Commonwealth Youth Forum brings together young people from the Commonwealth nations to discuss issues of contemporary importance. The inaugural Commonwealth Youth Forum was hosted by the government of the United Kingdom at Edinburgh in 1997.

At this forum a strong foundation was made to ensure that the Commonwealth Youth Forum becomes an institutionalized part of Commonwealth Heads of Government.

The 2nd Commonwealth Youth Forum took place in Durban, South Africa in November 1999, Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Gold Coast, Australia in October, 2001, Commonwealth Youth Forum 4 in Abuja, Nigeria in 2003 and Commonwealth Youth Forum 5 in Malta in November, 2005.

These Foras developed aims and objectives drawn from mission statement that focused on ‘enabling young people to identify their agenda for the Commonwealth of the 21st Century’ and invited two delegates from each country to attend. The CYF provides an independent platform for representatives of the Commonwealth member countries to consider young person’s agenda at the same time as CHOGM. Each CYF addresses young people’s concerns and builds on the work of previous youth foras. Each Forum works to formulate a Statement of recommendations and Action Plans which are shared with Heads of Government and disseminated Commonwealth-wide.

Presidents speech at the opening of the Commonwealth Youth Forum at Entebbe