IFLRY President Thomas Leys

Speech by IFLRY President Thomas Leys at the Closing Session of the 58th LI Congress in Abidjan
Monsieur le Président,
Madame la Grande Chancelière,
Mesdames et Messieurs,
Les jeunes libéraux du monde vous saluent. C'est vraiment un honneur de vous adresser ce soir, et je remercie
notre hôte ivoirien pour l'accueil chaleureux que nous avons eu. Je remercie également le Bureau de
l'Internationale Libérale pour l'occasion de dire quelques mots.
As IFLRY President, I first of all want to say: happy anniversary, Liberal International! Indeed, it is was in
1947 that Liberal International was founded in Oxford in the United Kingdom. Incidentally, it is the same year
that the World Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth was founded in Cambridge, which was IFLRY's
predecessor. Today, we can say that LI is sixty-five years old. And we as IFLRY will say that we are sixty-five
years young. But all joking aside, I think we both agree that we are not ready to retire yet, but that on the
contrary, our work for freedom is just beginning and I look forward to 2047, when I will be sixty-five years
old to celebrate one hundred years of IFLRY and LI, working together as friends and partners.
Africa is the youngest continent in the world. Over seventy per cent of the population in Africa is younger
than me, and I am thirty-one years old. So the challenges and opportunities that Africa is facing today are very
much those of the young people, and the youth organizations that are active in IFLRY and other regional
liberal youth networks.
There are three domains that I briefly want to raise: employment, health and youth participation.
The first is employment. Having decent work is still one of the best ways to avoid poverty. Economic
development, of which we have spoken these days here in Abidjan, is of course essential. Fostering conditions
to create jobs, but also to create new business and trading opportunities, should be a liberal priority. You need
the right framework for that: the economic hardware, such as capital or legal property rights. But also the right
software, such as a performing education system. While great advances have been made in Africa in the last
decade, schools need to do better to make sure that young people are prepared for the labour market. Because,
unemployment remains a huge challenge in many African nations. In a country like South Africa, as we have
heard, youth unemployment sometimes exceeds sixty per cent. Especially the situation of young girls in
education and on the labour market needs to be addressed.
Second, health. One in two deaths of young females in Africa, is because of AIDS or AIDS-related diseases.
Among young men, it is one out of four. Sexual and reproductive health should not be a taboo, but a right for
all. Especially young people are a vulnerable group here, so I encourage governments and civil society to
address this issue urgently. Let us also not forget that it is an essential battle for liberals, when it comes to
health or other social or economic domains, to eradicate discrimination on the basis of gender, age, origin or
sexual orientation. The life and identity of every individual must be protected and respected.
Third, participation of young people. I will not surprise you that we as IFLRY believe that young people have
a crucial role to play in politics and society at large. We need young people in parliaments, in business, in the
arts, in media,... All can play a positive and non-violent role. Political parties can see the positive effect of
having a vibrant youth organization. Organizations that are more than an active campaign team, but also a
source for new and creative ideas that will make your parties more responsive to the need of all citizens and
voters. I see many young men in Africa, but unfortunately not yet enough women, that go on to have
successful political careers. But our message is clear. The youth of Africa are not the future. They are very
much the present.
La conclusion est claire: les jeunes de l'Afrique ne sont pas l'avenir. Ils sont le présent. L'IFLRY reste à la
disposition de l'Internationale Libérale, les partis membres, les organisations de jeunesse et nos autres
partenaires pour jouer le rôle de facilitateur pour promouvoir les intérêts des jeunes en Afrique et partout dans
le monde. Je vous remercie.