The Commonwealth Youth Programme has been supporting member countries with youth development work for 50 years. In Commonwealth member countries, 2023 is the Year of Youth.
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2022, leaders declared 2023 as a year dedicated to youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development.
We invite young changemakers, civil society and governments to work together towards a renewed vision for the Commonwealth: one that is secure, fair, and sustainable.
Schedule of events
Join us in 2023 for a series of youth-focused Commonwealth events designed to bring together young people, change makers and governments, put youth issues at the centre of the global agenda, and empower participants and observers to advocate for changes that improve the lives of under-30s across the 56 member countries.
Youth in the Commonwealth
2023 coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme – established to deliver support for young people under the age of 30 to reach their full potential.
The Commonwealth’s 56 member countries have a combined population of 2.5 billion people, of which more than 60% are under 30 years of age.
1.5 billion
young people live in the Commonwealth
60%
of the total Commonwealth population
1 in 3
young people aged between 15 and 29
Advisory Committee
An advisory committee has been established to guide the implementation of the 2023 Year of Youth – a seminal 12 months dedicated to action on Commonwealth-wide youth issues.
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Rwanda in June, Commonwealth leaders declared that 2023 would see youth-issues pushed to the top of the agenda, with a renewed focus for member countries and stakeholders on strengthening their commitment to youth engagement and empowerment.
2023 also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme – established to deliver support to young people under the age of 30 reach their full potential.
The advisory committee will guide the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of the Year of Youth activities in keeping with the mandate and spirit of the CHOGM declaration.
The group will play a key role in making sure young people are given a platform during the series of high-profile youth events due to take place in 2023.
Events will:
- promote youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development
- encourage the renewal and strengthening of the commitment to youth engagement and empowerment across the Commonwealth
- inspire a renewed vision for the Commonwealth.
Meet the Advisory Committee
 Muberuka Amon | Muberuka Amon is an MBA candidate at the Quantic School of Business and Technology, USA and the country representative of Rwanda Organization of Children Summit Alumni. Before his role on the Commonwealth’s Youth Advisory Committee, he led the Youth Communication Taskforce responsible for covering the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting and Commonwealth Youth Forum in June and COP27 held in Egypt in November. Amon is also a national coordinator for the A4HPV Rwanda Chapter which fights against the spread of Human Papillomavirus, a leading cause of cervical cancer. |
 Christabel Derby | Christabel Derby is a lawyer and the CEO of the Derby’s Foundation Ghana – focusing on development, education, health and infrastructure. She is currently the Vice Chairperson of Inclusion and Engagement for the Commonwealth Youth Council. |
 Franc Kamugyisha | Franc Kamugyisha, from Uganda, was named Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2022 for his work with Ecoplastile which sees plastic waste recycled into affordable building materials to help address the waste and housing crises in Kampala. Franc has spoken at international conferences, including The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Rwanda in June, and the Stockholm+50 in Sweden. He has been featured in international media including, Sky News, CNN International and the Voice of America. |
 Dr Henry Wallice Charles | Dr Henry Wallice Charles is an Internationally recognised Youth and Policy Development Expert, with over 30 years of practice in positive youth development. He is currently a Senior Programme Specialist-Child Resilience with UNICEF in the Netherlands and a part-time lecturer in the MSc in Child and Youth Studies for the Department of Behavioral Sciences at the University of the West Indies. Dr Charles has provided technical support to several Caribbean governments and youth development stakeholders on youth and policy development strategy. |
 Kendell Vincent | Kendell Vincent is a youth development and strategic communications professional from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and currently pursuing a BA in communications at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine. Kendell currently serves as the Chairperson of the Caribbean Regional Youth Council. |
 Robin Lockhart | Robin Lockhart is Vice Chair of the London Mayors Office For Policing and Crime Victims’ Reference Group. In 2018, he was made Global Youth Work Ambassador for the Commonwealth after receiving the Commonwealth Youth Worker of the Year Award in 2017. Prior to that, in 2016, Robin was shortlisted for the Restorative Practitioner of the Year. |
 Divya Goyal | Divya Goyal is a young blind researcher from India and is currently researching on disability inclusive development in the Global South at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She holds an MPhil in Development Studies from University of Cambridge as a Commonwealth Masters Scholar. She has worked on inclusive social protection systems, gender, inclusive employment practices, and youth leadership and participation. |
 Dr R.Bernice HLAGALA | Dr R.Bernice HLAGALA is the Chief Director for the National Youth Development Programme in the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in The Presidency, Republic of South Africa. She has more than 25 years working experience in the public service sector. She is an Expert in policy making and stakeholder management fields within the social, youth, and community development sectors at national, regional, and international levels. Dr HLAGALA is the 2014 overall winner of the Pan-Commonwealth Youth Workers’ Award as well as the recipient of the best Youth Workers’ Award for Africa Region of the Commonwealth. She is currently South Africa’s National Commissioner for UNESCO and a part-time Marker and Supervisor for undergraduate and post graduate Development studies at the University of South Africa (Unisa). |
 Emma D’Costa | Emma D’Costa is a Programme Manager with the Commonwealth Foundation, the Commonwealth’s agency for civil society. She has many years’ experience of curating exhibitions, organising events and managing arts projects with a focus on world cultures. She has worked with the Commonwealth Foundation as a consultant since 1995, managing a range of cultural events and projects. She currently oversees the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, having previously managed the Commonwealth Book Prize and the Commonwealth Short Story Competition. She also oversees grant and translation initiatives and has organised writing workshops across the Commonwealth. As Visual Arts Officer at the Commonwealth Institute she curated a large number of international exhibitions. As Head of Project Development at London-based arts organisation Cultural Co-operation, she worked with artists from London’s national and faith communities, as well as putting together talks and spoken word programmes for the Music Village Festivals, and organising a major conference on diaspora literature in 2005. |
 Helen Jones MBE | Helen Jones MBE has had a long career in international youth development and non-formal education, including as Head of Programmes and Director of Youth Affairs at the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS). Awarded an MBE in 2013 in recognition of her services to youth development and intercultural work in the Commonwealth, she has played a leading role in establishing and convening the Commonwealth Youth Forum (CYF) and developing innovative emerging young leaders’ programmes such as Commonwealth Changemakers and the inspirational Queen’s Young Leaders. She has led advocacy work for policy change, including campaigns to end child marriage and to improve child protection in the Commonwealth. She is active in Commonwealth affairs, currently serving on IFCO (Independent Forum of Commonwealth Organisations), the Commonwealth Consortium for Education (CCfE), the Commonwealth Businesswomen’s Network (CBWN) and as Commonwealth Adviser for the charity It’s a Penalty. |
 Dr Balaji Venkataraman | Dr Balaji Venkataraman has been with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) since 2010. He is a specialist in learning technology with an interest in its innovative applications in developing countries for skill development. He is currently involved in a large project to promote open, distance and flexible learning in the developing countries of the Commonwealth in the Pacific. His recent publication on education and blockchain (December 2022) was jointly published with UNESCO. |
 Dr. Muhammad Ali Malik | Dr. Muhammad Ali Malik is a senior level management professional with diversified experience and knowledge in medicine, customs and taxation, business, law and public sector development. He has strong professional competency in the areas of public policy, management and organisational development, strategic planning and youth development. Dr. Malik, is currently holding the portfolio of Deputy Secretary at Prime Minister’sOffice and is leading Prime Minister’s YouthProgramme (PMYP) since 2019. He has played central role in implementation of Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and under his brilliant leadership the team of PMYP has ensured nationwide outreach and achieved a number of milestones for positive and productive engagement of youth.He has pioneered many initiatives for youth development in Pakistan including development of firstNational Youth Development Framework, Pakistan Youth Development Index2020and first ever National Youth Council.He has recently developed the draft bill forNational Youth Commission and National Youth Employment Policy. |
 Kim Allen | Kim Allen, from Papua New Guinea, has over 10 years of youth volunteer work and four years of experience in the development and conservation field across various reputable organizations such as the United Nations Development Program, USAID, and Cardno International Development. He initiated various community-led projects ranging from water and sanitation, school library books and classrooms, climate action awareness and school relocation, and youth leadership programs. He is currently doing a Master of Arts in International Development at Nagoya University, Japan. He serves as the current Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council and a member of the Pacific Island Forum Secretary General’s Young Climate Leaders Alliance. |
Year of Youth Advisory Committee
An advisory committee guides the implementation of the Year of Youth – making sure young people are given a platform during the series of high-profile youth events due to take place in 2023.
Year of Youth Champions
Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh will act as a Year of Youth Champion, responsible for promoting and raising the profile of issues facing young people in the Commonwealth.
Year of Youth Champions will echo the Commonwealth Secretariat’s call for stakeholders at all levels to renew and strengthen their commitment to youth engagement and empowerment.
Get involved
The Year of Youth 2023 provides an opportunity for all stakeholders at all levels to renew and strengthen their commitment to youth engagement and empowerment.
If your organisation would like to propose a Year of Youth activity and collaborate with the Commonwealth Secretariat, please complete an Expression of Interest form.
To spread the word about #YearofYouth on social media please use our social media toolkit below.
In this social media toolkit you will find sample posts, multimedia assets and links to share on social media during Year of Youth 2023, as well as specific event posts which will be updated regulalry.
Hashtags
The main hashtags to include in all posts are #YearofYouth and #CommonwealthYouth. We also use the following:
- #Commonwealth
- #CommonwealthSecretariat
- #CommonwealthDay
Accounts
| Commonwealth Secretariat | Twitter Facebook Instagram | LinkedIn YouTube Flickr |
| The Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth | ||
| Commonwealth Youth |
Multimedia
Photos, graphics and videos are available to download from our online multimedia folders. The folders are being updated regularly during CHOGM with new assets including facts, animations and quote cards.
View our multimedia asset gallery
Sample posts
Below find sample posts to share on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. All posts should be shared with an image or video.
The #Commonwealth Heads of Government declared 2023 the #YearOfYouth: youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development.
Learn more about @CommonwealthSec’s #CommonwealthYouth Programme, which has been supporting member countries for 50 years: https://thecommonwealth.org/our-work/youth
🎉 2023 is:
🟠 The #YearOfYouth
🟠 50th anniversary of #CommonwealthYouth, supporting member states to empower young people
🟠 10th anniversary #CommonwealthCharter
🟠 Mid-point to 2030 for achieving the #SDGs
Learn about @CommonwealthSec Year of Youth: https://thecommonwealth.org/our-work/youth/2023
The Commonwealth is a diverse family of 56 countries across #Africa, #Asia, the #Caribbean and Americas, #Europe and the #Pacific.
Every member country has an equal voice – regardless of size or wealth – in shaping the future of the #Commonwealth. 🌎🌍🌏
Follow: @CommonwealthSec @ComSecYouth #YearOfYouth
The #Commonwealth Secretariat works across all 56 member countries to:
🌱 protect the environment
📈 boost trade
⚖️ promote democracy, good governance and rule of law
🙋🏾♂️ develop society and #CommonwealthYouth
🏝 support small states
Learn more about @CommonwealthSec: https://bit.ly/31LYuLJ
#YearOfYouth @ComSecYouth
Here are some quick #Commonwealth facts:
🔹56 countries
🔹6 regions represented
🔹Over 2.5 billion people
🔹60% are under 30
Follow @CommonwealthSec👇
Facebook: https://bit.ly/3PsqSpI
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3awJPZy
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3P5GmQB
TheCommonwealth.org
🌍 More than 1 billion people in the #Commonwealth are under the age of 30.
🙋🏽♀️ @CommonwealthSec’s Youth work has supported member countries for nearly 50 years.
⬇️ Discover more about #CommonwealthYouth work.
@ComSecYouth | #YearOfYouth
🌍 More than 1.4 billion people in the #Commonwealth are under the age of 30.
🙋🏽♀️ Young people have the potential to lead change and are a vital investment now and in the future.
Discover more about #CommonwealthYouth work ⬇️
@ComSecYouth | #YearOfYouth
🌎 60% of the #Commonwealth’s 2.5 billion citizens are under the age of 29.
🤝 These 1 billion young people can help us deliver our promise of a better world.
Discover more about #CommonwealthYouth work ⬇️
#YearOfYouth | @ComSecYouth
Facebook and Linkedin
🎉 2023 is the #YearOfYouth! Last year, #Commonwealth Heads of Government declared 2023 the year for youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development.
This year it is also:
🟠 50th anniversary of #CommonwealthYouth, supporting member states to empower young people
🟠 10th anniversary the signing of the #CommonwealthCharter
🟠 The mid-point to 2030 for achieving the UN #SDGs
Learn about @CommonwealthSec Year of Youth: https://thecommonwealth.org/our-work/youth/2023
#CommonwealthSecretariat #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalGoals #CommonwealthForClimate #CommonwealthDay #YouthDevelopment
🎉 2023 is the #YearOfYouth! Last year, #Commonwealth Heads of Government declared 2023 the year for youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development.
This year it is also:
🟠 50th anniversary of #CommonwealthYouth, supporting member states to empower young people
🟠 10th anniversary the signing of the #CommonwealthCharter
🟠 The mid-point to 2030 for achieving the UN #SDGs
Learn about @Commonwealth_Sec Year of Youth: https://thecommonwealth.org/our-work/youth/2023
#CommonwealthSecretariat #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalGoals #CommonwealthForClimate #CommonwealthDay #YouthDevelopment
- If you have queries about this toolkit or social media in general please contact us
Other ways to get involved
Commonwealth Youth Clubs
Set up a Commonwealth Youth Clubs called the Fifth Space, in a school or in your community. These spaces focus on self-transformation of youth as well as transforming society through youth development, leadership skills and informed stances on social issues.
Commonwealth Youth Network
Join a Commonwealth Youth Network. The Commonwealth has 13 youth networks covering all the key aspects of development and democracy in the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Professional Association
Join a Commonwealth Professional Association or Society. The Commonwealth is supported by a network of more than 80 accredited organisations working in specialist areas from education to urban planning.