The UNATCOM Youth Committee was reactivated on 19th January 2022 at an induction meeting that took place at the Ministry of Education and Sports, Embassy House. The meeting was graced by the Chairperson of the outgoing Committee, Mr. Emmanuel Wabwire and the Assistant Secretary General (ASG) of UNATCOM, Dr. Dominic Mundrugo Ogo-Lali. Emmanuel and the ASG oriented the newly nominated committee members to prepare them for their role in proposing and implementing solutions to the challenges faced by Ugandan youth. The ASG briefed the committee members about UNESCO, the National Commission and their roles in empowering the youth. He also introduced them to different national, regional and international youth policies to act as a guide for approaching different youth issues.
To inspire the new Youth Committee, Emmanuel showed video footage from events attended by the past Youth Committee including a Youth Camp at Robben Island in South Africa, and the 4th African World Heritage Youth Forum in 2019. He also discussed the achievements of the past Committee which included hosting a Youth Camp at Mt Rwenzori to increase awareness and commitment to protection of UNESCO World Heritage sites among the youth. They also trained Ugandan youth leaders on different civic engagement procedures at Ndejje University.
group photo of the newly elected Youth Committee members together with Assistant Secretary General, UNATCOM
Emmanuel then advised the new members to focus more on impacting the youth through their activities rather than the different travel opportunities. He said, “Do not come to this committee with the aim of going to Paris.” Additionally, he urged the committee to create lots of fun content to increase their visibility and encouraged partnership with key organizations such as the African World Heritage Fund and Faraja Africa to cover their financial costs. The meeting ended with the election of a new Chairperson, Ms. Charity Agaba from the Uganda National Students Association (UNSA), a Deputy Chair, Dr. Ignatius Asasira from Tuli Ffena Foundation and a Secretary for Publicity, Ms. Esther Nankumbi from the Uganda Youth Skills Training Organization (UYSTO). Thereafter, the new committee networked and exchanged ideas over a delightful lunch.
We wish the new committee the best of luck in their two year tenure!