Commonwealth Youth Programme
Encyclopedia
The Commonwealth Youth Programme, also known as CYP, is an international development agency working with young people between the ages of 15 and 29. Part of the Commonwealth Secretariat
, CYP is active in the Commonwealth's 54 member countries. CYP has a head office in London
with centres in Gulu, Uganda, Lusaka, Zambia, Chandigarh, India, Georgetown, Guyana
and Honiara, Solomon Islands. Currently there are 16 programme officers plus support staff.
CYP supports, and is supported by, a body of youth representatives called the Commonwealth Youth Caucus. The Youth Caucus meets at national, regional and pan-Commonwealth level to advise the programme. The Youth Caucus has a seat at Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting, and helps to organise the Commonwealth Youth Forum which meets prior to Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting.
CYP's mission statement states that "CYP works to engage and empower young people (aged 15-29) to enhance their contribution to development. We do this in partnership with young people, governments and other key stakeholders. Our mission is grounded within a rights-based approach, guided by the realities facing young people in the Commonwealth, and anchored in the belief that young people are:
CYP advocates the effective participation of young women and men in the development process and for social transformation. We value their full engagement at all levels of decision-making."
Commonwealth Secretariat
The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating cooperation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings ; assisting and advising on policy...
, CYP is active in the Commonwealth's 54 member countries. CYP has a head office in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
with centres in Gulu, Uganda, Lusaka, Zambia, Chandigarh, India, Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, Guyana
Georgetown, estimated population 239,227 , is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at . The city serves...
and Honiara, Solomon Islands. Currently there are 16 programme officers plus support staff.
About
The CYP's programme of work is decided mainly by Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting. Funded by Commonwealth governments through annual pledges to a voluntary fund, CYP is not a funding agency and does not provide financial support to any other organization.CYP supports, and is supported by, a body of youth representatives called the Commonwealth Youth Caucus. The Youth Caucus meets at national, regional and pan-Commonwealth level to advise the programme. The Youth Caucus has a seat at Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting, and helps to organise the Commonwealth Youth Forum which meets prior to Commonwealth Heads of Government
Commonwealth Heads of Government
The leaders of the nations with membership in the Commonwealth of Nations are collectively known as the Commonwealth Heads of Government. They are invited to attend Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings every two years, with most countries being represented by either their Head of Government...
Meeting.
Activities
CYP provides government and youth-centred organisations with technical assistance in the areas of:- Enterprise/vocational training and microcredit
- Youth participationYouth participationYouth participation is the active engagement of young people throughout their communities. It is often used as a short-hand for youth participation in any many forms, including decision-making, sports, schools and any activity where young people are not historically engaged.-Coinage:Youth...
in decision-making and youth policy - Professionalisation and training for youth workers
- Citizenship, peace-building, and human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
education - HIV/AIDS awareness and counselling
- Information and Communications Technology
- Democracy (through Commonwealth election observer missions)
- Youth mainstreamingYouth mainstreamingYouth mainstreaming is a public policy concept. The Commonwealth of Nations describes it in this context:It is modeled on gender mainstreaming, which the United Nations defined in the 1990s as:-Strategy:...
- Youth Development Indicators
Scope
All of CYP's work falls within The Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (2007-2015), which is the Commonwealth's organising framework for cooperation on youth affairs. Through the Plan of Action, Commonwealth Heads of Government have affirmed that: "empowering young people means creating and supporting the enabling conditions under which young people can act on their own behalf, and on their own terms, rather than at the direction of others."CYP's mission statement states that "CYP works to engage and empower young people (aged 15-29) to enhance their contribution to development. We do this in partnership with young people, governments and other key stakeholders. Our mission is grounded within a rights-based approach, guided by the realities facing young people in the Commonwealth, and anchored in the belief that young people are:
- A force for peace, democracy, equality and good governance
- A catalyst for global consensus building; and
- An essential resource for sustainable development and poverty eradication.
CYP advocates the effective participation of young women and men in the development process and for social transformation. We value their full engagement at all levels of decision-making."
Partners
The Commonwealth Youth Programme works in partnership with a range of organisations including- 28 Partner Universities
- A range of microcredit NGOs and development banks
- Commonwealth of LearningCommonwealth of LearningThe Commonwealth of Learning is an intergovernmental organization of the Commonwealth of Nations headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
- Commonwealth FoundationCommonwealth FoundationThe Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation that was established by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1965, the same year as its sister organisation, the Commonwealth Secretariat...
- Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council
- Royal Commonwealth SocietyRoyal Commonwealth SocietyThe Royal Commonwealth Society is an international educational charity and a private members' club. Its mission is to support and promote the modern Commonwealth, its culture and core values...
- Commonwealth Policy and Studies Unit
- UN (UNICEF, UN Youth Unit, UNAIDS, UN Habitat, UNDP, UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
and UNFPA) - CARICOM
- The Body ShopThe Body ShopThe Body Shop International plc, known as The Body Shop, has 2,400 stores in 61 countries, and is the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world, following O Boticario, a Brazilian company...
of Australia