Report of an Advisory Mission to the Commonwealth Youth Programme, Africa Centre

Abstract

The Commonwealth Youth Programme Africa Centre (CYPAC), located within the University of Zambia compound in Lusaka, Zambia, is an intergovernmental organization, representing all African countries of the Commonwealth. CYPAC serves as a training centre for youth from these countries. The CYPAC organized a workshop on Youth Initiative on Environment and Development in Blantyre Malawi, July 17 24, 1995, which was attended by 43 participants, most of whom were representatives of the youth from 15 countries of Commonwealth Africa. ECAwas represented by two regional advisors: Senior Regional Advisor on the Environment; and the Regional Advisor on Gender and Sustainable Development. The principal objective of this workshop was to explore how best the youth can be centrally involved in the care and protection of the biodiversity of African natural ecosystems. One of the recommendations arrived at in the workshop was on the need to establish a Regional Network for Young Environmentalists. Another related recommendation was on the need to ensure that all the activities of this Network, and of CYPAC as well, would incorporate a gender perspective. (See previous Mission Report on this Workshop, PrA/MRArx/9S/94/MR.