Andrew
Sunday Mail Reporter
African Union (AU) Special Envoy for Youth Affairs Ms Chido Mpemba (pictured right) has called on young people to harness innovation to find solutions to problems affecting the continent.
Speaking during a special high-level dialogue of presidents of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council at the United Nations in New York, United States, last week, Ms Mpemba said African youths must be the solution to challenges facing the continent.
“Young people across the world, especially in Africa, have been confronted with increasingly complex socio-economic and political challenges which are hindering their development.
“Some of these challenges include extensive poverty, limited access to education, lack of employment opportunities, limited benefits from globalisation, negative effects of climate change, peace and security challenges, violent extremism, forced migration and lack of access to decent healthcare, to name just a few,” she said.
There was need to support young people’s contribution to continental and global development goals as articulated in the AU Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she added.
“Young people, by virtue of their energy, vibe and adaptability must gravitate to the forefront of creating new, fresh solutions to problems facing the continent.”
Ms Mpemba, a Zimbabwean, is the AU’s youngest diplomat.
The meeting was held under the theme “Building on the 2030 Agenda and the continent’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.”
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