(Commonwealth)_ On 12th August, 2025, young professionals were at the forefront of long-term planning when Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey introduced the staff breakfast meeting to the youth at the forefront. The meeting, which took place on International Youth Day, aimed to incorporate ideas from the new organization leaders into the organization’s next five-year Strategic Plan (2025-2030).
The session was a departure for the Secretariat, one that was reflective of the Secretary-General’s desire to infuse inclusivity, youth empowerment, and intergenerational engagement into the institution’s own mandate. The Secretariat invited the young officials in the room to share their experience and know-how, allowing for concrete input to shape the implementation of its three new pillars of resilience: democratic resilience, economic resilience, and environmental resilience.
Youth as Policy Contributors
Comments were offered by Youth Secretariat staff on how the organization could extend its universal mission further without disconnecting from the daily life of people in member states. Among the best comments offered were suggestions to reactivate Commonwealth clubs in schools, especially in small island developing states and rural towns where citizens’ participation is usually in need of improvement. The staff felt that such programs would help bring Commonwealth values to grass-roots levels so that future generations can be directly linked to the activities of the association.
The second primary focus was building trust between generations. Some of the workers stressed the importance of intergenerational dialogue in closing the generation gap between veteran leaders and young citizens. They asserted that it would make the Commonwealth relevant to its 2.5 billion citizens, over 60 percent of whom are under the age of 30.
There was innovation on the digital side too. Officials realized the potential of social media sites and artificial intelligence to engage young people more directly, enhance Commonwealth programs, and re-engineer communication. Embracing smarter digital technologies, the Secretariat would be an improved profile raiser and influencer, particularly in the areas of education, employability, and climate action.
Alignment with the Strategic Plan
Youth voices directly inform the Secretariat’s overarching 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, published earlier this month. The plan is centered around three pillars of resilience:
Democratic resilience, which works towards good governance, electoral integrity, and rule of law.
Economic resilience, which centers on increased trade, financial inclusion, and debt sustainability among member states.
Environmental resilience focuses on addressing climate change, protecting the seas, and transitioning to renewable energy sources.
A cross-cutting social inclusion commitment will support all these pillars. The youth will no longer have their voices constrained within tokenistic participation but will influence program design, resource allocation, and long-term development planning.
International Youth Day’s significance
The event was a part of a series of Commonwealth events celebrating International Youth Day in August 2025. Partners and the Secretariat had organized leadership forums, webinars, and international broadcasts of youth success stories throughout the month. Events in Kenya, Namibia, and the United Kingdom showcased the innovative contributions young individuals from the Commonwealth are making in sustainable agriculture, green technology, and community resilience.
By connecting the staff motivation to this international observance, the Secretariat has highlighted the symbolic and instrumental worth that youth contribute to institution building for the future. It has also highlighted the fact that young professionals are not passive recipients of programs but forge world policy.
Looking Ahead
With the Secretariat being nudged ahead in the rollout of its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, issues raised over breakfast among young people will be added to its working agenda. Commonwealth school clubs, digitalization, and intergenerational trust will be nurtured in the next two years into action plans.
The outreach is one of the larger shifts that is taking place inside the Commonwealth Secretariat. Under Shirley Botchwey’s leadership, the organization is gearing up to be younger, more representative, and more responsive to the issues of the day. Engaging youth inside the Secretariat itself suggests that the present is an insider vision before it is cascaded across the 56 member nations.
