African Youth Charter - Summary

This document is a Summary of the African Youth Charter. The African Youth Charter is a political and legal framework, which serves the purpose of providing a strategic framework and direction for youth empowerment and development activities at continental, regional and national levels across Africa. The Charter is inline with the efforts of the African Union Commission to provide an avenue for effective youth participation in development process and is part of the efforts to implement the AUC’s Strategic Plan (2004 - 2007), which is geared towards its own institutional transformation, to strengthen its outreach within the continent and improve its working relationship with regional economic communities and international development partners. The Charter provides an avenue for effective youth participation in the development process. It defines youths as people between the ages of 15-35 years. It was developed after research was conducted on the state of the African Youth, commissioned by the African Union Commission.