Child and Youth Finance International (CYFI) and the United Nations Development Fund (UNCDF) are co-hosting a High-level Stakeholder’s Meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on May 23, 2014. Preceding the meeting is a CYFI International Youth Meeting and the 2014 CYFI Awards’ Dinner on May 21-22, and 23 May, 2014, respectively.

Letting the Youth Lead: Youth to Present Youth Meeting Outcomes to Policy Makers

On the 21-22 May children and youth who are actively involved in the Child and Youth Finance Movement, will be attending CYFI’s Youth Meeting. The children and youth will take part in fun and interactive activities workshops where they will further their knowledge on finance, Economic Citizenship and entrepreneurship. The young people will also discuss how their financial and social wellbeing can and should be included in the UN’s Post-2015 Agenda.

Youth representatives will present the outcomes of this meeting to policy makers at A Chance for Change: Children and Youth in the Post-2015 Development Agenda – a High-level Stakeholder Meeting on the 23 May, 2014, co-hosted by UNCDF and CYFI at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Ms. Amina Mohammed, the Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning; Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, the United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth; and Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, President’s Special Envoy, World Bank, are three of the high-level representatives who will be speaking, along with the youth, at the meeting.

A Chance for Change: Child and Youth Finance in the Post-2015 Agenda

The meeting, titled A Chance for Change: Child and Youth Finance in the Post-2015 Agenda, provides a platform for children and youth to present their ideas for the Post-2015 agenda – these ideas will then be taken forward during the country-level deliberations. It will be attended by high-level representatives from institutions such as Permanent Representatives to the UN, financial authorities, Ministries of Finance, Youth and Education, financial institutions (global and local); multilateral agencies; NGOs and, of course, youth. The main purpose of the meeting will be to ensure that youth financial and social inclusion becomes a topic within the development agenda and to ensure that every young person emerging into adulthood has a dignified livelihood either through employment or entrepreneurship.

CYFI and the UNCDF proudly announce the following speakers for the meeting:

•Ms. Yoka Brandt, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF (tbc)

• Ms. Amina Mohammed, the Secretary General’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning

• Ms. Marta Santos Pais, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children

• H.E. Ms. Simona-Mirela Miculescu, the Ambassador of the Romanian Permanent Mission to the United Nations

• Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, the United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth

• Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, President’s Special Enjoy, World Bank

• Ms. Kim Bolduc, UNCDF Executive Secretary ad interim

• Hon. Major (Rtd) Jessica R. E. Alupo, Minister of Education and Sports, Ministry of Education and Sports of Uganda

• Dr. Muhammad Baasiri, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Lebanon

• Dr. Mona El Baradei, Executive Director, Egyptian Banking Institute – Central Bank of Egypt

• Mrs. Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL)

• Mr. Luiz Edson Feltrim, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Brazil

• Mr. Ardian Fullani, Governor, Central Bank of Albania

• Dr. Michael Gondwe, Governor, Bank of Zambia

• Mr. Gilmore Hoefdraad, Governor, Central Bank of Suriname

Awarding Innovation, Commitment and Entrepreneurship

On the evening of May 22, 2014, CYFI will host the 2014 CYFI Awards at the Millennium UN Plaza Hotel. At this annual awards ceremony CYFI recognizes and honors individuals, organizations, and government agencies that demonstrate innovation and commitment to promoting financial inclusion and financial, social and livelihoods education for children and youth at the national, regional and international level.

Thompson Reuters’ Personal Finance Editor Lauren Young will be the anchor for the evening. Special addresses will be made from Ms Annemiek Hoogenboom, Founder and Director UK’s People Post Code Lottery; and, Silvia Singer Director of the Interactive Museum of Economy, Mexico.

The CYFI Award categories are: CYFI Pioneer Award, CYFI Country Award and CYFI “Global Money Week” Award. CYFI will award the achievements of young people in the following categories: Entrepreneurship, Financial Inclusion- the Youth Financial Landscape and DreamsBank Campaign.