CYC Secretariat in H’tota?

by Kurulu Kariyakarawana

Speculation is rife that the permanent head office of the Secretariat of the newly formed Commonwealth Youth Council will be set up in Hambantota amidst proposals to set it up in an office in London.

National Youth Services Council Chairman Lalith Piyum Perera told the Sunday Observer that the government is willing to set up the permanent head office of the Commonwealth Youth Council Secretariat in Hambantota and even ready to bear all expenses of the Commonwealth youth related programs in the next two years.

The Commonwealth Youth Council was set up last week at the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Hambantota where a constitution was adopted following an unanimous decision by representatives of 36 countries who were present.

A nine-member executive committee was appointed following an online vote, where all 54 Commonwealth countries had an opportunity to vote. Four Sri Lankan youth representatives who contested the election were appointed Vice Chairpersons, Regional Representative and a Representative for the Special Interest Group.

Representatives of the Youth Led Task Force, which acted as the steering committee for the 2013 Commonwealth Youth Forum and the National Youth Services Council made formal requests to set up the Youth Council Secretariat in Sri Lanka at the youth forum.

This, however, will be finalised by the CYC executive committee which gathered in Colombo yesterday to discuss the matter.

A member of the executive committee said that further discussions will be held in this connection and the outcome would be conveyed to the government and the Commonwealth Secretariat next week.