African Union Youth Program

The @_AfricanUnion (AU) Youth Division coordinates the AU’s youth programs to serve as the bridge between youth and decision makers.

#1mNextLevel

[African Union Youth Program @AUYouthProgram]

The 5th @_AfricanUnion Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace & Security and Women, Peace & Security is underway in Bujumbura 🇧🇮, under the theme: “Water, Peace & Inclusive Leadership in 🌍”

🔴 Watch live: https://t.co/2uWNIOvrgE

#AYCat20 #Agenda2063 #InternationalYouthDay2026

[African Union Youth Program @AUYouthProgram]

What’s next?
1️⃣ Incomplete submissions and proposals that are not thematically aligned will be screened out through the ongoing review process.
2️⃣ Successful applicants will be contacted by 25 August 2026. Stay tuned for more updates as we build #AUInnoFest26 together! 🚀

[African Union Youth Program @AUYouthProgram]

🚨 CLOSED: Session Proposals for African Union #InnoFest26 🚨

We received 1,000+ submissions from innovators, young people and digital leaders eager to help shape the continent’s AI and Digital Sovereignty agenda. Thank you for your overwhelming interest! 🌍💡

[African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) @APRMorg]

Dans l’esprit de la Session parallèle Charte africaine de la jeunesse @20 : De la promesse à la prospérité, le Prof. Désiré Manirakiza a rappelé que le défi n’est plus la ratification, mais la mise en œuvre.

Les jeunes sont des acteurs de maintenant, pas seulement de l’avenir.

[AU-EU Youth Voices Lab - Power of the Collective @aueuyouthvoices]

🌍 From Addis Ababa to Bujumbura: three days of moving youth voices closer to the decisions that shape peace, security and governance in Africa.

🕊️ Day 1 put implementation at the center: from the handover of youth recommendations emerging from Addis Ababa to discussions on #YPS, #WPS, water governance, AI, and the role of the next generation of African peacebuilders.

📜 Day 2 went deeper. Four parallel sessions explored practical pathways for change, while the African Youth Charter @ 20 discussions asked whether 20 years of commitments are truly reflected in young people’s lives. The plenary brought forward recommendations for stronger youth representation, inclusive YPS implementation, economic opportunities and more responsive institutions.

💪 Day 3, International Youth Day, connected policy with action. From youth skills at CEFORE-RUSI to 10 community-led initiatives showcased during #InkerebutsiDay, young people demonstrated that they are not only the leaders of tomorrow. They are already building peace and development today.

👉 The message from Bujumbura is clear: youth participation must go beyond consultation. Young people need meaningful space to influence policy, implementation and accountability.

From consultation ➡️ influence.
From commitments ➡️ action.
From youth voices ➡️ youth power.

@AUEUYouthLab
#AUEUYouthLab #AUEUYouthVoicesLab #PoweroftheCollective #AUEU #EngageEmpowerConnect#EuropeAid #Bujumbura2026 #YPS #WPS #TheCharterWeWant #AYCat20

[African Union Youth Program @AUYouthProgram]

#aycat20 #TheCharterWeWant #agenda2063

[YouLead Africa @OneYoungAfrica]

From powerful conversations to bold commitments;

here’s a look back at the African Youth Charter @20: From Promise to Prosperity Side Event held on the sidelines of the 5th Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace & Security and Women, Peace & Security in Africa in Bujumbura 🇧🇮

[AU-EU Youth Voices Lab - Power of the Collective @aueuyouthvoices]

🇧🇮 Today, we also joined #InkerebutsiDay in Bujumbura!

🧩 Through 10 community-based initiatives, young people in Burundi are showing what youth leadership looks like in practice: serving communities, strengthening peace, and contributing to local development.

👥 For these young changemakers, volunteering is a way to build peace, unity, and opportunity from the ground up. Young people are not only the future. They are shaping the present.

When young people work together, they strengthen what unites communities and help build the Africa they want to see 💪

@aueuyouthlab
#AUEUYouthLab #AUEUYouthVoicesLab #PoweroftheCollective #AUEU #EngageEmpowerConnect #EuropeAid #Bujumbura2026 #YPS #WPS #TheCharterWeWant #AYCat20 #InkerebutsiDay

[African Union Youth Program @AUYouthProgram]

@_AfricanUnion @AUC_PAPS @BurundinAddis @APRMorg @OneYoungAfrica Shifting from frameworks to real-world action!

Day 2's session tackled the African Youth Charter #aycat20 : From Promise to Prosperity.

Empowering youth is the key to a people-driven #Agenda2063 🌍💪🏿 #TheCharterWeWant #InternationalYouthDay26 #IYD26

[African Union Youth Program @AUYouthProgram]

The 5th @_AfricanUnion Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace & Security and Women, Peace & Security is underway in Bujumbura 🇧🇮, under the theme: “Water, Peace & Inclusive Leadership in 🌍”

🔴 Watch live: https://t.co/2uWNIOvrgE

#AYCat20 #Agenda2063 #InternationalYouthDay2026

[African Union Youth Program @AUYouthProgram]

@_AfricanUnion @AUC_PAPS @BurundinAddis @APRMorg @OneYoungAfrica Day 2 of the 5th Continental Dialogue on Youth, Peace and Security and the Women, Peace and Security Forum.

📍 JOIN US LIVE:
https://t.co/dVe6U46hbo…

#TheAfricaWeWant #Agenda2063 #InternationalYouthDay26

[African Union Youth Program @AUYouthProgram]

@_AfricanUnion 🔗 AUC Chairperson’s statement: https://t.co/aQ4yK8Omjx

🔗 AU Chairperson's Speech during the opening session of the 5th Continental Dialogue on Youth Peace and Security: https://t.co/MtsPU7aVh2

[African Union Youth Program @AUYouthProgram]

Happy International Youth Day 2026!
With over 60% of 🌍’s population under 25, young Africans are shaping the continent’s future through ideas, innovation & leadership.
The @_AfricanUnion is committed to listening, amplifying youth voices and creating pathways.

#IYD2026

[African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) @APRMorg]

More exchanges, more tough discussions and plenty of young voices in the room at #AYCat20 in Bujumbura.

Nothing watered down today. Youth representatives pushed the conversation on key items concerning the future they want to help shape.

#APRM #TheCharterWeWant #Youth4Peace

[African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) @APRMorg]

Bujumbura carried the energy of Africa’s young people today as the #AYCat20 Side Event brought youth representatives together for a bold and serious exchange on the future they are being asked to inherit.

#APRM #TheCharterWeWant #Youth4Peace

[African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) @APRMorg]

At #AYCat20 in Bujumbura, Amb. Rose-Quatre delivered a clear message on the urgency of investing in Africa’s young people.

#APRM #TheCharterWeWant

[African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) @APRMorg]

At the #AYCat20 Side Event in Bujumbura, Hon. Amos Lugoloobi, Chair of the APR Committee of Focal Points, said the 20-year milestone is a chance to assess how commitments have changed young people’s lives, as youth participation becomes more firmly embedded in the APRM.

#APRM

[African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) @APRMorg]

Amb. Willy Nyamitwe, Repr. permanent du Burundi(UA), a rappelé que les jeunes doivent être pleinement engagés comme acteurs, entrepreneurs et artisans de paix

La révision de la Charte doit aussi aider les institutions à mieux répondre à leurs besoins et aspirations.
#AYCat20

[African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) @APRMorg]

The African Youth Charter @20 conversation is officially underway in Bujumbura

With the Vice-President of Burundi, joining the opening, young Africans are putting the hard questions on the table.

Today’s discussions will help shape the #AYCat20 appraisal and AGR 2027.

[YouLead Africa @OneYoungAfrica]

Ms. @ThenamesKabu, Voice & Democracy Manager @RestlessZambia and @ReaganMwebaze0, the YouLead Africa Program Coordinator presented an overview of the African Youth Charter @20 Appraisal.

The presentation reflected on the Charter’s journey since its adoption in 2006, examining the gap between the commitments made to Africa’s young people and their realities today.

[YouLead Africa @OneYoungAfrica]

In her remarks, Juliana Shem, Senior Programs Officer @MSTCDC representing Dr. Ana Haule and YouLead Africa, reaffirmed the importance of continued partnership with @APRMorg and @RestlessDev in advancing the African Youth Charter @20 Appraisal.

[YouLead Africa @OneYoungAfrica]

In her opening remarks, the APRM CEO @APRMorg underscored that Africa’s growing youth population is both an opportunity and a governance responsibility.

She called for greater investment in education, skills, jobs, technology and meaningful youth participation, warning that unemployment, exclusion and declining trust in institutions can become drivers of instability.

[YouLead Africa @OneYoungAfrica]

REMARKS BY ELONGA LYON

Representative of the Youth Technical Experts – AYC @20 Appraisal.

We come from different countries, regions and backgrounds, and we carry with us different experiences of what it means to be young in Africa today.

But we share one conviction: the African Youth Charter must not remain a document of promises. It must become a living framework that delivers real change in the lives of young Africans.

[YouLead Africa @OneYoungAfrica]

The Side Event has brought together young people, governments, AU institutions, and partners to reflect on two decades of commitments to Africa’s young people.

Led by @APRMorg, in partnership with @OneYoungAfrica and @RestlessDev, the appraisal places young people at the centre of assessing the Charter’s implementation;

looking at progress, gaps, lessons and the actions needed to turn commitments into tangible outcomes.