Pakistan PM announces $ 100,000 for new Commonwealth Youth Council
Monday, 18 November 2013 00:01
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Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif last week announced a special donation of US$ 100,000 at the Commonwealth Summit in Colombo for the newly-established Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC). The contribution, which demonstrates the importance Pakistan attaches to the youth agenda, is intended to fund the youth-led development projects of the CYC in its early years.
The Commonwealth Youth Council was formally launched during the 9th Commonwealth Youth Forum held on the margins of the Commonwealth Summit. The newly established autonomous youth-led body would serve as the representative voice of 1.2 billion young people in the Commonwealth and would provide a framework for youth-led development initiatives. The Government of Sri Lanka has offered to host the Secretariat of CYC.
Earlier speaking on the agenda item relating to ‘Climate Change Financing,’ the Prime Minister stated that climate change was a defining reality of our times and called for a multi-pronged and revitalised global partnership for generating the needed financing to confront its effects. In this regard, he proposed formation of global policies to motivate private sector, enhanced availability of grants and soft loans to the public sector and early operationalisation of the ‘Green Climate Fund’.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif also held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Summit. During the meeting, issues of common interests came under discussion.
The Prime Minister led the Pakistan delegation to the Commonwealth Summit. He was assisted by Tariq Fatemi, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Anusha Rehman, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication and Jalil Abbas Jilani, Foreign Secretary.
