Youth Charter Calls for Sport-Led Youth Action Following African Union Summit in Addis Ababa

LONDON: The Youth Charter (www.YouthCharter.org) has welcomed the outcomes of the 39th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, held in Addis Ababa, and is calling for immediate implementation mechanisms that translate Summit commitments into grassroots impact.
The Assembly adopted the 2026 Theme of the Year:

“Ensuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063.”

Alongside this, African leaders reaffirmed the importance of youth empowerment, digital innovation, skills development, and inclusive growth as central pillars of continental transformation.

Turning Policy into Practice

The Youth Charter believes these priorities must now be delivered where young people live, learn and play at community level.

Professor Geoff Thompson, MBE, FRSA, DL, Chair of Youth Charter, said:

“Africa’s youth are its greatest asset. The commitments made in Addis Ababa are significant but they must now be visible on the ground. Sport provides one of the most powerful and scalable platforms to engage, equip and empower young people.”

Water, Sanitation and Safe Sport Participation

The AU’s adoption of water and sanitation as a continental priority presents a clear opportunity to strengthen safe and inclusive youth participation.

Youth Charter Africa is proposing:

Installation of safe water access at Community Campuses
Gender-sensitive sanitation facilities to support girls’ participation
Integration of WASH education into sport and cultural programmes
Safeguarding frameworks aligned with AU youth policies
“Safe water and sanitation are not separate from youth development,” Thompson added. “They are foundational to participation, dignity and opportunity.”

Leveraging Major Sporting Milestones

Africa’s sporting calendar in 2026 offers further opportunity to embed sustainable youth legacy infrastructure, including the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics and the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations.

Youth Charter is urging continental institutions and Member States to convert major event visibility into permanent community assets through its Community Campus model.

The Community Campus Model

The Youth Charter’s Engage – Equip – Empower framework integrates:

Grassroots sport and cultural activity
Accredited Social Coach training
Digital literacy and employability pathways
Youth leadership development
Measurable socio-economic impact tracking
Each Community Campus operates as a hub for youth opportunity, health promotion, peacebuilding and economic participation.

Call to Action

Youth Charter Africa is seeking:

Formal technical engagement with the African Union Commission
Pilot Community Campus partnerships in 3–5 Member States
Collaboration with Regional Economic Communities
Public–private blended financing to support initial rollout
The proposed three-year pilot model represents an investment of £258,750 per Community Campus, with blended funding from government, development finance, corporate CSR and philanthropy.