All 5 AUSC Different Affairs Representatives Team Members:Mr Andrew Tangan (Cameroon), United Nations, European Union, Fracophonie and other Non -Students' Organizations, Title: AUSC (UN) Affairs Representative.

Biography

Tangang Andrew is a fellow at the Pan African University Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences (PAUGHSS) of the African Union, studying for an MSc in Governance and Regional Integration. He holds an MSc in International Relations specializing in International Cooperation and Decentralised Cooperation for Development from the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC). He is also a youth/student leader currently serving as President of the Commonwealth Students’ Union (COMSU) Yaounde, and Secretary General of Local Youth Corner (LOYOC) Cameroon. He is also a member of the Global Youth Governance and Accountability Task Team coordinated and supported by the British Youth Council, Restless Development, Plan UK and ActionAid.

Five Points explaining the reasons whyh AUSC must Exist:

The need for an African Union Student Council (AUSC)

By Tangang Andrew

Youths between the ages of 15 to 35 constitute more than half of the total population in the Central African sub-region (Middle Africa), most of them students. Their contribution to development in this sub-region is minimal because of the following reasons:

-          Lack of interest and information as just 1 of every 10 of students know about the SDGs;

-          Lack of participation structures as most if not all countries in this region do not have structures like National Student Associations. The Youth Councils address youth concerns as a whole with little or no concern for students thus the voices of students are missing;

-          Lack of adequate financial and technical resources, and capacities to fully engage.

The African Union Student Council (AUSC) is of the essence because:

-          It would represent the voices of all the African students at the level of the AU, the United Nations, the Commonwealth, La Francophonie and other organizations;

-          It would mobilise resources to support student initiatives towards attaining the AU Agenda 2063, the SDGs, and develop mechanisms to better inform students on these development plans;

-          It would develop a training programme to enhance the capacities of student leaders across the continent towards achieving Agenda 2013, the SDGs and other national development plans;

-          It would be a forum for African students to share experiences and good practices as far as fostering the Agenda 2063, SDGs and national development plans are concerned.

The UN Secretary General referred to the youths as the ‘torch bearers of the SDGs’, and the AU Agenda 2063 depends on the capacity of the African youths to fully engage. The AUSC stands out as an indispensable organ for the African students to contribute their quota to achieving the Agenda 2063 and the SDGs.