Uganda to host Commonwealth youth ministers meeting

The Government of Uganda is to host the Commonwealth Youth Ministers meeting scheduled for July 31 to August 4 this year.

The 9th Commonwealth Youth Ministers meeting will "set the pace for the development of young people."

The meeting will bring together government ministers and senior officials, young leaders, youth workers and other stakeholders from Commonwealth member countries and beyond, the Commonwealth secretariat said.

Recently Uganda's Minister for Youth, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi led a national delegation to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London to discuss preparations for the intergovernmental conference.

The Minister met with Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland, High Commission representatives, Commonwealth Secretariat staff and civil society organisations to discuss the agenda and arrangements for the ministerial meeting, which includes a youth leaders' summit and stakeholder forum.

The theme of the meeting will be ‘Resourcing and Financing Youth Development, Empowering Young People'.

"All eyes will be on Uganda," Kiyingi said adding, "We hope that at the end of the 9th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting we will have come up with models that will help young people, governments and stakeholders to access finance, assets and information to help them contribute to national and global economies."

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: "We are so grateful to Uganda for hosting this important Commonwealth gathering, during which we will discuss a range of practical solutions to address pressing challenges such as youth unemployment, marginalisation and vulnerability, as well as young people's ability to play a vital role in national development."

She explained that, "Young people possess immense capabilities and, when given the opportunity, they can lead positive change in society. I have every confidence that we will look back on this meeting as having provided a turning point in youth development. The Commonwealth is the face of the future, and young people are the future of the Commonwealth."

The previous Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting was in Papua New Guinea in 2013.