Mayor hosts Youth Commonwealth Association

The Mayor, Carmen Gomez, hosted members of the Youth Commonwealth Association for breakfast at the parlour on Friday morning where she stressed the importance of youth engagement and the Commonwealth.

Also at the breakfast was the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia, who has spearheaded Gibraltar's enhanced engagement with Commonwealth institutions.

Dr Garcia noted the enhanced relationship with the Commonwealth post-Brexit, citing how local delegates have attended the Commonwealth Youth Parliament most recently in Wellington, New Zealand and shortly an event in Samoa.

The Mayor expressed pride in Gibraltar's youth, who have served as ambassadors at various Commonwealth youth forums around the world.

"Gibraltar has always been especially proud of its links with the Commonwealth family of nations, and this provides an opportunity to cement those links further still and continue building on the relationships formed over the years,” she said.

“Particularly the youth sector, who form part of tomorrow’s generation.”

She reminisced about his own experiences as a student, recounting how Commonwealth scholarships had enabled her and others to pursue higher education.

"I have often, during the years, written about the importance of our voice being heard, and this is an excellent venue to do this," she said.

Turning to the young attendees, she congratulated them on their achievements, be it writing essays or standing in front of the dispatch box and addressing a huge assembly which is “no mean task”.

"To those present here today, I would like to say that you should be satisfied and proud of your achievements," she said.

She also noted that the slogan “taking charge of a future” has been the most adequate theme for young people who have the opportunity to work together in a youth declaration and action plan and present their recommendations to the heads of government.

Echoing these sentiments, Dr Garcia highlighted the government's concerted efforts to deepen Gibraltar's involvement with the Commonwealth, particularly in the youth sector.

"Departure from the European Union, in a sense, provoked the government and stimulated us to take further action in relation to our relationship with the Commonwealth," she said.

“That has developed now in a number of years, and a number of areas.”

Dr Garcia added that the government's initiatives, including sending delegates to the Commonwealth Youth Parliament in locations as far as Delhi, India and Kigali, Rwanda and plans to dispatch two more young Gibraltarians to the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Forum in Samoa.

"I think the value of sending our young people out of Gibraltar to these forums, the value of that engagement with your colleagues and peers from across the Commonwealth, will serve you as invaluable experiences as we go forward," he said.

He also encouraged those who have not yet had the opportunity to carry on trying.