3rd Africa Europe Youth Leaders' Summit People, Prosperity and Peace: Youth Leadership, Youth entrepreneurship employment and Youth for Peace

Abstract

Statement by Carlos Lopes UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA at the third Africa Europe Youth Leaders’ Summit People, Prosperity and Peace. Mr. Lopes, on his remarks highlighted that, highlighted that, Africa’s population is also growing at a faster rate than any other region. Projections show that by 2020, 3 out of 4 Africans will on average be 20 years old. The world’s demographics will witness consequential effects of the seismic change, from markets to social structures and environmental impact. The concept of a Social Contract was important in breaking the entrenched structural inequalities that. The promotion of these ideals remain relevant today. We need today a Social Contract that is based on the original Rousseau’s principles, but goes beyond them. The greatest universal challenge for youth is that of perception. In terms of Youth Leadership, it is disheartening to note that in a lot of African countries, while youth constitute a majority of electoral voters, the legislative parliaments have a negligible percentage of youth participation as members.