to youth participation andother youth issues. In federal systems,these provisions often result in thedevolution of youth affairs to state,provincial or local governments,notwithstanding the need tomainstream youth affairs in nationalpolicy-making too.

At the global level, political will is alsoreflected in international agreementsand global mandates of the UN, theCommonwealth and regionalorganisations. This includes theratification and implementation status ofa range of human rights instruments.


iii) a stable environment of equality,peace and democracy

When young people are disenfranchisedthey may become drawn into violentmovements - albeit usually asfootsoldiers (often literally), rather thanas leadership. Worldwide, an estimated300,000 people under the age ofeighteen are now or have recentlybeen involved in armed conflict, andanother 500,000 have been recruitedinto military or paramilitary forces.(World Bank 2007).

Several parts of the Commonwealthhave experienced war or politicalviolence since the first Plan of Actionon Youth Empowerment was drafted,including:

Uganda

Sierra Leone

Zimbabwe (which has left theCommonwealth)

India

Sri Lanka

Young people need not only be victimsor perpetrators of violence. They havea vital role to play as peace-builders.

The Commonwealth Plan of Actionon Youth Empowerment (PAYE)identifies a peaceful environment ofequality, democracy and peace as anenabling condition of youthempowerment. But this does notmean we passively wait for stabilitybefore beginning to listen to, andinvest in, young people. On thecontrary, we build stability by practisingyouth empowerment as a matter ofurgency...To achieve this may meangoing beyond restoring peace-timesocial structures, to understandingtheir weaknesses, for example in howfar they allow young people (especiallyyoung women) to express theiropinions or practice critical thinkingitwill be necessary to examine unequalpower relationships between womenand men (Marian Kpakpah in C21Citizens, CommonwealthSecretariat/TSO 2002)

Even though Africa producesless than 7% of global emissionsand only 4% of CO2 emissions, itis one of the regions of the worldthat is most vulnerable to climatechange. The reasons for thisvulnerability include susceptibilityto recurrent droughts, a limitedcapacity for adaptation andagricultural dependence onlimited and/or over-exploitedwater resources. This vulnerabilityto climate change, among Africancountries, could translate intoforced population movement,political instability as a result ofexacerbated conflicts aroundaccess to natural resources,considerable reductions inbiological diversity, damage tocoastal zones, rising sea levelsand risks of land submersions aswell as an increase in the salinityof ground water.

African Youth Initiative on ClimateChange (AYICC)


Similarly, young people cannot betreated as the mere recipients of either awell-functioning or faulty democracy. Byincluding CYP youth representatives inits election observation missions, theCommonwealth has signalled the needfor something more.

the Commonwealths diversity oftraditions and histories, and itsemphasis on consensus building, areits great strengths. Democracycannot be transplanted or imposed.Consensus building throughout stateand society is what makes electoralcompetition peaceful, and whatdeprives the extremists, thexenophobes, of appeal. In each of ourcountries, traditions of consensusbuilding differ that is what isculturally specific. But there is aconstant. There can be no consensuswithout young women and youngmen on board We need to lookwithin our own institutions, andrecognise that democracy begins athome. For young people, the democraticdeficit is sometimes about voting rights,but just as frequently it is about styles ofcommunication and consultation. This isan older challenge than electoraldemocracy; both the problems and thesolutions are more deeply rooted in oursocieties and economic structures. Byrecognising this and pursuing youthparticipation in every sphere, we giveour elections a greater chance of beingfree, fair, peaceful and legitimate. (DrKwadi Afari-Gyan, Chairman of theElectoral Commission Ghana, writing inC21 Citizens, CommonwealthSecretariat/TSO 2002)

iv) access to knowledge, informationand skills, and a positive valuesystem.

evidence is increasinglydemonstrating that the costs of NOTinvesting in youth are staggeringboth politically and economically. Forthe poor in particular, capital marketfailures leading to continued sub-optimal investment in human capital,such as schooling and health care,and resulting in continuing thevicious cycle of poverty are keyarguments for increased publicinvestment. (Children and Youth: AFramework for Action 2005, World Bank)

The dramatic recent progress in thenumbers of children completing primaryschools, a Millennium DevelopmentGoal, does not fully address countryneeds because the children are notlearning as much as they should. Many,even those who reach lower secondarylevels, can hardly read or write and areunprepared to cope with thepracticalities of daily life. In severalAfrican countries, half or fewer of allyoung women ages 15-24 can read asimple sentence after three years ofprimary schoolMany young people donot know basic facts that could savetheir lives, such as what causesHIV/AIDS, at a time when many beginsexual activity. Knowledge aboutcondom use is very low regardless ofgrade attained in both high- and low-HIV prevalence countries.

World Development Report 2007, World Bank

Education Gaps


Young people need a range ofknowledge and skills to cope in todaysworld: literacy, numeracy, life skills andICT skills, to name just a few. But theyalso need a positive value system.

A positive value system cannot besimply taught, as if it were anotherkind of information. A value system isdemonstrated, by actions. By theiractions, youth leaders and other rolemodels in government, civil society,media and education need todemonstrate:

That all young women and menhave grounds for self-worth;

That people of all backgrounds andin all circumstances deserve therespect and understanding ofothers;

That violence is not the way toresolve conflicts;

That traditions are often things ofvalue, but are not to be followedblindly;

That change is a constant, and mustbe faced with hope and creativity;

That consensus can be reachedthrough dialogue and debate;

That human rights are to berespected.

Heads of Government affirmed theimportance of promoting tolerance,respect, enlightened moderation andfriendship among people of differentraces, faiths and culturesagainstextremism and intolerance. Heads of

Government also requested theSecretary-General to exploreinitiatives to promote mutualunderstanding and respect amongall faiths and communities in theCommonwealth.Commonwealth Heads of GovernmentMeeting 2005

Together with the Political Affairs Divisionof the Commonwealth Secretariat, CYPplaced the following young people asmembers of Commonwealth electionobservation missions:

Ms Phyllis Andoh Zambia, (Ghana) September 2006

Ms Hajra Mungulla The Gambia, (Tanzania) September 2006

Mr Alberto Vellos Guyana, (Belize) August 2006

Ms Elaine Howard Solomon Islands,(Tonga) April 2006

Ms Mulako Uganda, Mwanamwalye (Zambia) February 2006

Ms Fipe Tuitubou Mozambique, December 2004

Mr Dev Sindhu (India) Cameroon, October 2004

Ms Nicolette Balcombe Malawi, (St Vincent & May 2004The Grenadines)

Mr Norman Sigalla Nigeria, (Tanzania) April 2003

Ms Segametsi Kenya, Moatlhaping(Botswana) December 2002

Mr Joe Billy Oge Pakistan, (Solomon Islands) October 2002

Young CommonwealthElection Observers


Percentage of responses citing the issue

Africa Asia Caribbean Pacific

Unemployment 100 100 81.3 66.7

Social & life skills 63.6 60 50 83.3

Substance abuse 63.6 60 56.3 66.7

Violence & crime 18.2 40 93.8 50

HIV/AIDS 90.9 20 68.8 16.7

Sexual issues 72.2 56.3 66.7

Education & training 81.8 80 37.5 25

Youth participation 27.3 43.8 25

Forum 5, whose recommendations toit are quoted extensively in this document.

The formal survey asked governmentsand youth networks to comment onthe PAYE 2000-2005, how it hadimpacted upon national programmesfor youth, how far it had secured youthparticipation and what had workedwell. The questionnaire also askedgovernments and young people tocomment on the issues facing youngpeople, and programming responsesthat should be adopted to addressthem. All regions scored unemploymentas the most severe issue. Africa andthe Caribbean listed HIV/AIDS as thesecond most severe issue, whilesubstance abuse was second for Asia,and a range of issues scored forsecond place for the South Pacific suchas education and training, sexualissues, inadequate socialisation andpreventable health issues.

4. Consultation

The PAYE review process in 2005-2006built on the following elements:

Regional Advisory Board Meetings

Commonwealth Youth MinistersMeetings, including a ministerialWorking Group

A Working Group of theCommonwealth Youth Caucus

A survey of all countries(governments and youth networks)conducted by Dr MbololwaMbikusita-Lewanika

Youth Forum of the 16th Conferenceof Commonwealth EducationMinisters

Commonwealth Heads ofGovernment Meeting

All of these elements involved youthparticipation even CommonwealthHeads of Government Meting waspreceded by Commonwealth Youth


Africa Asia Caribbean Pacific

Financial difficulties 45.5 20 18.8 16.7

General health 27.3 40 12.5 8.3

Inadequate opportunities 36.4 20 12.5 8.3

Suicide 9.1 41.7

Preventable health issues 40 16.7

Inadequate housing 18.2 16.7

Gender imbalances 18.2 8.3

Urbanisation 25

Generation gap 9.1 6

Abuse 6.3 8.3

Street children 9.1 8.3

Youth discrimination 9.1 6.3


The PAYE 2007-2015:Government Action Points andIndicators


1.1 Review and assess macro-economic planning and traderegimes, and address their impacton young people while seeking tomainstream youth developmentacross all sectors of the nationaleconomy.

1.2 Engage with the educationsector and with the privatesector to increase access toeducation, vocational training and

Develop and implement measures to promote the economicenfranchisement of young people1

soft skills to meet the needs of theemployment market.

1.3 Integrate entrepreneurship,savings and investment cultureand education into the educationsystem at appropriate levels.

1.4 Promote and support anintegrated approach to self-employment, micro-enterpriseand credit schemes, including:

a) the creation of incentives toagencies and private sectorpartners engaging in micro-enterprise development for youth;

b) the creation of policies thatsupport micro-credit andfinancing for youth enterprise;

c) the promotion of partnerships ofkey stakeholders to managethese schemes;

d) the development of youth-ledassociations for youth enterprise;

e) the identification of resourcesfor operating and replicatingsuccessful micro-financingschemes.

1.5 Research and develop povertyalleviation and employmentprogrammes for marginalised

We expect the international communityto accept its responsibilities towardspoorer communities by restructuring theinternational trading system

5th Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF5)

We commend the CommonwealthYouth Credit Initiative (CYCI) - CYF5

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young people including youngwomen, young men in depressedareas, indigenous youth, ruralyouth and young people at risk.

1.6 Formulate appropriate policiesto address such issues as theage and experience criteria thatfacilitate the entry of young peopleinto productive employment.

1.7 Establish national schemes andapprenticeship/internshipprogrammes to enable youngmen and women to acquire arange of skills they will need to beemployable.

1.8 Provide support to young peoplein gaining access to land, as ameans of building their economicand social base.

1.9 Promote awareness of the roleof international financialinstitutions and other multilateralagencies in national economicdevelopment.

PAYE 1 indicators:

Reduce by half the proportion ofpeople living on less than a dollar aday.

Percentage increase of youngwomen and men in formal and non-formal employment by 2015.

All governments to enact pro-youthemployment policies and incentivesby 2010.

All sectors/ministries to allocate atleast 25% of their total annualbudget in support of youthdevelopment mainstreaming.

Numbers of young people receivingentrepreneurship training as part offormal education.

Numbers of young people receivingmicro-credit.

Numbers of young peopleundergoing apprenticeships orvocational/business skills training.

Millennium Development Goal 8: develop a global partnership for developmentTarget 16: In cooperation with developing countries, develop and implementstrategies for decent and productive work for youth Indicator 45. Unemployment rate of young people aged 15-24 years, each sex andtotal.

Millennium Development Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerTarget 1: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income isless than one dollar a day


Strengthen social support systemsand collaboration between keystakeholders in youth empowerment2

2.1 Establish or strengthen nationalsupport for young women andmen in the areas of: youthhealth issues and reproductivehealth; emotional health andwell-being; the prevention andcontrol of HIV/AIDS and othersexually transmitted diseases.

2.2 Establish or strengthen nationalprogrammes for HIV/AIDS peereducation and networking forhealthy lifestyles, such as theCommonwealth YoungAmbassadors for Positive Living(YAPL) programme.

2.3 Consider the allocation of socialsector investment in each of theareas of health, education andsocial welfare, to meet the needsof young people.

2.4 Promote the integrity of thefamily unit and the strengtheningof nuclear and extended familynetworks.

2.5 Create innovative partnershipsbetween governments,intergovernmental organisations,NGOs and the private sector toincrease the availability of socialsupport systems.

PAYE 2 indicators:

Percentage increase in social sectorallocations and spending for youngpeople by 2015.

Percentage decreases in incidenceof youth crime, substance abuse,teenage pregnancy and suicide by2015.

HIV prevalence among 15-29 yearold women and men halved by2015.

Numbers of young people workingas peer health educators.

Numbers of families benefiting fromtraining (counselling, communicationskills and other).

A healthy society is one which is freefrom violence and whose citizens enjoyphysical, intellectual, social, sexual,moral, spiritual and economic well-being...

HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitteddiseases are more than just healthproblems; they are a global emergencyfuelled by poverty andunderdevelopment. - CYF5


Millennium Development Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.Target 7: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.Indicator 18. HIV prevalence among pregnant women aged 15-24 yearsIndicator 19. Condom use rate of the contraceptive prevalence rateIndicator 19a. Condom use at last high-risk sexIndicator 19b. Percentage of population aged 15-24 years with comprehensive correctknowledge of HIV/AIDSIndicator 19c. Contraceptive prevalence rateIndicator 20. Ratio of school attendance of orphans to school attendance ofnonorphans aged 10-14 years

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3.1 Formulate and implementnational policies and actionplans on youth empowerment.

3.2 Review and update existingyouth policies and theircorresponding strategic actionplans based on the assessment oftheir impact on youthempowerment.

3.3 Create or strengthenministries/departments of youthaffairs, which should includearrangements for consulting youngpeople.

3.4 Build national capacity to collectand compile socio-economicdata on the youth cohort in atimely and accurate fashion as afunction of effective planning,target-setting, monitoring andevaluation.

3.5 Integrate planning,implementation andcoordination of youthdevelopment with nationaldevelopment planning.

3.6 Set up machinery to mainstreama youth perspective in allrelevant policy areas. Forexample an inter-ministerialcommittee on youth could becreated at Cabinet/Permanent

Strengthen Ministries, Departmentsand legal frameworks for YouthAffairs3

A strong stand should be taken withregard to halting child labour and otherexploitative labour practices [CYF5calls for] governments to ratify andimplement international human rightsconventions.

Youth issues by nature cut acrosssectors, while most policies that influencethem are set within sectors. So thechallenge of coordination looms large.- World Bank 2007

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Secretary level, with theparticipation of appropriate youthorganisations.

3.7 Promote young peoplesawareness of internationalhuman rights agreements,including the Convention on theElimination of All forms ofDiscrimination Against Women andthe UN Convention on the Rightsof the Child.


Percentage increase in resourceallocations to youth ministries.

Youth development to berepresented as 25% of the nationalbudget by 2015.

3.8 Take action to eliminate theexploitation of young people,including the total abolition of childprostitution and child labour ingeneral.

3.9 Implement internationalagreements on the eliminationof violence against women.

PAYE 3 indicators:

National Youth Policy andOperational Plans in place in allcountries by 2010.

All youth ministries/departments tohave youth consultationmechanisms in place by 2010.

All youth ministries to have amultisectoral brief by 2010.

Youth mainstreaming evidenced in arange of policies and programmes.

Youth Mainstreaming

The process of assessing theimplications (for youth) of anyplanned action, including legislation,policies or programmes, in all areasand at all levels. It is a strategy formaking (youth) concerns andexperiences an integral dimension ofthe design, implementation,monitoring and evaluation of policiesand programmes, in all political,economic and social spheres so that(youth) benefit equally and inequalityis not perpetuated. ECOSOCAgreed Conclusions 1997/2

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4.1 Establish achievable targets foryoung men and women toparticipate in political leadershipat various levels of government,from community level through tonational parliaments. This will besupported by citizenship educationand consultation programmes.

4.2 Establish, strengthen andsupport national and regionalyouth councils.

4.3 Strengthen youth networks atthe national and regional leveland integrate them with globalyouth networks.

4.4 Build young peoples decision-making capacities throughvolunteering programmes.

4.5 Encourage young people toregister to vote.

4.6 Review the voting age andconsider whether it should belowered to enfranchise greaternumbers of young people.

4.7 Support civil societyorganisations that practiceparticipatory democracy.

4.8 Strengthen young peoplesparticipation in family andcommunity decision-making.

PAYE 4 indicators:

National Youth Councils establishedin all countries by 2008.

Combined membership oforganisations affiliated to NationalYouth Council.

Budget allocated to National YouthCouncil.

Youth membership of othervoluntary civil society organisations.

Capacity-building for National YouthCouncils and other youthorganisations.

Seats for youth on decision-makingbodies (such as committees andcouncils).

Voting age.

Percentage increase in Youth voterregistration and participation in theelectoral process.

Promote the participation of youngpeople in decision-making4

Effective education on rights andresponsibilities allows space for youngpeople to arrive at their own informedviews and to participate in thegovernance process withoutdiscrimination The role of youthorganisations, National Youth Councilsand Parliaments, as well as tradeunions should be increased andrecognised - CYF5


Promote positive role models andfoster young peoples self-esteem5

The media plays a powerful role inshaping perceptions of sexual behaviouramong young people. All mediaorganisations should take theirresponsibilities seriously - CYF5

5.1 Encourage the promotion ofindigenous images and rolemodels in the media, and thecross-cultural exchange andsharing of such.

5.2 Take action to curb negativestereotypes of young people inthe media, and provide youngpeople with opportunities topropagate alternative images.

5.3 Develop sporting and culturalmodels that appeal to youngpeople and that encourage culturalidentification and indigenous self-expression.

5.4 Develop award schemes forexcellence in achievement.

5.5 Promote inter-generationalexchange of knowledge throughmentoring programmes.

5.6 Promote awareness on civicpride and responsibility fornation-building.

5.7 Encourage the protection ofnatural resources andenvironmental heritage.

PAYE 5 indicators:

National schemes for excellence inachievement (in arts, media,education, environment, nation-building etc) for youth in place in allcountries by 2010.

National schemes enabling youthparticipation in media programming.

Numbers of young peopleparticipating in mentoringprogrammes.

Numbers of young people who aremembers of historical/environmentalconservation groups.

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6.1 Ensure that data on whichpublic policy is developed aredisaggregated according togender, age, ability/disability,socioeconomic status andethnicity.

6.2 Adopt an equal employmentopportunities policy andencourage the private sector to dothe same.

6.3 Conduct impact assessmentsassessing the effects of policies,legislation, administrativeprocedures and regulations onspecific social sectors.

6.4 Provide training for youngpeople in gender sensitisationand awareness raising.

6.5 Mainstream education andemployment opportunities fordisabled people.

PAYE 6 indicators:

Macro programmes targetinggender equity and youth in specialcircumstances in place by 2010.

Equal opportunities policies in placeby 2010.

Take action for equality betweenyoung women and men, and foryouth in special circumstances6

Legislation, skills training programmesand regulatory frameworks continue tofail certain sectors of society, particularlyyoung women, ethnic minorities andpeople living with disabilities.Inadequate employment and trainingpolicies can have side-effects whichendanger plural society and stabledemocracy, providing an opening forxenophobic movements. - CYF5

young people and women aredisproportionately affected by violenceand sexually transmitted diseases.Governments must improve legalframeworks to protect those affected bydiscrimination, sexual harassment andviolence. These must be seen by allCommonwealth citizens and governmentsas human rights issues. - CYF5

Millennium Development Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women.Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferablyby 2005, and in all levels of education no later than 2015.Indicator 9. Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary educationIndicator 10. Ratio of literate women to men, 15-24 years oldIndicator 11. Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sectorIndicator 12. Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament


7.1 Provide training for youngpeople in good governance,human rights and democraticpractice.

7.2 Provide training in peacebuilding, negotiation, mediationand conflict resolution; includesuch training in school curricula andpromote its implementation byyouth groups in civil society.

7.3 Ensure that young people arefully informed of their humanrights and are able to exercisetheir rights freely.

7.4 Involve young people in themonitoring and implementationof human rights instruments,and free and fair elections.

7.5 Promote the practice of suchpositive values as equality,tolerance, cooperation andrespect for diversity.

7.6 Take steps to ensure the rightsof young people are upheld bythe criminal justice system.

PAYE 7 indicators:

Human rights education is part ofschool curricula and part of all youthdevelopment training in allCommonwealth countries by 2015.

Numbers of young people involvedin governance, democracy andhuman rights education a) aseducators b) as beneficiaries.

Youth membership of electoralcommissions.

Ratification status of human rightsinstruments

Promote peaceful and democraticenvironments in which humanrights flourish7

We believe in the liberty of theindividual under the law, in equalrights for all citizens regardless ofgender, race, colour, creed or politicalbelief, and in the individualsinalienable right to participate bymeans of free and democratic politicalprocesses in framing the society inwhich he or she lives - The HarareCommonwealth Declaration, 1991

CYF is concerned about democraticdeficits at national and global levelsconstitutionalism, electoral democracy,and respect for human rights and therule of law [are] necessary steps towardsaccountable, transparent and responsiblegovernment that ensures the basic needsof all citizens are met. - CYF5


8.1 Prioritise basic education andliteracy programmes, ensuringthe participation of rural youth andthose in special circumstances.

8.2 Review educational curricula toinclude components of enterprise,life skills, conflict resolution,culture, human rights and theenvironment, as appropriate.

8.3 Broaden access to secondaryand higher education, makinguse of cost-effective means suchas distance learning.

8.4 Promote knowledge transferthrough volunteering andmentoring opportunities,including promotion of indigenousknowledge.

PAYE 8 indicators:

A 50% increase in literacy andnumeracy for young people in ruralareas, indigenous youth, youngwomen and girls and other youth inspecial circumstances by 2015.

Life skills (including HIV/AIDSprevention) mainstreamed in alleducation systems by 2010.

Percentage increase in secondaryand higher education students.

Numbers of young people reachedby volunteering and mentoringschemes.

Provide quality education for all8Education is a right and not a privilegeand should therefore be available andaffordable to all Quality educationrequires a holistic approach in whichlearner, teacher and parents support isa key aspect. Financial, moral andpsychological support as well ascommunity involvement is equallyimportant to successful learning wecall on governments and heads of stateto affirm their commitment toeliminating all barriers to educationthat result in millions of femalelearners not accessing qualityeducation. - Youth Forum of 16th Conferenceof Commonwealth Education Ministers

Education is critical to the formationof young entrepreneurs We also seeeducation and employmentopportunities for young people as key tomaintaining social cohesion - CYF5

Millennium Development Goal 2:Achieve universal primary educationIndicator 6. Net enrolment ratio inprimary educationIndicator 7. Proportion of pupilsstarting grade 1 who reach grade 5Indicator 8. Literacy rate of 15-24year-olds


9.1 Promote the inclusion of ICT inschool curricula.

9.2 Incentivise private sectordevelopment of ICT infrastructure

9.3 Train young people in the use ofICTs

9.4 Establish public tele-centres andother community programmesthat provide access to ICTs.

9.5 Encourage girls and women tomake use of ICT through targetedprogrammes.

PAYE 9 Indicators:

Number of schools using ICTs andoffering ICT training as part of thecurriculum.

Number of community and peer-education programmes using ICTsand offering ICT training.

Number of government incentivesto private sector for youth access totelephones, Internet and other ICTs.

Improve access to information andcommunication technology (ICT)9

Today ever greater amounts ofinformation are disseminated over theInternet and by electronic means ofcommunication. Yet the infrastructurefor Information and CommunicationsTechnology is underdeveloped in mostCommonwealth regionsBridging thatdigital divide is key to a more equitablefuture - CYF5

Millennium Development Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for developmentTarget 18: In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of newtechnologies, especially information and communicationsIndicator 47. Telephone lines and cellular subscribers per 100 populationIndicator 48. Personal computers in use per 100 population Internet users per 100population

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10.1 Promote sport and culture asan investment in nationaldevelopment, using sport andculture at local and regionallevels to engage young peoplein team-building, leadership andhealthy living.

10.2 Integrate drama and sportseducation with otherprogrammes for basic and/orinformal education onenvironmental awareness;health and well-being (includingdiet and nutrition, sexual andreproductive health, substanceabuse); and human rights.

10.3 Promote sporting and culturalcontacts and exchanges at thenational, regional and pan-Commonwealth level (includingthe Commonwealth YouthGames) to foster tolerance,understanding and cooperation.

10.4 Encourage young peoplesartistic and culturalexpression through festivals,competitions and other means.

10.5 Promote national identitiesand national heritage at local,national and pan-Commonwealthlevel in ways that recognise andcelebrate diversity.

Promote health, developmentand values through sports andculture10

Young people are inheritors as well ascreators of cultural values. We areaware of our, as well as ourgovernments, responsibility to fosterpositive cultural customs andpractices Governments should createand implement culture-conscious schoolcurricula that introduce health andsexuality education from the first yearsof schooling. - CYF5

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10.6 Ensure that sport and culturalprogrammes are gender-aware and seek to increase theparticipation of young women.

PAYE 10 Indicators:

Investment in sporting and culturalfacilities at community level.

Numbers of young peopleparticipating in sporting and culturalexchanges at sub-regional, regionaland international level.

National Youth and Sports Policy andOperational Plans integrated in allCommonwealth countries by 2015.


11.1 Engage young people inawareness raising on climatechange and other pressingenvironmental issues.

11.2 Tap the knowledge base ofyoung people and theirgrassroots organisations as partof environmental monitoring andscientific data gathering.

11.3 Engage young people intechnology transfer anduptake issues, including forexample youth participation incitizens juries.

11.4 Train young people in naturaldisaster preparedness andrelief.

11.5 Stimulate ethicalconsumerism among youngpeople as an entry point toenvironmental awareness.

11.6 Mainstream environmentaleducation and debate as part ofschool curricula.

PAYE 11 Indicators

Numbers of grassrootsorganisations participating inenvironmental awareness raising,monitoring and data gathering.

Numbers of school studentsreceiving environmental education.

Engage Young People to Protectthe Environment11

The creativity, ideals and courage ofthe youth of the world should bemobilized to forge a global partnershipin order to achieve sustainabledevelopment and ensure a better futurefor all. - Agenda 21, 1992

it is not possible to talk of enterpriseand sustainable livelihoods withoutseriously considering sustainabledevelopment namely economicgrowth that does not threaten theenvironmental sustainability of ourplanet [and] that is economicallyjust - CYF5

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12.1 Invest in youth workeducation and training bysubsidising the CommonwealthDiploma in Youth DevelopmentWork and similar programmes.

12.2 Facilitate the recognition ofyouth work training by PublicService Commisisions.

12.3 Partner with associations ofyouth workers to draft codesof professional ethics withexpress linkage to human rights.

12.4 Partner with associations ofyouth workers to establishformal registration and de-registration regimes.

12.5 Consult associations of youthworkers as partners in thepolicy-making process.

PAYE 12 Indicators

Level of investment in youth workeducation and training.

Youth worker registration formalisedby 2010.

Numbers of formally trained andregistered youth workers employedby a) the state; b) civil societybodies.

Policy initiatives involving youthwork professionals.

Professionalise the youth worksector12

Young people must take the lead inknowledge and skills transfer withintheir communities. - Youth Forum of 16thConference of Commonwealth EducationMinisters

Civil society also plays an importantrole In providing the necessary socialenterprise skills to young persons. - CYF5

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Monitor and evaluate progress inYouth Development13

The final aim of this document is topush for action in a down-to-earth wayamenable to measuring progress. - CYF5Communiqu

There is still no adequate instrument to measure how well these youthdevelopment programmes areperforming - Tamam, Suandi and Hamzah,Commonwealth Inter-Agency Consultation onthe Youth Development Index (2005)

13.1 Collect quantitative andqualitative data on youthdevelopment, including onPAYE Indicators.

13.2 Engage young people inparticipatory monitoring andevaluation of youth programmes.

13.3 Synthesise findings intoperiodic reports.

13.4 Consider building upon PAYEindicators to develop a nationalYouth Development Index (YDI)as a measuring tool.

13.5 Partner with Commonwealthand UN agencies to share bestpractices and develop a YDIwhich is common toparticipating countries.

PAYE 13 Indicators

Participatory surveys on youthdevelopment issues at local,regional and national levels.

Inclusion of youth-specific data inpoverty reduction strategy papers,national budgets and other policyframeworks.

Reports on progress on PAYEindicators at Commonwealth YouthMinisters Meeting and other fora.

Development of a Youth DevelopmentIndex (YDI) appropriate to nationalcircumstances.

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Implementing the PAYE

The Plan of Action for YouthEmpowerment will be implementedprimarily at national level, relyingheavily on mainstreaming of youthissues into national developmentagendas. This will maximise the use ofscarce human and financial resourcesand ensure that the cross-cuttingnature of the PAYE is realised. Youthministries and departments must bestrengthened as part of this process, toensure that they can act as leadagencies in research, planning, target-setting, monitoring and evaluation onyouth issues.

In this regard PAYE can be used as amodel Strategic Plan for youthdevelopment that governments caninterrogate, reshape and adapt in a waythat is most relevant to their ownnational youth development agenda.

The effectiveness of the PAYE will alsodepend on the widest possiblecommunication, distribution and

marketing of PAYE publications and athorough process of publicsensitisation, awareness-raising andsocial marketing. The CommonwealthSecretariat will work with membergovernments and CYP youthrepresentatives to achieve this,through the strategic use of youth-friendly information and communicationin a range of media.

At Meetings of Commonwealth YouthMinisters and Regional AdvisoryBoards, member governments will beinvited to report progress on PAYEAction Points and share best practices.For most indicators governments willdecide their own quantitative targets,as these will vary widely in differentparts of the Commonwealth. TheCommonwealth Youth Programme willadopt the new Plan of Action as centralto its monitoring and evaluationframework, and conduct a mid-termreview in 2010.


The Commonwealth Secretariat will undertake the following actions to supportgovernments in their implementation of the PAYE:

Commonwealth Secretariat Action PAYE Government Action Points supported

Develop models for promotion of youth employment, for example 1, 9by supporting the replication of the Commonwealth Youth Credit Initiative, providing Enterprise Development training and providing ICT training.

Provide technical assistance on mainstreaming youth issues in 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13national development.

Provide technical assistance and capacity-building for the research, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13formulation and implementation of national youth policies and

implementation plans.

Promote the establishment and inter-linking of youth networks (such 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11as National Youth Councils; Commonwealth Youth Forum) at national, regional and pan-Commonwealth levels, including through the use of IT platforms and including youth in special circumstances.

Promote the convening of regional fora for policy-making on 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 12, 13youth affairs.

Strengthen sporting contacts throughout the Commonwealth 5, 10and promote the use of sport and cultural activities to empower young people.

Partner with other relevant organisations on creative public 1-13information projects including on Commonwealth values, human rights and the PAYE.

Mainstream youth affairs within the Secretariat, impacting on a range 1-13of CFTC-funded projects.

Assist governments in the ratification and implementation of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7international human rights agreements pertaining to the rights of young women and men, including youth in special circumstances.

Assist participating countries with development of the Youth 1-13Development Index (YDI) as a monitoring and evaluation tool for work done under the PAYE.


Commonwealth Youth Programme(Pan-Commonwealth Office)

Commonwealth SecretariatMarlborough HousePall MallLondon SW1Y 5HXUNITED KINGDOMTel: +44 (0)20 7747 6456/6462Fax: +44 (0)20 7747 6549E-mail: [email protected]: thecommonwealth.orgYouth Caucus members contactdetails are available from this site.

CYP Africa Centre

University of ZambiaGreat Road Campus, Great East Road, PO Box 30190LusakaZAMBIATel: + 260 1 252733, 252153, 294102Fax: +260 1 253698E-mail: [email protected]

CYP Asia Centre

Sector 12 (PEC Campus), Chandigarh - 160012 INDIATel: 91 172 2744482/ 2744463/274182 Fax: 91 172 2745426, 2744902E-mail: [email protected]

Contact details

CYP Caribbean Centre

Homestretch AvenueD'Urban Park, P.O. Box 101063GeorgetownGUYANATel: +592 2 268565 Fax: +592 2 268371E-mail : [email protected]

CYP Pacific Centre

Lower Panatina CampusPO Box 1681, HoniaraSOLOMON ISLANDSTel: + 677 38374/5/6Fax: +677 38377E-mail: [email protected]

commonwealth youth pogramme

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