Handbook on Commonwealth Youth Representatives

At the meeting of the Commonwealth Youth Affairs Council in Harare, 1990, it was agreed that young people should be centrally involved in the consultative and management processes of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP). This pioneering approach was adopted to ensure the empowerment and participation of young women and men in the decision-making of the Commonwealth Secretariat, of which CYP is a part. This revised handbook describes the existing mechanisms in place for the participation of young men and women in CYP’s decision-making fora. It emphasizes the requirement for selected youth representatives to be actual youth leaders who are active in their communities and who are committed and accountable for the full period of their tenure. This makes it important for member government to follow a rigorous and consultative process while selecting the RYC members.