KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s leadership in youth development is once again in the spotlight as it recently hosted, for the first time in Southeast Asia, the 5th Global Youth Work Conference, underscoring its role as a strategic platform for advancing the Commonwealth’s next generation.
With young people making up 34% of the population, Malaysia exemplifies the economic and democratic potential that underpins the Commonwealth’s current priorities. This focus is firmly embedded in the Commonwealth’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030, where youth empowerment is a cross-cutting theme across its three key pillars.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said Malaysia’s strong showing – ranked sixth in the Commonwealth and 35th globally on the Youth Development Index – reflects a long list of “firsts” in nurturing young talent across education, employment, equality, inclusion, well-being, security and civic participation.
“By bringing stakeholders together here, the Commonwealth aims to harness peer learning as a catalyst for meaningful reform and long-term impact,“ she told SunBiz.
She said that in the effort to professionalise youth work, Malaysia is highly ranked, with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Institute for Social Science Studies (Ipsas) developing the National Occupational Skills Standards for youth work.
“I have seen firsthand how Malaysia is an excellent example of how forging strategic partnerships can prevent youth violence – particularly online.
“We shall continue to build stronger relationships with like-minded partners to benefit the Commonwealth’s 1.6 billion young citizens,“ Botchwey said.
When asked how the Commonwealth positions itself as a relevant and united force in international trade amid global tensions, shifting alliances, and rising protectionism, she said, “At a time when others are pulling back, the Commonwealth is reaching out.
“Protectionism is putting up barriers; an estimated US$750 billion (RM3.09 trillion) in Commonwealth exports are at risk. The Commonwealth sees this moment in international relations as an opportunity to build on its exceptionalism and make multilateralism work for its members.
“Despite global protectionism, intra-Commonwealth trade is thriving. It reached US$854 billion in 2022 and is on track to exceed US$1 trillion by 2026. We intend to reach US$2 trillion by 2030.
“Those figures are not just numbers. They are evidence that Commonwealth cooperation works, delivering jobs, investment, and opportunity for our people.”
Botchwey said the Commonwealth is one of the few places where small island states and Group of 20 economies sit as equals.
“That’s powerful. Our goal is to ensure lessons flow both ways, from Australia’s digital trade systems to Mauritius’ investment facilitation, from South Africa’s renewable energy ambitions to Fiji’s climate resilience strategies.
“We are here to scale what works and make peer learning a real driver of reform,“ Botchwey said.
Elaborating on her overarching vision for the Commonwealth under her leadership, Botchwey said her vision is to make the Commonwealth work for resilience building across the Commonwealth and shared prosperity, for the benefit of the 2.7 billion population.
“It is grounded in the need to overcome the failures of 80 years of development cooperation, the threats to democracy, and the aspirations of our citizens.
“Guided by our new strategic plan, which our member states have very warmly welcomed, we will focus on five key deliverables to transform the Commonwealth.
“We are strengthening democratic resilience through early-warning partnerships, advancing cross-border trade with targeted policies, and empowering youth, women, and small states through digital learning and entrepreneurship support.
“We will drive a renewable-energy push by linking clean-energy potential with affordable financing, and build economic resilience by uniting the Commonwealth behind the Bridgetown Initiative to ensure climate vulnerabilities are reflected in global debt and development frameworks,” Botchwey said.
“We will measure success not by the number of meetings or reports, but by the real impact we deliver in the lives of our people – building a Commonwealth that is more resilient, more relevant, and more results-driven.”
She said the Commonwealth Strategic Plan 2025-2030, released in September this year, sets out a clear and practical vision for delivering measurable impact across member countries by strengthening partnerships with international and accredited organisations in areas such as education and health, establishing a roadmap that goes beyond the mechanics of democracy through stronger early-warning systems, advancing social inclusion by empowering women, young people, and persons with disabilities, and ultimately demonstrating that the Commonwealth can be a model of effective multilateralism for all its members.
“To Malaysia’s youth workers – the backbone of youth development and the heart of the Commonwealth’s mission – my message is this: your compassion, courage and innovation are our greatest strength, and to all young Malaysians, seize every learning opportunity, especially in digital skills, and share those opportunities widely,” Botchwey said.
The 5th Global Youth Work Conference from Nov 17 to 19 was jointly organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth Alliance of Youth Workers Associations and Universiti Putra Malaysia through Ipsas.
