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Chido Cleopatra Mpemba

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Chido Mpemba in 2022

Chido Cleopatra Mpemba (born July 1988) currently serves as the Special Envoy for Youth at the African Union Commission (AUC). She was appointed as the second African Union Youth Envoy by the chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki in November 2021, as the youngest senior official in the history of the African Union and youngest diplomat in the chairperson's cabinet. Chido took over from Aya Chebbi from Tunisia. According to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, the role of the AU Youth Envoy is to assist in championing youth development issues in Africa.

Quotes

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  • What's come up the most is youth livelihoods. They also want us to focus on accelerating efforts on tackling issues related to climate change and adaptability, climate finance, and climate education.
  • I expect young people to be at the forefront of efforts to address the climate crisis. We should have the needs of young people at the forefront when it comes to climate adaptation and climate financing. We must also have opportunities for young Africans to innovate and provide climate solutions. For COP27, I am hoping there is a youth advisory board to ensure that the needs of young people are fully represented.
  • I'm glad that the African Union appointed African Youth Peace Ambassadors for the various regions in Africa. And we've been having consultations regarding a Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security. As I speak, Youth Peace Ambassadors are in Nigeria to consult on that framework and to assist in rolling out a national action plan on peace and security.
  • For young people worldwide, my message is that the future is in our hands. We must act now. We must influence decisions that affect us.
  • I think if I speak about the challenges or something that’s commonly faced with a lot of young people. And it’s when you get into space where there’s already a lot of experience with the people that you’re working with, at times you find yourself putting pressure on yourself just to work harder and to prove yourself. And I think that was the first challenge when I joined, not that anyone had put pressure on me, but I was putting pressure on myself to say, “I need to deliver”. “I’ve been entrusted in this role”. “I’ve been appointed by the Chairperson”. “I’ve been recognized by the African member states”. There’s a lot on the stake for me. Not only there to be most importantly the constituency that I represent, again, will hold me accountable. So, it comes with, you know, that pressure of ‘I need to do it and I need to do it now’ because there’s so many challenges. A lot of challenges were faced with an Africa at the moment from high unemployment to conflict rising, to climate change issues, to democratic governance and the human rights of young people. It’s so much. It’s a lot and, you know, you want to be able to deliver results.
  • I think it’s great that I’ve had the opportunity. It’s something I do not take lightly. I believe that my role is unique. In that I also have an opportunity to speak to young people, being communities being in civil society, through national youth councils, through Member States, at the same time, I also have an opportunity to speak to the policymakers and the governments. From the Ministers, the Head of States, other Special Envoys. And it gives an opportunity to make sure that you merge that. That the voices of young people, from what I hear from the ground through my youth townhall meetings through the listening tours, reaches the decision-making table, where I’ve had the privilege of accessing the decision-making table. At the same time, also making sure what comes from the policymakers reaches young people too.
  • I would say do not ever underestimate the impact that you makein this world. I feel like as young people at times, we underestimate how we’re contributing towards society. But never do so, it could be within a community, within a family, within a country, a continent or globally, but ultimately, we are all contributing, at whichever stage that you are. So, keep that in mind. Always do the best that you can.
  • “I am lobbying that come next year the next AU Heads of State Summit should be held in collaboration with an AU Youth Summit, so that young people can get to sit on the same table with Heads of State and be able to drive the agenda in achieving the Africa that we want and engineer the solutions together.
  • So, that is what I am lobbying for and come 2023, I believe that one of my priorities as I am in office is to make sure that we have more young people sitting on the table in these discussions as we deliberate, in terms of Africa, where we are, where we would like to go, and ensure that all the young people are also represented in these conversations.”
  • Through a listening tour, I commit to engaging with youth organisations, youth transformative groups and young Africans across our continent and in the Diaspora with the aim to represent everyone and to tap into all the bright ideas that will propel and accelerate further efforts.“I advocate for inclusion of young people with disabilities in decision-making processes. It is important that no one person is left behind.
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