As part of Africa Week 2015 at United Nations Headquarters in New York, a High-Level Event on Youth brought together youth advocates and senior policymakers to discuss and debate the forthcoming  “African Continental Framework on Youth Development”. The event also highlighted the progress so far, and challenges recognized, in implementing the African Youth Charter (2006) as well as the important role of youth employment in accelerating achievement of the aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Mr. Maged Abdelaziz, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, spoke of the historic importance of youth to Africa.

 Mr. Abdelaziz also praised the work of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth in Africa:

 Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, spoke on the potential of African developed solutions to African challenges, emphasized the need for proper funding of youth organization in Africa, and encouraged those gathered in New York to be reminded of the important work needed to address child marriage and teenage pregnancy.

Running from October 12th to 16th,  the Africa Week 2015 will be celebrated in the context of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations under the theme “Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Moving from Aspirations to Reality.”

The main objective of Africa Week 2015 is to garner necessary support from Member States, civil society, the private sector and academia for Africa’s new transformative agenda. The Week also aims to identify the kind of support the United Nations could further extend to African regional and sub-regional organizations in the implementation of Agenda 2063, in ways that ensure synergy with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Read more here: http://www.un.org/en/africa/osaa/events/2015/youthdevelopment20151014.shtml