Intergenerational youth forum keynote address by Mr. Carlos Lopes: at the Intergenerational Youth Forum: keynote address by Mr. Carlos Lopes, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ECA 24 May 2013, Addis Ababa

Abstract

The spirit of Pan Africanism is a spirit of inclusiveness, togetherness, and unity. As we celebrate 50 years of Pan Africanist history, there is every reason why we should include the young people of the continent. I am indeed happy to realize that some of the youth with us today will be there in fifty years time to tell the story of May 2013. The world has reached a point where we need an intergenerational social contract that not only seeks to continue the sustainable development agenda but also looks at it in the new dimension of a demographic imbalance; a young Africa versus an aging world. This is why a debate on the youth in Africa is so relevant. This issue is not only critical to Africa but to the world’s continuous development as a whole.