Panafrican Youth Union
Encyclopedia
The Panafrican Youth Union (PYU) is the apex body for National Youth Coordinating Bodies and Mechanism in Africa, known formerly as the Panafrican Youth Movement (PYM) it was transformed into the PYU at the organisation's 2003 congress in Windhoek
, Namibia
.
, Algeria
was formed in Conakry
the capital of the Republic
of Guinea
, on 26 April 1962, at the urging of African Heads of State and Government
at the time, who wanted to create a platform to rally African youth behind the cause of the African liberation.
The Organisation's structure consist of a Congress, Executive Committee, Secretariat, Regional Bodies and Specialsied Committees, which are elected (once every four years), out of the 53 African member countries on the continent. The current Secretariat is led by the Republic of Angola
and includes the Republics of Namibia
, Senegal
, and Congo, the Federation of Tanzania
and the Islamic Peoples Jamahiriya of Libya
. Algeria, as the host member also forms part of the secretariat.
The Organisation is the principal youth body on the continent and enjoys a special status within the African Union
, (AU) and is often consulted amongst other by its Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the Executive Council, and the standing conferences of the AU such as Health, Youth, Immigration, Education and Gender on matters relating to youth.
The PYU is a founding member of both the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations
(ICMYO) and the Global Co-operation Co-ordinating Committee (GCCC).
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
, Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
.
About
The organisation based in AlgiersAlgiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
was formed in Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
the capital of the Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
of Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, on 26 April 1962, at the urging of African Heads of State and Government
Assembly of the African Union
The Assembly of the African Union, which is formally known as the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government AU-AHSG, is one of several decision-making bodies within the African Union. The other bodies are the Pan African Parliament, the Executive Council consisting of foreign...
at the time, who wanted to create a platform to rally African youth behind the cause of the African liberation.
The Organisation's structure consist of a Congress, Executive Committee, Secretariat, Regional Bodies and Specialsied Committees, which are elected (once every four years), out of the 53 African member countries on the continent. The current Secretariat is led by the Republic of Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and includes the Republics of Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, and Congo, the Federation of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and the Islamic Peoples Jamahiriya of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. Algeria, as the host member also forms part of the secretariat.
The Organisation is the principal youth body on the continent and enjoys a special status within the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
, (AU) and is often consulted amongst other by its Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the Executive Council, and the standing conferences of the AU such as Health, Youth, Immigration, Education and Gender on matters relating to youth.
The PYU is a founding member of both the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations
International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations
The International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations , an international forum for the world's largest youth movements and regional youth platforms, meets once a year. It involves regional platforms such as the Pan African Youth Union , Asian Youth Council, Pacific Youth Council and the...
(ICMYO) and the Global Co-operation Co-ordinating Committee (GCCC).