This is the first occasion of an Asian country becoming the host of a World Youth Conference. WCY 2014’s Cross-cutting theme is 'mainstreaming Youth in the Post-2015 Development Agenda'.The theme of the session is to incorporate the contributions of the youth to the main agenda of development after the year 2015.
The welcome speech will be delivered by Co-Chair, National Steering Committee of WCY 2014 while the opening remarks will be made by International Youth Task Force.
The United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth will deliver special remarks while Presidential Convocation of the conference will be by President of Sri Lanka .
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will host them to a lunch and thereafter an official photograph of the Ministers with the Sri Lankan President will be taken. Sightseeing tours for Youth Delegates in and around Hambantota too has been arranged in today's agenda.
The World Conference on Youth 2014 (WCY 2014) will take place from May 5 to 10.
The Colombo Declaration will be released after an extensive discussion at the conclusion of the conference. Minister Dallas Alahapperuma points out that the declaration of the forthcoming summit will be different in nature to the traditional declarations of previous youth conferences. In earlier instances, what had taken place was the policy makers themselves preparing the statements. However, at this year's session, the youth will also be involved in this process. The chief mediator in this procedure will be Dr. Palitha Kohona. In addition former Canadian High Commissioner Mrs. Chithrangani Wagishwara will also extend assistance. Accordingly, the Colombo Declaration would become the founding document in future global dialogues related to youth.
In parallel to these activities, a national programme titled "WCY to the village" will be implemented centering on the nine provinces of the country.