By Jean Claude Kubwimana
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, and the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan, announced three new initiatives, designed to broaden and deepen youth participation in development and decision-making.
The three initiatives contribute to the mandates from the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting and the Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Taskforce, which Pakistan currently chairs.
The first initiative, the Commonwealth Asia Youth Alliance, will have its Secretariat in Pakistan. The alliance will bring together national youth councils from eight Commonwealth Asian countries, providing them a platform to engage in international dialogues, leadership opportunities and training courses.
The second initiative, the Commonwealth Youth Parliamentarian Forum, will offer all young Commonwealth legislators opportunities to hone their leadership skills, exchange good practices with their peers and amplify their voices on pressing issues.
The third initiative, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre for Youth, will offer self-paced Intel-certified training courses to young people, enabling them to gain job-ready skills in emerging technologies.
Speaking at the launch ceremony on 1 August 2024, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who was in Pakistan for her first official visit, said:
“With more than 60 per cent of the Commonwealth’s population under the age of 30, our future undeniably rests in the hands of our young people.
“In Pakistan and across the Commonwealth, our young people are brimming with innovation and imagination.
“However, they often lack the opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the social, economic, and political development of their countries.
“We are thrilled that Pakistan, as the chair of the Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Taskforce, is facilitating new initiatives designed to inspire positive change and drive transformative progress for young people in Pakistan and across the Commonwealth.”
During her first visit, the Secretary-General met with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, cabinet ministers, National Assembly Speaker, Attorney General, youth leaders, Commonwealth high commissioners and other key stakeholders.
In her engagements, she reaffirmed Commonwealth solidarity with Pakistan on the second anniversary of the devastating 2022 floods.
Discussions covered Pakistan’s work on the Sustainable Development Goals as well as ways to strengthen Commonwealth relationships and broaden ongoing collaboration, especially in empowering youth, tackling climate change, promoting good governance, upholding the rule of law and leveraging AI.
Whilst in Islamabad, the Secretary-General also launched the ‘Peace at the Crease’ initiative in partnership with the Zalmi Foundation.
The initiative builds on the unique power of sport to bring young people from different backgrounds together to promote Commonwealth values, such as peace, tolerance and equality.
In addition, the Secretary-General delivered keynote addresses at the National University of Science and Technology and the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services on the role of young people in climate change and social innovation.
Ahead of her departure, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said:
“As a founding member of the Commonwealth, Pakistan has a unique and special role within our family.
“The commitment to achieving the Paris Climate Agreement goals in Pakistan was palpable, not least because the residual effects of the 2022 floods were still apparent and fresh in the minds of all. We need to act now.
“Pakistan’s fragile position underlines why the Commonwealth’s determination to secure climate justice for those so disproportionately affected is justified and why we need a Universal Vulnerability Index.”
The Secretary-General was in Pakistan from 28 July 2024 to 2 August 2024
