Youth across the Commonwealth nations have been urged to build networking that will turn into the markets needed for innovations.

The message was delivered yesterday by the officials at Kigali Convention Centre.

While opening of the summit, Rwanda’s Minister of Youth and Culture, Rosemary Mbabazi praised the commitment, ingenuity, and hard work of the youth but urged them to foster networking and innovations so for them to be able to find solutions to their problems.

“Create innovations that responds to and solves challenges of their communities,” she urged adding that “I am sure you will leave here with more knowledge and transformed mindset,”

Also speaking at the event, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Dr Arjoon Suddhoo echoed the call for young people to be included in policy decisions across the Commonwealth.

He said, youth has huge potential if they are not excluded from the development agenda instead of regarding them as inexperience and ignorant.

“This is dangerous and damaging discrimination. It will hold all of us from achieving our full potential,” he said.

During the forum according to the press release, young people will agree to a set of policy recommendations which will be recorded and presented to Heads of Government in a Youth Declaration on the final day of the forum.

The youth will also have an opportunity to meet heads of governments during an intergenerational dialogue.

The event will also include the launch of an historic collaboration between the Commonwealth and the world’s largest youth organization’s to create the ‘Commonwealth Alliance for Quality Youth Leadership’. 

This meeting supported by the Government of Rwanda and coordinated by an International Youth Task Force, made up of 21 young people from around the Commonwealth, co-chaired by Darrion Narine of Trinidad and Tobago and Alodie Iradukunda of Rwanda.

Youth forum is supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Rwanda.

The forum will address thematic areas such as governance and the rule of law, technology, skills, innovation, sustainability, health and trade.

The event will also involve the launch of an historic collaboration between the Commonwealth and the world’s largest youth organization’s to create the ‘Commonwealth Alliance for Quality Youth Leadership’.