The 2018 Patrons of the African Youth SDGs Summit wish to congratulate President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on his re-appointment as Co-Chair of the UN Eminent Group of Advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the UN Secretary General, Ant??nio Guterres, for an additional two year-term.

Following his first appointment in 2017, we observed with great pride his efforts and are proud of the key achievements over the period, in particular the role he played in convening the High Level Africa Roundtable on the SDGs aimed at mobilizing support and accelerating implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

One key outcome of the Roundtable was the need to spearhead youth mentorship programmes to enhance youth participation in national development agenda in Africa. "There are not enough young people taking the lead in the implementation process. The available policy spaces exclude Africa's young population and their innovative ideas. The goals are genuinely about our people, our communities, our development and socio-economic livelihoods. The goals therefore need to be translated to reflect the values of our cultural existence. The visibility of youth participation in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the SDGs are critical requirements for achieving sustainable success"  the outcome stated.

Whilst we congratulate the President for his re-appointment, it is our  hope that he will dedicate his second term as Co-Chair to focusing on mobilizing multi-stakeholder support at the continental level, particularly African leaders and  the private sector, to consider young people as drivers of sustainable development and to prioritize meaningful investment that will propel the full implementation of the outcome quoted above.

It is against this backdrop that we, the eight distinguished patrons of the African Youth SDGs Summit, congratulates His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo and avail ourselves for collaboration and partnership in mobilizing and empowering young people to become advocates,innovators and champions of the SDGs.

The African Youth SDGs Summit

We are happy that the honourable office of the SDGs Advisory Unit under the Office of the President is a key partner of the upcoming African Youth SDGs Summit. Envisaged as an annual event, the African Youth SDGs Summit is aimed at elevating the African youth voices, concerns, insights and unleashing the potential of the youth to play active roles for the co-generation of ideas, solutions and awareness on the SDGs and the AU Agenda 2063.

The 2018 summit, the second in the series will be held from 7 to 9 November, at the Accra International Conference Centre, Ghana, under the theme "Partnership with Youth to Achieve the SDGs: Moving from Policy to Action" and is expected to propose its roadmap for an SDG Youth Partnership Agenda.

The Summit is co-hosted by the 2030 Youth Alliance,Youth Advocates Ghana, and UNFPA under the auspices of Ghana's Ministry of Planning in cooperation with UNDP, UNICEF,UN SDG Action Campaign- Germany and SDGs Advisory Unit  - a unit supporting the global role of the Ghanaian Head of State as Co-Chair of UN Secretary-General`s Eminent Group of Advocates on the SDGs.

Supporting Partners and Sponsors:

Ghana CSOs Platform on SDGs,National Youth Authority,Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana,UNAIDS,IPPF Africa Region,Actionaid,Christian aid,Oxfam,Save The Children,Restless Development,AfriYAN,African Monitor,Eqwip Hubs,AHND&CO LTD,Melton Foundation,Blues Skies,Nestle,Plan International,Paradise Pac LTD,Ghana National Commission for UNESCO,Savana Signatures,Young African Leaders Network,Youth Empowerment for Life,Arrows Communications and Media Consult,Mel Consult,Amnesty International,Marie Stopes International,Ipas,African Newspage,Ghana Health Service-Family Life Division ,UN Volunteers,Norwegian Church Aid ,YWCA Kenya,Hope for Future Generation and Ako Foundation.