The 1st Africa Region Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (AR-CYMM) follows the 8th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (8CYMM), which was held in April 2013 in Papua New Guinea and brought together Commonwealth Youth Ministers, senior officials and youth leaders to agree priorities for youth development. At 8CYMM, Ministers and senior officials agreed to hold regional meetings in the midterm be
tween the four-yearly CYMMs, to assess the progress made on outcomes, share best practices and consult on regional priorities. Accordingly, Regional CYMMs are being convened in all four regions of the Commonwealth in 2015. The first of these meetings takes place in Cameroon. Africa Region CYMM
The AR-CYMM brings together Ministers, senior government officials, youth representatives and select youth development stakeholders from across Africa. It will provide the opportunity to focus on regional and global youth development challenges and opportunities, including new global development goals for 2015 and beyond. Ministers and senior officials will take stock of current trends in youth development and identify strategies and priorities for future action to advance youth empowerment in Africa and the Commonwealth. Context
Within the 53-nation Commonwealth community, the Africa region has the youngest population, with around 70 percent of its population aged under 30 years. With a large proportion of the population now below even 15 years, the youth population is expected to grow rapidly into the foreseeable future. The majority of young people in Africa continue to face challenges including: unemployment, underemployment, lack of skills, relevant education, access to capital, unmet need for health-related information and services including those related HIV, and marginalisation leading to extremism. These challenges are even more accentuated among youth in rural areas. Along with other groups including women and the disabled, young people also bear the brunt of internal and external crises, be they related to finance, food security, climate change or human insecurity, amongst others. In addition, many disadvantaged young people are pulled into armed struggle and are exposed to various negative influences.
