China-Africa Cooperation Forum on Youth launched Beijing Declaration

The young generation of China and Africa vows to join hands to take their responsibility of delivering development and prosperity to China and Africa and to contribute to build a long lasting new Sino-African partnership based on equality and mutual benefits. Their commitments are enshrined into the Beijing Declaration issued at China-Africa Cooperation Forum on Youth in Beijing on August 24.

Mekides Kassaye, representative from Ethiopia, reads the Beijing Declaration at the Sino-Africa Cooperation Forum on Youth

The declaration calls on to ensure that the youth can enjoy the opportunities brought by globalization, liberalization of trade and investment, as well as information and communication technologies.

The document identifies the following strategies to strengthen the partnership and contacts between Chinese and African youth and encourage and help them realize their potentials "so that their energy and vision can better contribute to peace, cooperation and prosperity in the region and beyond".

--- The Chinese and African youth leaders and organizations keep friendly and solid contacts. Effective participation of the youth of China and Africa into the strategy is highly expected.

--- Priorities will be given to the establishment of a regular dialogue mechanism, experience sharing of existing training programs between China and Africa, favorable environment for the employment of the youth of the two sides, business possibilities and exchanges for the young Chinese and African entrepreneurs, taking care of the special needs of the vulnerable among the youth.

--- The Sino-Africa Youth Festival will be held on a regular basis. The Egyptian delegation proposed at the forum that his country be the host of the next festival in 2005.

--- Implementation of Sino-Africa youth exchange projects will be given more attention.

--- International partners are welcome.

--- Ensure the access of the youth to the education (of both value and vocation), basic social services and necessary support during the transition from school to work.

The one-day forum gave floor to 40 young representatives from China and Africa. Zhou Qiang, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of China Communist Youth League, spoke at the forum and put forward his proposal to strengthen the ties between the Chinese and African youth through a dialogue mechanism, Chinese young volunteers program, and more cooperation on human resources, tourism and businesses.

For the 39 African representatives who delivered speeches, they have much to say. They have much to share. And they will have much to see during their China visit. But there is something in common. They all expressed their appreciation to China's unconditional aides to their countries, willingness to further the traditional friendship between China and Africa, concern of the problems their nations are facing and the belief in education as the way to the development of the youth.

By People's Daily Online