Governance, Citizen Participation and Youth Leadership

Overview

Strengthen youth leadership and citizen participation by improving coordination mechanisms, promoting accountability, and supporting constructive engagement between youth structures and institutions.

Context & rationale

Youth participation is a key driver of inclusive governance and national stability. Yet, participation can be limited by weak coordination, low trust, gaps in information, and insufficient structured platforms for dialogue and representation.

Axis 6 focuses on governance and participation as practical systems: how youth leaders and coordinators can organize, represent, communicate priorities, and engage with institutions in a credible and constructive way. It emphasizes leadership responsibility, transparency, and coordination across youth structures.

For the forum to have impact beyond the event dates, governance and participation must be strengthened so youth leaders can follow up on discussions, consolidate inputs, and sustain engagement across the year.

Strategic importance

When youth leadership structures are coordinated and accountable, youth engagement becomes more credible and effective. This supports institutional trust, improves the quality of youth inputs, and strengthens implementation alignment.

Axis 6 is also essential to sustain a year-round forum model: it defines how participation continues after the event through structured communication, follow-up, and representation mechanisms.

Key focus areas

• Participation and inclusion: ensuring youth voices are organized and represented
• Leadership and accountability: transparent and responsible coordination
• Dialogue and collaboration: constructive engagement with institutions and partners
• Coordination systems: roles, reporting lines and communication channels
• Follow-up and continuity: sustaining a year-round engagement approach
• Leadership skills: facilitation, communication and stakeholder engagement

Scope

• Youth participation and representation mechanisms during and after the forum
• Leadership responsibility, accountability and ethical conduct within youth structures
• Coordination across youth leaders and coordinators (regions/communities/diaspora where applicable)
• Dialogue and engagement frameworks between youth and institutions
• Information flow: how youth leaders collect, consolidate and communicate priorities
• Follow-up culture: tracking commitments and maintaining engagement year-round
• Capacity strengthening for leadership communication and facilitation roles

Target groups

• Youth leaders
• Youth coordinators

Stakeholders

• CNYC (National Youth Council)
• MINJEC (Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education)
• CONEP
• Cameroonian youth

Expected outcomes

• Improved understanding of governance, participation and leadership roles among youth leaders/coordinators
• Stronger coordination and communication within youth structures (general outcome)
• Better youth engagement practices with institutions, based on constructive dialogue (general outcome)
• Enhanced accountability culture and leadership responsibility (general outcome)
• Improved capacity to sustain engagement beyond the event dates (general outcome)

Indicators of success

• Participation rates in Axis 6 governance/leadership sessions
• Participant feedback on leadership tools and coordination guidance shared
• Evidence of improved coordination practices within youth structures (if documented)
• Examples of structured follow-up actions initiated post-forum (if documented)

Example activities

• Session: what youth participation means in practice (roles, representation and responsibilities)
• Workshop: leadership accountability and ethical coordination within youth structures
• Clinic: communication systems—how to collect and consolidate youth priorities
• Simulation: structured dialogue between youth leaders and institutions
• Action planning: simple follow-up mechanisms to sustain year-round engagement

Call to action

Strengthen youth governance: lead responsibly, coordinate effectively, and sustain constructive participation before, during and after the forum.

Axis summary

Axis 6 focuses on governance, citizen participation and youth leadership—coordination, accountability and structured engagement with institutions.