10/08/1998

I bring you warm felicitations from the Government and the people of the Republic of Ghana.

I am happy to note that this historic forum is the first of is kind, and I would like to congratulate the Government of the Portuguese Republic for hosting the conference in cooperation with the United Nations (UN), and for creating this platform which has accorded us the opportunity to' share ideas and experiences that would promote the development of young people the world over, who are beset with youth-related problems.

It is an inescapable fact that young people constitute the most socially active and energetic segment of the population of every country. Young people are endowed with energy, creativity and dynamism; and they are society's most productive human resource with the greatest potential to contribute positively to national development. They are the pride of every nation, and it is they who constitute the driving force that we need to move our nations forward.

But while acknowledging youth as the season of hope, and the promise of great things to come, we need also to remember, as experience has shown, that there, can be no greater tragedy than a wasted youth. Between the promise and achievement of youth on one hand, and the tragedy of a failed and wasted youth on the other, lies the burden of all concern for the youth. This issue is of vital importance in view of the fact that it is our children who must ultimately inherit us, for our nations to survive.

It goes without saying, therefore, that the youth constitute an important asset for the growth, development and the general well being of our respective countries.

Mr. Chairman, it was in recognition of this fact, I believe, that the world celebrated the United Nations International Youth Year for the first time in 1985, and declared 27 1h March as United Nations Youth Day, which is now celebrated every year by member nations.

The importance of the youth therefore calls for a concerted effort by Governments to ensure that matters affecting them are placed very high on their agenda for national development.

Mr. Chairman, we need to enhance the capacity of our young women and young men to effectively participate in their nations' development effort; we need to. increase and improve their access to education; we need to make more capital available to them, to enable them embark on productive ventures; we need to invest in science and technology and the training of our young women and young men in appropriate skills.

The issue of youth training and development is indeed crucial to national development.

But as the saying goes, things do not first turn up until' somebody turns them up.

I am therefore delighted to note that the Draft Declaration for this conference seeks to adequately address the issue of our young women and young men. It urges member nations :

• to formulate a National Youth Policy and to accord it the necessary political commitment,, to ensure its effective implementation;
• to encourage active participation of the youth in decision making processes and all matters affecting society, and to promote equal access of young women and young men to opportunities for development;
• to strengthen the role of youth and youth organisations in peace building, and the building of an effective culture of peace and tolerance;
• to promote education, both formal and informal, as well as functional literacy and training, and to guarantee equal access of the youth to basic and good quality education;
• to pursue a programme for the creation of full employment,, and to promote equal employment opportunities for young women and young men;
• to promote equal health development for young women and young men;
• to raise the awareness of the youth of the dangers of Drug Abuse, Teenage Pregnancy and the hazards associated with AIDS/HIV.

It is heartening to note that the above prescriptions fall in line with the position taken by Commonwealth Heads of Government when they met in Edinburgh in 1997 to endorse the promotion of youth empowerment through the development of a Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment to the year 2005. That endorsement followed the recognition by Commonwealth Youth Ministers at their meeting in Port of Spain in 1995 that youth empowerment was a "new guiding concept" in enabling young people to fulfil their potential both as individuals and as contributors to national development.

This is an acknowledgement of the fact that young people "are the leaders, decision-makers, business men and women and parents of tomorrow- and increasingly of today as well".

The issue of Youth Empowerment again received the attention and concern of Commonwealth Youth Ministers when they met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 28-30 May 1998.

At that meeting, colleagues recognised the urgent need for member countries to create the enabling conditions for the empowerment of young people.

Empowerment, it was noted, does not only demand that we provide the youth with choices in life to enable them make informed decisions. Empowerment, it was recognised, means much more that that : is requires that our young women and young men be assisted to develop their potential to the full. This places on our shoulders the obligation to train them to become self-reliant citizens.

To achieve this objective requires that we place emphasis on the appropriate education and training for our young women and young men to enable them to understand the world around them. This will give them the needed self-confidence and make them committed to the values of democracy and good governance, which are the prerequisite for national development and international peace.

In conclusion, it is my hope that together at this conference, we shall take one more bold step forward in our' search for ways and means of improving the lot of young women and young men, to prepare them adequately to assume their role as leaders of their respective countries.

Thank you for your attention