Fourth Global Biennial Conference on Small States |16 May 2016

‘Youths can hold governments to account’

Youths of the world have a duty to monitor governments and hold them to their commitments vis-à-vis climate change and other development challenges.

Angelique Pouponneau, vice-chair of the Commonwealth Youth Council, said this during the breakfast session organised as part of the fourth Global Biennial Conference on Small States held last week at the Avani hotel.

The conference heard young people from Seychelles, Samoa, Mauritius, Namibia and Jamaica talk about their perspectives on development challenges. They also shared their ideas with ministers and other officials on tackling issues such as climate change.

“We’re aware of the international climate change indicators. Young people need to monitor governments and hold them to their commitments,” said Ms Pouponneau.

Addressing the young audience, Finance, Trade and the Blue Economy Minister Jean-Paul Adam said: “Leadership needs to come from the young people who make a difference every day. We need energy to move our economy forward and a sense of purpose to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Known for his support for young people in Seychelles and those from small island developing states, Mr Adam noted that leadership is not about holding titles or the big office but rather that every person can lead.

He pointed to a recent initiative by the Sids Youth AIMS Hub-Seychelles, in which it undertook successive clean-ups to rid the coastlines of litter, as a clear sign of leadership.

The minister called for synergies with the energy of young people to bring about the change that we want to see take place.

The dialogue afforded an opportunity for young people to share their recommendations at the Commonwealth’s fourth Global Biennial Conference on Small States.

Adolf Nourrice from Seychelles proposed better use of technology in small states to boost social and economic growth.

“Small island developing states do not have much capital. We have done well on health and education but we have overlooked technology. Young people can take a leading role in making better use of technology to build resilience,” he said.

All the way from Samoa, Tahere Siisiialafia, a member of the Commonwealth Youth Health Network and university lecturer, urged officials to invest more in young people and emphasised the important role youth bodies play in bringing about change.

“You need to invest more in youth entities, youth councils and other bodies because these are the networks mobilising young people to make positive changes in their communities,” she said.

Reiterating the extensive work of the Commonwealth to include young people in decision-making, Commonwealth deputy secretary-general Deodat Maharaj warned: “We cannot afford to squander any of our assets.”

As he proposed this dialogue, Mr Maharaj was keen to hear from young people. He reiterated that he values the input of young people and opened the discussions with the poignant statement, “Youth have a voice, now tell us what is it you want.”

He also called on young people to pick a key issue and make a concrete proposal.

Karuna Rana, a member of the Commonwealth Youth Climate Network, highlighted the work of young people in Mauritius to support a sustainable ocean economy.

She said: “We have committed to creating a regional youth platform. We have developed a partnership with the Indian Ocean Commission and trained 200 people on COP21. We’re helping government achieve development goals.”

Concluding the session, Ms Pouponneau left the audience with a final thought: “Only 2% of parliamentarians globally are under the age of 30. How can 2% represent the 60% youth population?”

Also in attendance were Seychelles high commissioner to the UK Marie-Pierre Lloyd, British high commissioner to Seychelles Caron Röhsler, Seychelles National Youth Council chief executive Alvin Laurence as well as several young professionals from all walks of life.

British high commissioner Röhsler urged young people to act now and use their energy, while Mrs Lloyd asked them not to forget marginalised groups.