Decision on the First Ordinary Session of the Conference of African Ministers in Charge of Youth

DECISION ON THE FIRST ORDINARY SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE
OF AFRICAN MINISTERS IN CHARGE OF YOUTH

DOC. EX.CL/262 (IX)

The Executive Council:

1. TAKES NOTE of the report;

2. ADOPTS the conclusions and recommendations of the Ministers in charge of Youth;

3. ENDORSES the establishment of the Ordinary Session of the Conference of the Ministers in charge of Youth of the African Union, to be held every two (2) years,;

4. WELCOMES efforts by Member States and Youth Organizations in the development and finalization of the African Youth Charter;

5. ACKNOWLEDGES the role that youth have played in the political liberation of different countries in the continent and the present challenges facing them today;

6. RECOGNIZES the existence of many development initiatives by youth organizations in many countries and call for a better coordination between these initiatives to facilitate appropriation of the African Youth Charter;

7. ALSO ACKNOWLEDGES the urgent need to promote African Youth development and to enhance youth involvement in the African development agenda and expand provision of qualitative action for their benefit;

8. ENDORSES the African Youth Charter and its popularization process;

9. PROCLAIMS the African Youth Charter as the Legal Framework for all African youth organizations and associations;

10. ALSO PROCLAIMS the 1^st November as the African Youth Day and DECLARES 2008 as the Year of the African Youth;

11. CALLS ON Member States to ratify the African Youth Charter as the legal framework for all Youth Organizations;

12. ENDORSES the revitalization of the Pan African Youth Union as a continental youth structure to coordinate the popularization and the appropriation of the Charter by all African youth organizations.

13. ALSO CALLS UPON Member States to mobilize the necessary resources for the popularization of the Charter and the development of national programmes of action for the Youth;

14. FURTHER CALLS UPON the Commission, the Regional Economic Communities and the Member States to strengthen cooperation as well as support coordination mechanisms for the implementation of the Charter;

15. APPEALS to International Agencies, as well as Non- Government Organization (NGOs), Civil Society, Diaspora Youth organizations and Development partners to lend their technical and financial support to Youth initiatives promoting development in Africa at national, regional and continental levels.