Speaking during the Continental Youth Capacity-Building Programme on African Union Shared Values Instruments in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Fiseha described Africa’s young population as one of the continent’s most important assets and emphasized the need to give young people a meaningful role in Africa’s future.
The four-day programme brings together two young representatives—one woman and one man—from each African Union member state, allowing participants to learn about the institutions and principles that guide continental cooperation.
Training focuses on several major areas of the AU agenda, including democratic governance, human rights, elections and Agenda 2063, the African Union’s long-term framework for continental development and integration.
Other African diplomats also emphasized the importance of youth participation. Ambassador Jevin P. Ponisamy, SADC Permanent Representative to the African Union, and Ambassador Willy Nyamitwe, Burundi’s representative to the AU, stressed the need for sustained youth involvement in governance and peaceful political participation.
The programme has particular significance for African integration because it seeks to build knowledge of continental institutions among the generation that will eventually lead governments, businesses, civil-society organizations and communities across Africa.
For decades, regional and continental integration has often been viewed primarily through agreements negotiated by governments. The AU initiative is attempting to broaden that approach by helping young Africans understand the continent’s shared governance principles and how they can participate in putting those commitments into practice.
With Africa having one of the world’s youngest populations, achieving the ambitions of Agenda 2063 will increasingly depend on whether young people see themselves not only as citizens of individual countries, but also as participants in Africa’s wider continental development.
The Addis Ababa programme represents a practical effort to make that connection—bringing together young Africans from across AU member states and preparing them to participate in the institutions, shared values and integration agenda shaping the continent’s future.