Luanda - Angola's Members of the Parliament (MPs) unanimously approved on Friday, the Draft Resolution for the country's ratification of the Declaration on the Development and Empowerment of Youth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The document was approved at the 4th Extraordinary Plenary Meeting of the 2nd Legislative Session of the 5th Legislature, chaired by the Speaker of this sovereign body, Carolina Cerqueira.
The Declaration on Youth Development and Empowerment in SADC safeguards the implementation of friendly and cooperative ties between member states in the field of youth, including the provision of special attention to young women, young people with disabilities and rural youth.
It is in accordance with Angola's vision regarding the provisions of the Comprehensive Youth Development Program and the National Youth Policy approved by Presidential Decree No. 273/19 of 2 September.
Angola, as a founding member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has participated in this Regional Organization since 1992, within the scope of economic, political, infrastructural, industrial and social growth and development of member countries.
Youth is the driving force for the development of a society, which is why great hope is placed in this fringe of society.
In fact, multilateral consultations and negotiations led to the signing, in August 2015, in Gaberone, Republic of Botswana, of the Declaration on the Development and Empowerment of Youth in SADC.
The African Union's African Youth Charter, ratified by the Republic of Angola on March 2, 2009, constitutes a legal and political framework with acceptable provisions on youth development.
The aforementioned declaration aims to strengthen exchanges in the field of youth, promote economic growth and socioeconomic development, in order to alleviate poverty and its future eradication, combat infectious diseases, promote women in the community building process and maximize the productive employment and the use of the region's resources.
SADC is a regional community that seeks to guarantee economic well-being, improvements in the quality of life, freedom, social justice, peace and security for its population.
The organization includes Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Mauritius, Seychelles, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, DRC, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
MPLA highlights importance of the Declaration for youth
In its declaration of vote, read by deputy Crispiniano dos Santos, the MPLA parliamentary group considered the document timely and relevant, given the fact that youth represent the majority of the population in SADC member states.
"The advantage of Angolan youth, in particular, is that, more than seeing solutions to their problems listed, they have a legal document that supports the commitment of member states in implementing the actions contained", he expressed.
He highlighted that the focus on agribusiness by young people under the guidance of the governments of the organization's member countries, as a way of creating jobs, combating hunger and improving the ecosystem, is supported by the ratified document.
The deputy highlighted that it is up to member states to pay special attention to youth, "due to the active, preponderant and unavoidable role they play in building progress and economic and social development in our countries".
CANFEU
Crispiniano dos Santos, also leader of JMPLA (MPLA youth organization), took the opportunity to extend an invitation to JURA (UNITA youth organization) to participate in the 20th edition of the National Holiday Camp for University Students (CANFEU), taking place at province of Huíla.
CANFEU is a national event, organized by JMPLA, whose scope of intervention is based on volunteering and solidarity actions, promoting education for citizenship as well as cultural and patriotic exaltation.
DC/VIC/CF
