The new headquarters of the Pan-African Youth Union (UPJ) was inaugurated Monday in Rabat during a ceremony chaired by the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, in the presence of members of the Executive Committee of the Union, several ambassadors accredited to Morocco as well as representatives of Ministers of Youth from different countries of the continent and international organizations.
The transfer of the headquarters of the UPJ, which is the body dedicated to youth and its national councils near the African Union (AU), comes following the decision of the Executive Council of the Pan-African Youth Union amended on November 10, 2020, providing for the transfer of its headquarters from Sudan to Morocco.
For the outgoing President of the Union, Aliou Oumarou, the transfer of the headquarters of the UPJ to Morocco testifies to the strong commitment of the Kingdom to the promotion of African integration, just as it is a recognition of the tireless efforts of King Mohammed VI who continues to support the causes of African youth.
Emphasizing the basic values and principles of the UPJ, Oumarou said that this pan-African organization strives to strengthen the capacities of young people in Africa to fulfill their role as leaders of tomorrow and actors in the process of economic, political, social and cultural development of the continent.
For his part, the new president of the UPJ, Moumouni Dialla expressed the gratitude of the Union’s management team to the King for the installation of the Union’s headquarters in Rabat, highlighting the long road traveled by the UPJ since its creation on April 26, 1962 in Guinea Conakry on the initiative of the Heads of State.
The current structure of the Pan African Youth Union is the result of a profound and rigorous transformation process of its rebirth with the essential objective of adapting to the challenges faced by young people, he indicated.
After the symbolic ribbon cutting, the visit to the premises of the new headquarters, the signing of the handover document and the investiture of the elected Executive Committee, the participants in the inauguration of the UPJ headquarters were treated to a ceremony at the Chellah site with the screening of a documentary film highlighting the strengths of the continent and the challenges to be met and a musical performance by the Moroccan-Cameroonian artist Tagne and the Moroccan singer Bouchra ELM.
This ceremony was also marked by the presentation of trophies to the outgoing President and Secretary General of the PJU in recognition of their action in favor of the promotion of African integration.
The agreement related to the headquarters of the Pan-African Youth Union with Morocco was concluded in November 2021 in Rabat by Bensaïd and Oumarou. The city of Rabat is consecrated this year 2022 African capital of youth.
The UPJ’s missions include promoting its values and principles, particularly those related to peace, democracy and sustainable development with a view to achieving African integration.
