The African Union Commision’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate mandate involves unleashing the potential of young people through ensuring an enabling environment , and fostering meaningful engagement.
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\r\nIn a corresponding context, YouthConnekt Africa is a continental initiative with the mission to empower young people by enhancing their knowledge, experiences, and skills while investing in their ideas, innovations, and initiatives to harness Africa’s demographic dividend. In the transformative landscape of Africa's developmental journey, the year 2023 represents a significant milestone—a decade of dedicated implementation of Agenda2063.
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\r\nThe YouthConnekt Africa Summit will hold its 6th edition in December 2023 in Nairobi Kenya, convening Africa’s emerging youth innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, the summit brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including Heads of State, policymakers, business leaders, development partners, and the civil society, to address the multiple needs of young people while also fully engaging them in the processes of building solutions. Against this background, the African Union Commision’s Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate (WGYD) in partnership with Trace, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are organizing a series of activities to launch the 1 Million Next Level initiative in Kenya and to showcase its engagement during the Youth Connekt Africa Summit 2023.
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\r\nUnder the thematic area of “Leveraging Innovation and Digital Era”, WGYD and its partners are designing the Youth Pavilion as a dynamic and empowering space designed to celebrate and harness the creative potential of African youth. Over the course of the event, participants will engage in a series of transformative activities, including masterclasses, fireside chats, live podcasts and interview sessions. This condensed program aims to provide an immersive experience, fostering skill-building, meaningful dialogue, and innovative thinking among the vibrant youth community.