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National Youth Conference in Cotonou: Young people at the heart of the discussions

From 4 to 5 November 2024, Cotonou will host the ECOWAS National Youth Conference. Organised by the ECOWAS Commission, through the Centre for Youth and Sports Development, and supported by the Ministry of Sport of the Republic of Benin and the Laboratory for Regional Analysis and Social Expertise (LARES), this meeting is being held under the theme ‘Engaging ECOWAS for a new vision on youth’. The conference forms part of ECOWAS’s commitment to creating opportunities for direct dialogue with young people to promote their development in West Africa. This holistic and inclusive approach is an essential foundation for facilitating dialogue with young people, with a view to offering them a better present, strengthening their competitiveness and securing the future. Young people are key actors in consolidating governance and development, building their communities and creating a peaceful environment. Stakeholders thus have the opportunity to discuss and share challenges, solutions and priorities, and to make firm commitments to the well-being of young people in the region. They will be able to define clear messages and positions to champion the cause of young people within decision-making bodies. These national conferences are structured around panel discussions on employability, integration into the labour market, and the formulation of proposals to improve young people’s living conditions, taking into account the various types of stakeholders present in Benin. The national conference in Benin is being held as a prelude to those in Ghana, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire. These four countries form a pilot phase of a regional consultation organised by ECOWAS to engage with young people on the future of West Africa. It forms part of the ECOWAS Commission’s initiative to organise regional youth forums, which are due to take place in the first quarter of 2025 in Senegal to review the results of the pilot phases and redefine regional youth policy.