One of Africa’s greatest untapped resources is its young people, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed on Wednesday, urging the continent to take advantage of the skills and talents of its youth to promote sustainable development.
Mr. Ban was in Ethiopia, the final leg of a three-country, five-day visit to the continent that has also taken the United Nations chief to Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, according to a statement issued in Accra on Thursday by the UN Information Centre.
In a statement marking the AfricaDay celebrated on Wednesday, Mr. Ban warned that “despite advances in education and economic growth, progress remains fragile, inequalities are widespread and young Africans face major difficulties in finding decent jobs and participating in decision-making.”
This year’s Africa Day celebration is on the theme, “Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development.”
He noted that in North Africa this year, where protests led to the downfall of long-term regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and open conflict in Libya, a lack of basic freedoms “was among the factors that led young people to take to the streets demanding change and fulfillment of their legitimate aspirations for better lives.
“Empowering youth is essential for sustainable economic growth and sustainable management of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; the clear challenge for many countries now is to pay just as much attention to sustainable political progress.
“As Africans strive to overcome threats to peace and development, the continent will continue to need strong and dedicated support from all its partners. On Africa Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to work in partnership with Africans of all ages to realize their potential by building an environment conducive to prosperity, democracy and peace.”
He underlined the need for Africans “to realize their right to choose their own leaders and ensure that elections are a route to peace, not violence”.
Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organization of African Unity (the predecessor of today’s African Union) on 25 May 1963. During his current visit to the continent, Mr. Ban has been trying to mobilize “global support for reducing child and maternal mortality rates.