Statement by Mr. Matthias Z. Naab, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cameroon, on National Youth Day 2023

On 11 February 2022, Cameroonian youths vibrantly celebrated the 57th edition of National Youth Day under the theme, “Youth, moral, civic and entrepreneurship rearmament, a guarantee for discipline in building a united and prosperous Cameroon.”

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for prosperity. Therefore, this year’s theme invites Cameroonian youth to firmly embrace the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the values underpinning them.

I am proud that the UN country team is supporting efforts in line with Government initiatives, including the Guarantee Fund for young entrepreneurs and the Charter to protect children online, mentioned explicitly in President Paul Biya‘s address to the youth on 10 February 2023.

“YouthConnekt” is one example of such UN support to youth programmes in Cameroon. Officially launched in December 2019, YouthConnekt Cameroon aims to connect young people to their peers, their role models, and the opportunities available to them. Another example is the Youth Agropastoral Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme. It helps young people create and develop successful agropastoral businesses by facilitating their access to financial services. Finally, the UN in Cameroon is delivering on its country-level action to prevent and counter hate speech. The plan includes specific interventions strengthening the capacity of young people to understand, identify and address hate speech.

The United Nations in Cameroon is fully committed to promoting youth agency and participation in the Agenda 2030. In the words of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, “meaningful, diverse, and effective youth participation – inside the United Nations and far beyond – is essential to (…) achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”  Therefore, the UN in Cameroon will continue to work hand in hand with the government towards realizing the full potential of youths for the inclusive and sustainable development of Cameroon.

Long live Cameroon