The Fifth African Development Forum (ADF-V)
Youth and Leadership in the 21 st Century

Statement by Representative of the Youth, Addisu Tegegn

Your Excellencies

My colleagues, Youth Leaders

Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Ethiopian Youth Network and all youth in Ethiopia, I deeply want to welcome you all to Ethiopia. As the seat of the African Union and the Economic Commission of Africa (ECA), please feel that you are in fact in your own home country.

This fifth African Development Forum (ADF-V) is special for the African youth particularly because, firstly it has given special focus for the youth, with theme "Youth and Leadership in the 21st Century"; and secondly, the Forum is organized following the recent endorsement of the African Youth Charter by African Heads of State.

The focus of the Forum on youth and the endorsement of the African Youth-charter create important opportunities for our development. On the other hand, these also, bring to us more responsibilities and this should be the day when we declare our commitment to contribute with our full capacity in the development endeavors in our respective countries and for a better Africa.

I would like to sincerely acknowledge the support from our Government, specially the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia. With the full participation of Ethiopian youth, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has developed short- term and long-term youth development programmes; the Ministry of Health has also developed an Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health Strategy, which will very soon be launched.

A specific example for the support of the activity, is the support provided in the establishment and functioning of the African Youth and Adolescent and Youth Network on Population and Development (AfriYAN). If we African youth want to be heard, to support each other and to learn from one another, we need to further strengthen such networking.

Recognizing the proportion that the youth constitutes, the potential and energy the youth has in development endeavors and also acknowledging the complex challenges it is facing including in the areas of health, HIV/AIDS, education, gender equity, and employment; we sincerely demand that already started supports are continued and scaled- up with large scale, with adequate resource allocation for addressing issues concerning the youth in Africa.

Today and in the coming two days, the ADF- V sessions under each of the three clusters would create opportunities for the African youth to bring forward concrete issues they would like to be focused on and supported in the areas of economic, social and political development.

My colleagues -youth participants, you are representing millions of others in your respective countries. And you need to proactively participate in each of the sessions and reflect the views of millions of others you are representing.

Finally, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union, the different UN agencies and many other partners for bringing us, African Youth, together to discuss on our own issues and deliberate on action points.

I thank you very much!