The Commonwealth Youth Ministers in their last meetings at the Bahamas in may 2006 mandated the CYP Asia Centre to become a focal point of learning and co-operation in the field of youth and local self-governance.
In pursuing to this mandate, CYP and the GOI have formulated a five-year project proposal under which CYP Asia Centre in partnership with India’s Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development would undertake various programmes such as capacity building workshops, seminars, research, fellowships, publications and documentation of best practices.

Objectives
• Provide a platform for Commonwealth Asian countries to come together for discussing issues concerning young people in democracy and local self-governance
• Exchange and share views and experiences in their respective countries in the area of local self-governance and participatory development
• Study existing laws, policies and programmes concerning local self-governance
• Promote leadership skills among young people in development at the grassroots level
• Build capacity of young functionaries of local self-government structures
• Conduct research in the field of youth, development and local self-governance
• Document best practices in different countries with regard to involvement of young people in development and governance at the grassroots level
• Strengthen the involvement of NGOs in youth and governance