This paper is a summation of the learnings gleaned from The African Youth Cafe’s just concluded first of its kind Continental Scoping Study on African Young Peoples’ Awareness of the AfCFTA and their perceived role as stakeholders in its implementation under the ongoing AfCFTA Youth Inclusion Accelerator Project (AfCFTA-YIAP) aimed toward Amplified Continental Youth Mobilization, Awareness and Engagement in AfCFTA Processes.
Being a member of the United Nations and by implication a party to various human rights instruments, Kenya supports various treaties and instruments that support youth empowerment. The central most of these instruments is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1945. Other instruments include the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the International Covenant on Social Economic and Cultural Rights (ICSECR), the African Youth Charter (AYC) among others.
The present policy brief is one such input. It elaborates on the ideas first proposed in Our Common Agenda, taking into account subsequent guidance from Member States and over one year of intergovernmental and multi-stakeholder consultations, and rooted in the purposes and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments.
This policy brief was made in light of the upcoming CSW67 (Commission on the Status of Women) to address the theme on Innovation, Technological Change, and Education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and empowerment for all women and girls. The rise of innovation and technology in Africa has played a significant role in the development agenda; digital technology plays an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
This policy brief was made in light of the upcoming COP27 to address significant themes concerning climate change and African youth engagement. We find that despite the urgency of including youth in climate discussions, there are several difficulties that African youth face in getting involved. Reasons why these focus areas are of concern for African youths, are elaborated, followed by recommendations concerning these issues. The latter portion of the policy brief summarises four challenges African youths face regarding participation in climate matters.
