Brussels, 12 August 2022/OACPS: On August 12, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) joins the rest of the world to celebrate International Youth Day. On this occasion, on behalf of the organisation, the Secretary-General, H.E. Mr Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti, reminds the global youth of their importance to our Member States as evidenced by the prominence given to young people to accomplish the objectives of the OACPS in the revised Georgetown Agreement and the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. Youth involvement is also crucial in the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as for the Paris Agreement and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

Secretary-General Chikoti invites the Member States of the OACPS to initiate actions to maximise the potential and the participation of your Nations’ youth, for the benefit of society as a whole; in particular, through the promotion of inclusive strategies in the cultural and creative industries; as well as through research and innovation, environmental activism, entrepreneurship and business.

Secretary-General Chikoti welcomes the choice of the theme for this year’s celebration, which calls for unity among all generations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and to face global challenges. To this end, he stresses the need to promote awareness of the obstacles to intergenerational solidarity, in particular ageism. H.E. Chikoti congratulates young people who are already actively collaborating and breaking down barriers in spheres such as politics, health, justice and employment; and urges all OACPS Member States to set up mechanisms to foster greater intergenerational dialogue.

On a broader scale, Secretary-General Chikoti joins the call by the United Nations to all international partners to develop and engage in intergenerational activities that promote social connectedness and intergenerational solidarity to leverage the strengths and knowledge from all sections of society to build together a safer, stronger and more harmonious future for all generations, present and future.