The 5^th edition of the Southern African Regional Students and Youth Conference (SARSYC V) convened from the 17^th to the 19^th of July 2024 in Botswana, culminated the Gaborone Declaration. The Gaborone Declaration adopted on the 19^th of July was received by H.E Ms. Boemo Sekgoma, the SADC PF Secretary General who pledged to act in upholding the rights of young people to achieve equitable access to Public Health and Education.

SARSYC V was attended by 255 delegates, including policymakers, Development Partners, Civil Society, among them 190 students and youth from Angola, Botswana, DRC, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Delegates measured progress made, challenges, and innovative solutions on ICPD30; Quality Education and Gender Equality (SGDs 4 and 5); emerging issues in public health (AI & digital technology in public health, humanitarian crises & disease outbreaks and climate change); HIV, TB, and other communicable diseases. Through the Mugota/Ixhiba Young Men’s Forum and the Web for Life symposium the unique unmet needs of boys, young men, girls and young women were also addressed further highlighting our efforts as SAYWHAT to build bridges and advance equitable access to public health and education.

In the Gaborone declaration, students and youth acknowledged the various national, regional, and international policy guidelines, and frameworks, emphasizing the importance of commitments by stakeholders to guide the strategic, programmatic, and operational responses that advances equitable access to public health and education. The declaration calls upon SADC member states, Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations, and young people to implement and facilitate its implementation.

Addressing delegates at the conference, H.E. Ms. Boemo Sekgoma underscored the critical role played by young people as they supplement the body of knowledge, particularly considering the growing use of artificial intelligence. She reiterated that by participating at the conference, young people assisted in dealing with three fundamentals, that is inclusion, participation, and governance.

“The narrative that we must fix other things in order to integrate the youth has to change…what needs to be fixed is our policies and processes that lead to youth inclusion”

 H.E. Boemo Sekgoma vowed to carry the issues raised by young people forward.

“The issues raised here are very important and relevant, and therefore I promise you that you will hear from us, and we will make sure that at the earliest session with the committee, we will invite you so that you present these matters yourselves”.

In closing the SAYWHAT Executive Director and SARSYC Convener concurred with H.E Boemo Sekgoma and expressed that youth issues should not be dismissed on technical grounds.