Latest content: Society and young people

Youth leaders representing the Commonwealth’s 56 countries have urged leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai to move beyond speeches and deliver concrete action to safeguard the planet. 

The Commonwealth Secretariat has launched a new framework that offers governments a practical guide to addressing the rising burden of cancers and non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

On day two of Kenya Innovation Week, high-level government officials and ministers met for the Commonwealth Ministerial Roundtable Discussion on Innovation, led by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts, Ababu Namwamba and Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC.

The Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Seychelles hosted a series of events in Victoria this month to boost progress on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which includes the right to live independently and education without discrimination based on disability.

Youth work associations in four countries will receive a grant from the Commonwealth Secretariat to boost training and resources and improve support to poorer communities.

Guest blog by Salome Mosha and Gideon Gachihi, Commonwealth youth leaders and mental health advocates.

You may be unfamiliar with the term “youth bulge”. The World Bank has defined it as a phenomenon in many developing countries where factors such as reducing infant mortality and high fertility rates have resulted in children and young people outnumbering adults.

The 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting has secured a range of tangible commitments for young people in the Commonwealth, including AI training opportunities, scholarships, stronger youth networks, new laws to protect vulnerable people, and more opportunities to shape policy.

Senior government ministers and other senior government officials attending the 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (10CYMM) got a feel of the impactful work some UK organisations are doing to support young people in London. The UK’s National Youth Agency facilitated visits to four innovative youth work projects to showcase different approaches to common challenges.

At the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work, Maya Kirti Nanan, Founder of the Autism Siblings and Friends Network (ASFN), was chosen as the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year for 2023.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), a special edition of the Commonwealth Youth Awards has spotlighted 50 exceptional young leaders who are committed to solving some of the world’s most difficult challenges and transforming lives in their communities.

Senior government officials have applauded the impact of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Youth Programme, including notable achievements delivered for youth development over the past six years.

The Hamish Ogston Foundation has made the largest-ever investment in heritage skills in Commonwealth history.

Women’s affairs ministers from Commonwealth countries committed to a roadmap yesterday, designed to scale up efforts to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls, especially in climate action.

The Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting opened yesterday in The Bahamas with a call for stronger action on gender equality priorities in the face of intensifying global environmental and economic challenges.

By Layne Robinson, Head of Social Policy Division

By Dr Lin Sambili-Gicheha, Project Manager, Sport for Development and Peace

Young professionals in the Pacific have created a new network to empower young entrepreneurs in the region.