National Assembly says yes to AU youth charter

MEMBERS of Parliament have ratified the African Youth Charter, which will cater for youth development and empowerment.

The Charter was approved by the African Union’s youth ministers in May 2006. MPs were however concerned that the charter might not stop child marriages or female genital mutilation, quite common in Central and North African states.The charter defines a youth as any person between the ages of 15 and 35.It commits African governments to ensuring that issues affecting the youth regarding employment, sustainable livelihood, education, health, youth participation, national youth policy, peace and security, law enforcement, youth in the diaspora and youth with disabilities are adequately addressed.When he introduced the charter on Wednesday, Youth, Sport and Culture Minister John Mutorwa said Cabinet had endorsed the document earlier this month.Members debated Article 17(i), which calls on African states to “institute comprehensive programmes including legislative steps to prevent unsafe abortions”.Abortions in Namibia are illegal unless a pregnancy affects the health of the mother, pregnancy was caused by rape or incest or if a mentally or physically disabled child is expected to be born.The charter implies that African states must adjust their laws to provide safe abortions.However, the Speaker, Theo-Ben Gurirab, said this could not be done.”Namibia’s domestic laws and the Constitution cannot be overtaken or replaced by international instruments and thus, unless Parliament changes the laws regarding abortion, no international instrument can force a sovereign state to change its laws,” the Speaker told Members on Thursday.Although the charter has been adopted, fundamental challenges remain that of its popularisation, ratification and implementation at country level.The African Union has put in place a strategy for the popularisation of the charter and is working towards strengthening a youth structure that will support its implementation.The AU Commission is working to strengthen the Pan African Youth Union (PYU) in order to ensure that it is fulfilling its mandate.MPs were however concerned that the charter might not stop child marriages or female genital mutilation, quite common in Central and North African states.The charter defines a youth as any person between the ages of 15 and 35.It commits African governments to ensuring that issues affecting the youth regarding employment, sustainable livelihood, education, health, youth participation, national youth policy, peace and security, law enforcement, youth in the diaspora and youth with disabilities are adequately addressed.When he introduced the charter on Wednesday, Youth, Sport and Culture Minister John Mutorwa said Cabinet had endorsed the document earlier this month.Members debated Article 17(i), which calls on African states to “institute comprehensive programmes including legislative steps to prevent unsafe abortions”.Abortions in Namibia are illegal unless a pregnancy affects the health of the mother, pregnancy was caused by rape or incest or if a mentally or physically disabled child is expected to be born.The charter implies that African states must adjust their laws to provide safe abortions.However, the Speaker, Theo-Ben Gurirab, said this could not be done.”Namibia’s domestic laws and the Constitution cannot be overtaken or replaced by international instruments and thus, unless Parliament changes the laws regarding abortion, no international instrument can force a sovereign state to change its laws,” the Speaker told Members on Thursday.Although the charter has been adopted, fundamental challenges remain that of its popularisation, ratification and implementation at country level.The African Union has put in place a strategy for the popularisation of the charter and is working towards strengthening a youth structure that will support its implementation.The AU Commission is working to strengthen the Pan African Youth Union (PYU) in order to ensure that it is fulfilling its mandate.