08/03/2025, Addis Ababa: African youth are set to meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to explore how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) can be harnessed to
promote the socio-economic development of the continent’s growing youth population.
The meeting, under the theme “Making the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Work for African Youth,” is jointly organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the Pan African Youth Union (PYU),the umbrella body for national youth councils across the continent.
The youth meeting will be held as a side event of the Fifty-seventh session of the Economic Commission for Africa: Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development, titled “Advancing the Implementation of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area: Proposing Transformative Strategic Actions,” from 12 to 18 March 2025 in Addis Ababa.
The organisation of the youth meeting on the AfCFTA is informed by the outcome of The Pact for the Future, adopted by the General Assembly in September 2024,which called for the effective inclusion of the youth in national, continental and international development initiatives, particularly in Africa, which has the youngest population in the world, with an estimated 400 million.
The AfCFTA is a free trade area that unites 55 member states of the African Union, creating a market of over 1.3 billion people with a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion. Keyaspects include enhancing intra-African trade, reducing dependence on external markets, promoting regional integration, improving global competitiveness, and stimulating economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction.
The AfCFTA offers a valuable opportunity for young Africans to spark economic growth within a market of over 1.3 billion people. By leveraging AfCFTA, young entrepreneurs can launch businesses, boost their earning potential, and improve their livelihoods through digital solutions. It will also support initiatives in climate resilient agriculture and renewable energy, while promoting unity and collaboration among African nations and their youth among others.
The meeting will therefore explore how young people can leverage these opportunities by providing a platform for young Africans to discuss the implementation of AfCFTA, its significance, effectiveness, opportunities, and challenges in relation to their interests and the continent’s economic development. Attendees will be encouraged to propose ways to ensure the Agreement is relevant to and driven by the youth.
Other meeting stakeholders include youth entrepreneurs from Africa, members of the National Youth Councils and Youth Coordinating Mechanisms, the Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development, the African Union Commission’s Youth Division, the African Development Bank, the UN Development Programme, and civil society organisations focused on youth economic development.
The public and the media are invited to this august occasion to help shape the future of African youth.
Meeting Format: HYBRID (in-person and online)
- For in-person registration
https://indico.un.org/event/1015846/registrations/19084/ - For online participants:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0VJAb5JfRIyMLlc7K7IstA#/registration
Language: English and French
Venue: African Hall, ECA Addis Ababa
Date: Saturday, 15th March 2025
Time: 08:30 – 17:30 (East Africa Time) EAT
Contacts:
For stakeholders and public: ulimwenguj@un.org; Phone: +251 911201800
For the media: Eca-communications-team@un.org; WhatsApp +233 24 4601847