The 5th African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Youth Symposium, held under the theme “Youth in Governance: From Promise to Prosperity” at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Headquarters, has been hailed as a pivotal moment for transforming youth engagement across the continent.
APRM CEO of the Continental Secretariat, Ambassador Marie Antoinette Rose Quatre, underscored the event’s historic and symbolic significance.
Ambassador Quatre thanked PAP President H.E. Fortune Charumbira for hosting the Symposium, describing it as a critical attempt to settle governance issues affecting Africa.
The core impact of the Symposium is shifting the narrative: moving young people “from marching in the streets into something developmental and constructive.” This signifies a move from protest to policy-making.
The CEO issued a strong call to action to governments, urging them to implement fully funded youth agendas and abandon the “business as usual” approach.
She emphasized that Africa’s future depends on the deep participation of its youth, particularly as the APRM develops its 2025-2028 strategy.
To deepen this engagement, she encouraged national structures to host similar youth symposia continent-wide.
Crucially, Ambassador Quatre addressed the responsibility of the youth themselves.
She urged them to move away from hate speech that limits democracy and claims human lives, stating, “We need a peaceful Africa if we are to achieve Agenda 2063.”
She challenged African youth to help the continent take its rightful place in the digital space not merely as consumers of innovation, but as creators.
The Symposium’s outcome is set to have a continental impact, resonating with Agenda 2063 and the AU theme of 2025. Ambassador Quatre assured the youth that their recommendations will be taken directly to the African Union (AU).
Her final, powerful plea was direct: “PLEASE Youth of Africa don’t burn villages but build the Africa we want.” The Symposium is not an end, but a significant beginning to a sustained journey of partnership and innovation.
