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Engaging with young people was not a symbolic gesture; the Secretary-General spoke passionately about the importance of hearing their perspectives and centring them in decision-making. With two-thirds of its population under the age of 30, the Commonwealth relies on the energy and ideas of its young people to shape its future.

The youth-led event, held on 12 August 2025, brought together the Secretariat’s emerging talent to share their perspectives on the Secretary-General’s vision. That vision is now being incorporated into the 5-year Strategic Plan, which will serve as a blueprint for the Secretariat’s work until 2030.

The Secretary-General welcomed the participants, both in person and online, encouraging active engagement and emphasising the importance of their work:

“You are not just the leaders of tomorrow. You are shaping the Commonwealth today.”

She was also joined by the Secretariat’s Chief of Staff, Kwabena Osei-Danquah, who was noting the ideas shared by the young people.

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Youth voices: Shared perspectives

They accepted the invitation to share their views enthusiastically. Mukhtar Adesunkanmi, a Political Officer, shared his experience of participating in Commonwealth club activities at school in Nigeria as one of his early memories. He proposed reviving them in primary schools and universities in member countries.

Cynthia Nyongesa, who works in the Rule of Law team and is from Kenya, shared ideas about how to promote good governance. She said:

"There has been a lot of distrust between young people and leaders across many countries. This is the perfect opportunity to start rebuilding trust and accountability, especially through intergenerational dialogue, where young people speak to their leaders about their concerns, such as systemic inequalities.

When young people have the opportunity to speak to leaders who listen to them, then we can ensure that we have democratic resilience".