This weekend (Saturday 10th May) delegates from all over the world adopted the “Colombo Declaration on Youth” at the closing of the World Conference on Youth 2014 in Sri Lanka. The declaration calls for an enhanced role for youth in policy formulation, including on development issues.
The high-level conference brought together 1,500 participants, including ministers responsible for youth, young people, representatives of Governments, United Nations Agencies, youth-led organisations, non-governmental organisations and other development partners to explore ways and means of mainstreaming youth in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, within the agreed framework of the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY). This year’s Conference saw the largest number of delegated in the history of the Youth Conference, which was launched in 1936.
The “Colombo Declaration on Youth”, which has now been adopted by Ministers responsible for youth and civil society organisations including youth organisations calls specifically for clear targets and indicators focused on youth as a cross-cutting issue throughout the Post-2015 Development Agenda. It also demands an enhanced and active role for youth in policy formulation, as well as in the implementation and evaluation of processes related to development. This is the first time that an outcome document has been jointly developed by young people and governments.
Delegates also recognised the urgent need for the fulfillment of young people’s human rights and encouraged the establishment of a permanent youth department within the United Nations with representations in member countries to support and follow up local youth programs. They also called on the Secretary-General of the United Nations to establish a permanent forum on youth, for youth and governments to facilitate a sustained dialogue including on the Post- 2015 Development Agenda.
The vice-president of the European Youth Forum, also co-chair of the International Youth Task Force of the Conference, Lloyd Russell-Moyle celebrated the completion of the outcome document by commenting:
“We have made real progress at this milestone World Conference on Youth in terms of making sure youth is prioritised in the Post-2015 Development Agenda. However, there is still much work to be done in certain areas, including gender rights and the recognition of sexual diversity.
“This important outcome document must have a life beyond today. If even one third of this document is taken on into policy we will have moved the youth development agenda forward. I hope that this important joint document along with the summary of the roundtables and working groups will be put forward by Sri Lanka at the next session of the General Assembly of the United Nations and taken by the United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth onto the United Nations system for consideration and implementation.”
//ENDS
Notes to the editors
About the European Youth Forum:
The European Youth Forum is the platform of youth organisations in Europe. Independent, democratic, youth-led, it represents 97 National Youth Councils and international youth organisations from across the continent. The Forum works to empower young people to participate actively in society to improve their own lives, by representing and advocating their needs and interests and those of their organisations towards the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations.
For more information, visit www.youthforum.org
Read more:
The “Colombo Declaration on Youth” adopted on 10th May2014: http://wcy2014.com/pdf/colombo-declaration-on-youth.pdf
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