The Youth Charter 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

Thompson added: “Safe water and sanitation are not separate from youth development. 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.

The Youth Charter is a UK-based international NGO with over 30 years’ experience delivering sport for development and peace programmes aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Africa Foundation builds on this legacy to support Agenda 2063 delivery across the continent.