By Reginald Tapfumaneyi
Africa’s future took center stage as members of the Panel of the Future engaged in a High-Level Intergenerational Youth Town Hall during the two-day SHAPE Africa Summit, held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This gathering that brought together a vibrant network of stakeholders to focus on empowering young Africans through skills and innovation, demonstrates the continent’s commitment to youth-driven solutions for its growth and prosperity.
The 2024 SHAPE Africa Summit, under the theme “Upskilling for Africa’s Development,” was convened during Africa Youth Month by the African Union Chairperson’s Special Envoy on Youth, in partnership with the World Economic Forum.
H.E. Ms. Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, the Special Envoy on Youth whose term concludes in March 2025, has been instrumental in leading the 12-member assembly of visionary young Africans. This group plays a critical role in amplifying youth priorities within global multilateral systems and driving collective action toward the continent’s development agenda.
Supported by the United Nations Foundation and the Global Challenges Initiative, the Panel of the Future champions transformative policies, impactful partnerships, and inclusive engagement. It continues to advocate for the active participation of young people in building a sustainable and prosperous future for Africa.
The Panel took the spotlight at the SHAPE Africa Summit during the High-Level Intergenerational Dialogue titled “Multilateral Governance: Reigniting Youth Leadership for Today and the Future.”
The critical Town Hall examined the transformative role of youth leadership in achieving sustainable development goals, as outlined in the African Union Agenda 2063 – Aspiration 6, the United Nations 2030 SDGs, and the newly adopted Pact for the Future Actions.
The dialogue fostered intergenerational exchanges on the reimagined qualities and capacities needed for youth leadership to thrive in addressing contemporary challenges. It underscored the importance of innovative approaches to deliver outcomes that resonate with the aspirations of African youth, strengthen institutions, and align with the demands of both national and global governance systems.
H. E Ms Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, continues to echo the need to amplify African Youth Voices as a vital component in attaining the Pact of the Future Actions.
In her remarks, HE Mpemba noted the importance of the event in advancing the Youth Agenda.
“Platforms such as the Youth Town Hall are an opportunity for African leaders and policy makers to collaborate intergenerationally to find solutions to today’s and future challenges,” she said.
“This diverse assembly is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at harnessing the potential of Africa’s youth to shape the future of global governance and cooperation, with objectives stemming from the need to empower young leaders, foster inclusive dialogue, enhance inter generational dialogue, build strategic partnerships and champion African youth priorities in order to increase opportunities for meaningful youth inclusion.”
From 10 countries, and diverse sectors, passions and focus areas, the Panel fostered dynamic conversations that inspired change across the continent. This was a pivotal moment thad cascaded the meaningful outcomes and results of their engagements at the Summit of the Future and the United Nations General Assembly which they attended from the 24th to the 28th of September in New York.
The Panel of the Future’s engagements included a Youth Town Hall at the SDG Media Zone in collaboration with the United Nations Communications Department and BBC News Africa.
The Panel of the Future exchanged with various Ministers, African Union Directors, institutions and most importantly the youth they represent on various issues of discussed includes leadership, education, climate change, peace and security, entrepreneurship and governance.
Both the African Union and the United Nations recognizes the pivotal role of African youth in reshaping and safeguarding the future. Their voices are instrumental in shaping policy, decision making, reimagining global governance and protecting Future Generations as stated in the Pact of the Future.
