In partnership with the Parliament of Uganda, the Commonwealth Partnership for Democracy (CP4D) in a program implemented by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) organized the Africa Regional Commonwealth Conference on Advancing Youth Political participation and leadership in Africa on 4th and 5thMarch 2019 at the Parliament of Uganda.
The regional Conference provided opportunities to hold dialogue and conversations on how Commonwealth governments can work together to support and improve opportunities for youth to become more involved in politics and in the decision making processes. In the two day youth conference, the delegates shared youth perspectives on political participation across the continent, built new and developed further relationships and connections to increase peer to peer support and innovate, plan and inspire others on how to progress on ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.
The Conference brought together over200 youth from United Kingdom and over 10 African Commonwealth countries like Uganda,Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Cameroon,Gambia among others. The participants included political leaders, Member of Parliament from different Commonwealth countries, ministers, youth leaders,religious leaders, advocates, and student leaders.
In her opening remarks, the Speaker of the Parliament of Republic of Uganda, Rt.Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga stretched out the need to lower the high nomination fees for parliamentary candidates to allow more Youth to participate in Politics. She highlighted the need to lower the age range for people to contest for various political positions.
The Uganda National Youth Council Chairperson, Lillian Aber while giving welcome remarks also emphasized that a country that does not invest in young people is bound to perish. She also stressed that youth participation in politics has become very expensive inhibiting many Youth from participating in politics as Candidates.
Meanwhile The Chairperson Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Youth affairs and National Youth representative in Parliament Hon. Adeke Anna Ebaju gave a presentation on advancing young people in Positions of power and authority and spelt out on the need for young people to actively participate in the governance process.
“It is important for us as young people of Africa to be bound together by the existing legal instruments and to make it a point that we are driven by the agenda we are pursuing as Africa.” Hon. Adeke Anna Ebaju
The two day conference ended on 5thMarch 2019, with closing remarks from the State Minister for Youth and Children affairs, Hon. Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi who congratulated the delegates from the different Commonwealth countries upon the successful completion of the Conference and to put what was discussed into action.