LONDON: Pakistan’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Tuesday emphasized the creation of an enabling environment for the youth to succeed, saying that a path for a more peaceful, sustainable, prosperous and fairer Commonwealth could be achieved by 2030.
In his opening remarks at the tenth Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Meeting Plenary Session as chairperson, he said that the meeting was important as youth ministers have not met since 2017 while so much had happened in the world since then.
The foreign minister appreciated the vision of the Commonwealth member leaders in making this year dedicated to youth-led development.
He said that they had recommended the theme ‘Aiming Higher, Delivering More for young people in the Commonwealth’ for the ongoing meeting.
The theme expressed the combined aspiration and commitment of the Commonwealth to invest in and promote young people’s development, especially through the creation of opportunities for youth entrepreneurship and employment, recognizing that the future success of the Commonwealth rested with the continued commitment and contributions of youth in promoting and sustaining the group.
The foreign minister said that in Pakistan, almost 70% of citizens are under thirty years of age. Pakistan has one of the youngest populations in the Commonwealth.
Jilani underlined that all Commonwealth member countries had taken significant measures to educate and train youth, empower women and raise awareness about climate change.
FM @JalilJilani opened Plenary Session: ‘Delivering more through Inclusive and Accessible Education’ at 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in #London. Highlighted the crucial role of education in empowering our youth for a promising future.#CommonwealthYouth #10CYMM pic.twitter.com/iatoLAx87k
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) September 12, 2023
Flagship Program in Pakistan
From Pakistan’s perspective, he said the Prime Minister’s Youth Program was a flagship program of the government, prioritizing the empowerment of youth.
He said that the program strove for mainstreaming and inclusion of marginalized youth; especially girls, ethnic and religious minorities, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and the transgender community.
These included the training, free of cost, of at least 400,000 youth in both high-tech skills and conventional trades, with a particular emphasis on catering to foreign markets, he said.
