Commonwealth Youth Programme

About

The CYP's program of work is decided mainly by the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting. Funded by Commonwealth governments through annual pledges to a voluntary fund, CYP is not a funding agency and does not provide financial support to any other organization.

CYP supports, and is supported by, a body of youth representatives called the Commonwealth Youth Caucus. The Youth Caucus meets at the national, regional, and pan-Commonwealth levels to advise the program. The Youth Caucus has a seat at the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting and helps to organize the Commonwealth Youth Forum, which meets prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

The program was supported by Queen Elizabeth II in her role as head of the Commonwealth. Princess Anne visited the Commonwealth Youth Programme Regional Centre for Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, in September 2012 as part of her four-day official visit to the country to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

In 2017, the Commonwealth Secretariat released a review of the Commonwealth Youth Program.

Activities

CYP provides government and youth-centered organizations with technical assistance in the areas of:

• Enterprise/vocational training and microcredit
• Youth participation in decision-making and youth policy
• Professionalization and training for youth workers
• Citizenship, peacebuilding, and human rights education
• HIV/AIDS awareness and counseling
• Information and Communications Technology
• Democracy (through Commonwealth election observer missions)
• Youth mainstreaming

Scope

All of CYP's work falls within The Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (2007-2015), which is the Commonwealth's organizing framework for cooperation on youth affairs. Through the Plan of Action, Commonwealth Heads of Government have affirmed that "empowering young people means creating and supporting the enabling conditions under which young people can act on their own behalf, and on their own terms, rather than at the direction of others."

Youth Awards

The Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work celebrate the contribution of young people to achieving global development goals. The awards, presented to Commonwealth citizens aged 15–29, showcase the work of outstanding young people who are leading initiatives ranging from poverty alleviation to peace building.

Each year an outstanding entrant is named Commonwealth Young Person of the Year, with regional awards given for Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Americas, Africa and Europe. The awards demonstrate to leaders and other policy-makers the importance of young people’s role in development. The awards also serve to inspire other young people to take action in their communities.

Development work can be within any number of areas, such as skills training, arts and culture, environment protection, education, health and well-being, human rights, technology, sport, science, and many more areas.

The Awards Program added a new region to give more visibility to young people across the Commonwealth.

For the 2022 Awards, to mark the celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, The Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT) has joined as a partner to offer a selected applicant two years of flexible funding of £20,000 a year, as well as coaching opportunities and organizational development support.

Partners

The Commonwealth Youth Programme works in partnership with a range of organizations, including

• Commonwealth of Learning
• Commonwealth Foundation
• Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council
• The Royal Commonwealth Society
• Commonwealth Policy and Studies Unit
• UN (UNICEF, UN Youth Unit, UNAIDS, UN Habitat, UNDP, UNESCO, and UNFPA)
• CARICOM
• 47 partner universities delivering youth work qualifications
• A range of microcredit NGOs and development banks
• The Body Shop of Australia

References

• Commonwealth Youth Programme Strategic Plan 2006-2008, Commonwealth Secretariat
• Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment 2007-2015, Commonwealth Secretariat

References

1. (2024). "Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP)". [[Union of International Associations]].
2. "Princess Royal to visit Commonwealth youth centre in Zambia". The Commonwealth Secretariat website.
3. [https://production-new-commonwealth-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/migrated/inline/Review%20of%20the%20Commonwealth%20Youth%20Programme%20-%202017.pdf Review of the Commonwealth Youth Programme 2017]
4. (9 June 2015). "Youth Awards".
5. (12 September 2012). "2012 Commonwealth Youth Award Winners | YourCommonwealth".
6. (10 October 2013). "2013 Commonwealth Youth Award Winners | YourCommonwealth".
7. (6 December 2010). "Winners of Commonwealth Youth Awards 2015 Announced | YourCommonwealth".
8. (17 March 2016). "Cameroonian named as Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2016".
9. (15 March 2017). "Sri Lankan named Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2017".
10. (18 April 2018). "Exceptional young people recognised for their contribution to development work".
11. (13 March 2019). "Winners of Commonwealth Youth Awards 2019 announced".
12. (11 March 2020). "Young leaders from Canada, Fiji, Pakistan and Uganda win Commonwealth Youth Awards 2020".
13. (10 March 2021). "2021 Commonwealth Youth Award Winners 2021".
14. (12 August 2021). "2022 Commonwealth Youth Awards 2022 Announcement".