Groups of African youths yesterday July 3 pledged to join their governments in the cause.

They came from Chad, Gabon, the Central African Republic and Cameroon, and belong to the network of African Youths for Sustainable Development, Aide21. Their presence at the National Assembly yesterday July 3 was justified by the fact that they champion the same cause as government and some parliamentarians. That is, to ensure green economies while reducing poverty. The Aide21 delegation was accompanied by other networks of youths in Cameroon.

The First Vice President of the National Assembly, Hon. Hilarion Etong while welcoming them, praised the declaration of African youths presented at last month’s Rio+20 Earth Summit in Brazil. Environmental crisis is real and there is urgent need for youths to change attitudes and join efforts at the national level to conserve the continent’s forests, he pleaded. He explained that the presentation of the declaration to Parliament was proof of the networks’ commitment to counter the devastating effects of climate change.

The President of ‘Esperance Jeunes,’ Hon. Gaston Komba explained that by making their views known, African youths were asserting their strategic position in the crusade for a green economy. The Coordinator of the National Network of Parliamentarians of Cameroon for the Sustainable Management of Ecosystems, Dense and Humid Forests of Central Africa (REPAR-Cameroun), Hon. Jean Jacques Zam pointed out that African forests have considerably reduced and it was indispensable for youths to join in the fight to conserve them.

The Aide21 delegation was led by its coordinator, Guy Laurent Kouam. He restated the network’s commitment to conservation in spite of challenges. Earlier, youths, especially those from ‘Dynamique mondiale de jeunesse,’ visited the premises and offices of the National Assembly. From the training centre to the library and to the hemicycle, they received explanations on how the National Assembly functions.