Samoa has co-chaired the 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Taskforce Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, joining more than 50 nations to strengthen youth participation and collaboration across the Commonwealth.
Samoa's Minister for Women, Community and Social Development, Moefaauouo Julius Tafunai, presided over the session with Pakistan's Minister for Youth Affairs, Syeda Amnah Batool.
The Taskforce represents more than 1.5 billion young people and plays a key role in advancing youth development priorities within the Commonwealth.
This year's meeting focused on accelerating progress on the Marlborough House Commitments, assessing the Commonwealth Youth Programme (2024-2025), and endorsing the new Strategic Plan 2025-2030.
Mr Moefaauouo opened the meeting by acknowledging Malaysia's hospitality and the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
"The future of the Commonwealth relies on the meaningful empowerment of its young people; not in words, but in action," he said.
The meeting brought together ministers, senior officials, and youth representatives to review national progress and share strategies that promote youth participation in governance, education, and employment.
The Samoan delegation, including senior official Ana Leau Vaasa-Te'o, shared Samoa's community-based model for youth development, highlighting the country's emphasis on village-led engagement, inclusive policy, and cultural identity as key foundations for empowerment.
Mr Moefaauouo said Samoa's approach is grounded in listening to young people and ensuring their contributions shape national and regional priorities.
"As a Pacific nation, we bring the voices of young people from our villages, schools, and sports fields; and we are committed to seeing these voices shape policy," he said.
He added that youth leadership remains central to strengthening unity across the Commonwealth.
"Our unity as a Commonwealth depends on our youth — their leadership, their creativity, and their courage."
The meeting also provided a platform to reflect on shared progress since the last Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting and to reaffirm commitments to youth-led action ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Commonwealth ministers endorsed the continued integration of youth work into government planning and the recognition of youth workers as key contributors to social and economic development.
The session concluded with agreement on strengthening accountability measures, improving collaboration between ministries, and expanding support for youth programs across member nations.
The 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Taskforce Meeting was held ahead of the 5th Global Youth Work Conference, scheduled from 17 to 19 November at the International Youth Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
The conference, jointly organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Workers Associations and Universiti Putra Malaysia through the Institute for Social Science Studies, will bring together more than 250 youth workers, policymakers, and academics from around the world.
Held under the theme 'Youth Work in a Changing World: Sustaining Local Wisdom for Global Connectivity', the conference will explore how traditional knowledge and local experience can guide modern youth work and global collaboration.
It will highlight innovative practices that connect culture with contemporary challenges and support the professionalisation of youth work across regions.
The event will also include the 2025 Commonwealth Youth Worker Awards, recognising outstanding contributions from practitioners supporting young people in their communities.
Both gatherings mark Malaysia's first time hosting the Commonwealth youth meetings, coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community and Malaysia's upcoming chairmanship of ASEAN.
Samoa's position as co-chair places it at the centre of Commonwealth efforts to strengthen youth policy across member nations.
