Representatives of participating organisations of the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations (ICMYO) advocated for the essential role of youth in development and the commitment of resources for youth, including investing in youth organizations, at the first United Nations High-level Meeting on Youth in 25 years.

Development depends on investing in youth
Government delegations and hundreds of young activists from around the world participated in the major meeting, which took place on the 25th and 26th of July at the UN headquarters. The ICMYO delegates supported the World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) as a continuing strategy and called for its fast and effective implementation in order to achieve internationally-agreed development goals such as the MDGs. ICMYO demanded a set of indicators in order to monitor the implementation at all levels. They also promoted youth-led organisations, national youth platforms, and regional youth platforms as the most effective partners in reaching and mobilising young people in these efforts.

“When we see the rates of unemployment, the young people are the most affected ones.
When we take a look in the number of HIV infection, guess what? Young people, especially young women, are on the top of the list. And when we watch news about victims of violence; there they are again: the young people.” said Mr. Romulo Dantas, Executive Secretary for Youth Empowerment of the World Alliance of YMCAs, in an impassioned speech to the UN General Assembly that drew a thunderous applause.

Governments lack commitment and capacity
The meeting included many discussions on the needs and challenges that disproportionally impact young people around the world. There was, however, an egregious lack of visionary and explicit commitments to provide new and innovative opportunities and financial

support for the world’s youth to actively engage in budget preparation, policy implementation and monitoring of social services provided for young people.

Some governments openly admitted to their limited capacity to assisting their younger generation. However, the consensus was that solutions to these problems would have to be solved regionally to meet the unique needs of young people living in very different political, cultural and socio-economic situations around the world. No matter the context – the organizations participating in ICMYO insist on the full participation of youth-led organizations at all levels.

“Partner with us to strengthen the channels that allow young people to have their voices heard. Take the chance of sharing responsibility and decision making with us. Make your structures more and more friendly for more young people to participate.” continued Dantas, asking governments to allow youth to have a bigger role. Dantas also serves on the Task Force of the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations (ICMYO), whose participating organizations represent more than 100 million youth all over the world.

Ready to partner for change
One of the best achievements of the HLM was the acknowledgment in the Outcome Document of youth organisations as essential partners in doing more.

In a panel discussion hosted by ICMYO, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund, called for a change in paradigm in governments’ approach to young people, and Mr. Gianni Rosas, Coordinator of the Youth Employment Programme of the ILO and the Co-Chair of the Inter-Agency Network on Youth affirmed the will to a closer cooperation among the Inter-Agency Network and ICMYO in a sustainable and closer way.

ICMYO participating youth organisations stand ready to work together with the UN Inter-Agency Network on youth, governments, and partners in civil society to meet the needs of youth and involve youth in creating a world we want, one of peace and justice for all.

The participating ministers have three years to demonstrate their commitment and implement the agreed goals from the meeting. Sri Lanka called for a World Youth Conference and in his speech their Minister Alahapperuma offered to host this conference in 2014.

The International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations (ICMYO) gathers membership-based, democratic, representative and accountable International Youth NGOs and Regional Youth Platforms. The main objectives of ICMYO are the strengthening of the cooperation among youth organisations at the regional and global levels and the coordination of political inputs to global youth policy processes.
www.icmyo.wordpress.com

Contact:
Christine Housel
World Student Christian Federation
Telephone: +41 78 720 6452
Facismile: + 41 22 791 6152
E‐mail: chh@wscf.ch
www.wscfglobal.org

They have come from all corners of the world to represent their organizations at the ICMYO and High Level Meeting on Youth

Key issues for young people and youth organizations
Four working groups started the first session of our second day at the 8th meeting of ICMYO. The topics were brought to the table by the ICMYO participating organizations in order to go deeply on them. Themes were diverse and were related with those issues that are affecting young people and youth organizations’ activities. The topics were:

Visa issues, Rio +20, The Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) and Food security.
We started with the short explanation of the topic plus some key questions that included our experiences on those topics, we worked on how we as organizations can become part of those processes and be engaged in the future, plus how ICMYO can do a coordinated effort to increase the level of advocacy on the global level on those topics.

VISA ISSUES: The visa issues working group shared the tons of stories when visa issues had become an obstacle for the activities run by the youth organizations and how many young people have been prevented from participating in activities because of visa issues. The group explored different strategies such as close contact with Members of Parliament and involve embassies in the process to prepare the events.

It was also proposed that we as ICMYO could report on the situations we experienced in our own organizations, to create a format to report on this every year and to make a follow-up of the situation, including by writing a public statement.

RIO+20: The organizations working on Rio+20 shared what all of them are doing regarding sustainable development. They also started to create a coordination on what organizations are going to be at the event in Durban and what could be the common activities that they could probably do.

Food security: Regarding the working group on Food security and UN agencies, the organizations that participated mentioned that there is still a lack of coordination among the agencies regarding this issue, and that there is the need to improve and increase the youth participation in these processes. The group proposed a task force inside ICMYO that could work on this topic and make a closer follow up.

MDGs: The forth working group was working on the MDGs beyond 2015. The working group explored the three options that can be: 1. To extend the actual MDG framework for a longer period, 2. To change the current MDGs and do something completely different, and 3. To keep something similar to the MDGs, but making some improvements. The group recognized that many efforts have been done, but that there is still a lot of work to do.

Cooperation with UN agencies
Our organizations have been working on several UN activities and have had the chance to cooperate with different agencies regarding youth issues. Anyhow, we still have the challenge to make youth issues become part of the crosscutting agenda of the UN.

Several efforts have been done by UN agencies in order to coordinate their programs and activities, create a common agenda and also a better use of resources, besides we can count now with the will to improve youth participation as part of these efforts. However there is still a path to walk and we are ready to start walking. We shared good practices on how can we do it.

“Universities” – a way to promote networking, improve coordination and enhance capacity building
For the last twelve years there has been an ongoing project called “the universities”. Our universities are not an academic institution related with formal education, but more the scenario where several non-formal education activities happen in an intercultural and international environment.

Thousands of participants have been part of the University of youth and development in Mollina (Spain), in the African University on Youth and Development (Cape Verde) and also at the University of participation and citizenship (Uruguay). As you can see from the last 12 years the investments in these universities have been more than worth it and this project is growing and growing.

The Government of Sri Lanka gave us the news that they are willing to create another “University” for the Asian region. We hope that at the end of our ICMYO meeting next Wednesday we will be able to kick off this project.

United Nations High Level Meeting -UN HLM-…starts tomorrow
The name gives an impression on what is going to start tomorrow. Several stakeholders will gather to work on the global youth issues and to create a common agenda. It is not just another meeting. For the first time, all the ICMYO participant organizations were able to convene and prepare themselves for the upcoming event.

Tomorrow Rómulo Dantas, our ICMYO representative, will be part of the opening ceremony. We will be able to advocate towards the permanent missions at the UN on our 5 point agenda:
1. The implementation of the WPAY should be increased and improve immediately.
2. The partnerships with youth organization at all levels should be promoted or increased and this includes UN agencies and interagency activities.
3. Young people should have full and effective participation at the decision making level.
4. To promote and support the creation of youth organizations and platforms as well as strengthen the existing ones.
5. The involvement and recognition of youth organizations as meaningful stakeholders in global affairs must become more spread.

Representatives of other ICMYO participant organizations will be speakers at some panels, and on Tuesday 26th we will hold a press conference where we will present our perspective on the results of this UN HLM. If by any chance you are in NY and want to join us we will be at the Conference Room C in the North Lawn Building of the UNHQ 3 United Nations Plaza.

The big day is here…and we’ll keep you posted

Romulo speaking at the opening, together with Ban Ki-moon and other excellencies

Good morning, I wish all of you here today a very good High Level Meeting

It is not every day that someone has the opportunity to invite Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Mr. Joseph Deiss and Alek Wek to come and visit my old street.

I come from Sao Paulo, Brazil, from one of the most violent and poor areas of Sao Paulo city in the 90’s. Even with a wonderful family, it would have be very easy for me to go along with some friends and to become, as some of them, a gang member, a drug addict or end up in jail or even dead; but, it did not happen and I promise I will tell you why in a moment…

We come together in the light of International Year of Youth in order to recognize an important chapter of the historical challenge of making visible the importance of young people and all issues affecting their lives.

They are from different cultures and backgrounds. They are boys and girls; young men and young women; poor and rich, from faith and not. They are from my street, from the streets where you live and they may not be celebrating this day with us. Some of them, who understand and know the existence of forums like this, are asking themselves right now: “what are those people doing there?”. They talk, talk and talk and nothing changes in my life.

- I am still knocking on doors for a job, and I don’t find one. This is a friend of mine from the 5th grade speaking. But do you know what? Along the way my street has become much bigger and I had the opportunity to meet many young people.

Another friend just walks in the daylight to make sure he will be able to finish this day alive.

- I cannot say things that I would like to or express myself properly about my sexual orientation, another voice said!

- I cannot tell the people from my community that I have the right to decide over my own body and that I should decide about the time to have sex or get pregnant;

- I would love to go to school If I could find one, or even find teachers to help me grow;

- I would stay in my country if I was not forced by incomprehensible wars or the need of finding ways to feed my family.

- I would not be in jail without knowing when I am leaving; if someone could understand the importance of having a fair trial.

- I would not be suffering from HIV and Aids if somebody had told me to use condoms, to just have one sexual partner or even to wait more for this step; worse, I cannot even treat myself given the prices of the medicines.

- I would have my legs to run and do some sports if some people were not hiding bombs because of conflicts that I have no idea when or why started and that do not mean this much for me and my buddies; at least not enough to exchange for a life.

These are the voices I have heard in many, many streets.

Would you imagine a world without young people?
We can imagine that!

When we see the rates of unemployment, the young people are the most affected ones.
When we take a look in the number of HIV infections… Guess what? Young people, especially young women, are on the top of the list.

When we watch news about victims of violence; there they are again: the young people.
In all countries and regions of our common world, we find young people with fewer opportunities, marginalized young people, and youth living with lethal diseases or illiteracy.

I could continue for a long time describing how we have been very competent in creating a hostile world for them

Yes, The International Year of Youth is close to its end but still much has to be done. It is time to celebrate, but is also time for us to call upon governments, civil society, the private sector and the United Nations to seriously tackle the challenges that billions of young people are facing. We all need to understand the fact that is impossible to build solutions for a diverse world once we are still lacking true partnership among all the important players in the youth field in many areas and at all levels.

If we want to have a minimum chance to succeed in guaranteeing dignity, freedom, peace and decent life for young people and for the population in general — a real and effective dialogue is absolutely crucial.
It is time for us to build a strong commitment to improve the situation of young people around the world and especially for marginalized young men and women that are suffering in many areas of this world and are oppressed in their thoughts, feelings and opportunities to act.

I am not saying that things have not changed or improved. Yes. We got better in my perspective! The world is more prosperous for my generation than for the previews ones. Some of you who are here are responsible for some changes we have seen. But, we cannot sleep until we get things done, until we are sure that we did everything we can do so we will not continue to hear these kinds of testimonials and we shall fulfill our responsibilities.

We are here to propose you a deal.
Let us be partners! Let us move on in the direction of mutual trust and respect. More than we have now…
We are here to say that youth-led organizations can help – and are key – for changing the situation because we are rooted where young people are.

We know what they are feeling;
We know ways to use resources efficiently
We build the solution with young people in the grassroots through our every day’s work, in both formal and non-formal education.

Believe in us! The youth civil society is inclusive in its nature, democratic in its processes and effective in its approaches.

We are practicing these principles by empowering young people to be decision makers and agents of change every day.

We co-operate! A good example of it is the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organizations, a network of International Youth NGOs and Regional Youth Platforms that we are proud to belong to. We do it because egoism is not good, is not acceptable.

Let us work together towards the full implementation of the World Programme of Action on Youth. We do not need to re-create things – What we need is to see this ambitious program reflected in the policies and youth programmes of your countries.

Partner with us to strengthen the channels that allow young people to have their voices heard. Take the chance of sharing responsibility and decision making with us.

Make your structures more and more friendly for more young people to participate.
We invite you to implement programmes together at the global level. However, to do it we need more resources.

- Yes, resources! I know many of you are thinking: “There they are asking for money again”. And, yes; we are. We do ask you to invest in young people and their development!

Investment for the full implementation of the World Programme for Action on Youth, youth-oriented organizations and programmes are needed at national and international levels. As civil society organisations we are very busy doing what we exist for; so please make things less bureaucratic. Let us spend the extra time by thinking of better ways to serve young people.

After listening to it all, you probably ask yourself. Don’t they know that we are informed of everything he said until now? And, again, yes, we know. And it so obvious, that we should ask ourselves why is it not happening.

I am about to conclude, that’s why I will synthesize the ideas:
1. Pay attention to marginalized young people
2. Share responsibility with us
3. Invest money in the World Programme of Action on Youth and work with youth organizations
4. Design and implement new policies and programs to elevate the conditions of the younger population.

Before ending my speech, because I must, I will do what I have promised. I will tell you why my story was different from some of my friend’s.

It was because of a youth organization, the YMCA. The YMCA helped me to find something that I did not have as a teenager: self-esteem, self-confidence and real friends to prove that I was capable of doing incredible things.

With the YMCA I have learned how to be a leader, I decided the profession I wanted to have; I learned that I could dream of everything because I am allowed to. I learned to serve, and to serve makes me happy!

I had the opportunity to be healthy by practicing sports and to feel good by helping other people as a volunteer, to sing, to dance, to understand…that I am not a subject, I am a citizen! – I can participate, I can make a change!

I am one in 45 million people served by the organization I come from, but this figure goes much higher than 100 million with all youth organizations represented here today.
We empower young people, because we believe in youth and we exist for them. And, because of the positive transformations I have experienced, I took the decision of dedicating my life to this cause as many of you in this room.

“There is nothing about us without us”. Nothing about young people should be without the participation of young people! If we do that, the lights of hope and love will illuminate my old street and our streets in every corner of this world.

The ICMYO meeting kicked off with a very positive surprise as the hosting country – Sri Lanka – disclosed their ambitions to host a World Youth Conference in 2014.

FIMCAP joins ICMYO
In the morning the international federation of catholic parochial youth movements (Fédération Internationale des Mouvements Catholiques d’Action Paroissale – FIMCAP) was taken on board as a participating organization in ICMYO (ICMYO is a network, not an organization, and therefore does not have member organizations).

Evy Hoeben, Secretary General of FIMCAP

The International Year of Youth
The organizations evaluated the International Year of Youth and although recognizing the importance of such a high visibility activity, the ICMYO organizations also saw many aspects that could have been improved, including

- space for youth organizations to participate
- better time for preparations, both for youth organizations, member states and the United Nations system
- more coordinated actions to ensure activities from the local to the global level

- The year was decided upon in a rush and was therefore coordinated all year in that manner. I think that given the limits on time and funding, the organizers at the UN Program on Youth did a great job working with what they were given, says Maya Saoud, who represents Pax Romana at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and in the ICMYO meeting.

Looking forward, she continues:
- In the future, if there is a next time (and I should hope there is!) the Year of Youth needs to be given a fair chance at making an impact. To me it seemed that only those who prioritize youth already were mentioning the IYY all year, while those who do not prioritize youth were able to easily avoid the topic because it wasn’t prominently in their face. It needs more exposure and more emphasis next time.

Official opening: Christine Housel (WSCF), Maya Saoud (Pax Romana), Falko Mohrs (YFJ), Minister Allahapperuma and Romulo Dantas (YMCA) assisted the chairman of the National Youth Services Council of Sri Lanka (in front) to lit an oil lamp for ICMYO.

But he also agrees with Maya that the organizers at the UN level did their very best:

- We have seen that the UN Program on Youth are doing its very best. I think they have managed to link the activities at all levels as much as possible and gave the visibility to the initiatives. I also have to say that I was impressed to see so many grass-root activities – this has exceeded my expectations.

Human Rights, restrictions on global mobility for youth and the youth perspective on the development agenda are important agenda items as The International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organizations gathers 22 of the world’s leading youth organizations in New York from July 23rd till July 27th.

UN High Level Meeting on Youth
The NGO representatives will also participate in the UN High Level Meeting on Youth, which will gather ministers responsible for youth and other important actors to further strengthen their efforts in the global youth agenda.

- Our organizations empower young people, because we believe in youth and we exist for them. Nothing about youth should be done without the participation of young people, says Mr. Romulo Dantas from the World Alliance of YMCAs.

The young Brazilian will address the UN Secretary General and other excellencies on behalf of civil society during the opening of the High Level Meeting Monday morning.

Young people suffer from the financial crisis
Mr. Dantas and the other youth representatives present are impatient: The meeting convenes at a point in history where about half of the worlds 1,8 billion youth survive on less than $2 a day and young people are 2-3 times as likely to be unemployed as the adult population.

Sri Lanka makes it possible
The 2011 edition of ICMYO is kindly hosted by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations.

- Involvement of civil society is very important for Sri Lanka, says Dr Palitha Kohona, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations.

Hon. Dullas Allahapperuma, Sri Lanka’s Minister for Youth Affairs and Skills Development, will officially open the ICMYO meeting Saturday July 23rd at noon. The opening will be open for the press.

Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Metropolitan, 569 Lexington Avenue
Contact information: For individual interviews or more information, please contact Mr Christoffer Grønstad, mobile: +47 901 18 286, e-mail: christoffer.gronstad@lnu.no

Dr Kohona speaking at the UN. Photo: United Nations

Dr. Kohona, what are the most important challenges for youth in Sri Lanka today?

- I would say that reconciliation after the conflict, reconstruction and economic development are the most important challenges facing young people in our country nowadays.

Dr. Kohana is explaining how the 26 year long conflict has affected the society and slowed development but also how the country is investing in free education and free health care services – recognizing how this contributes to social and economic development.

One outstanding success story is the work to prevent HIV to spread in Sri Lanka – the number of people living with the virus in Sri Lanka is remarkably low not only in an Asian context but also globally.

- Investing in and working with civil society is important to overcome the challenges caused by the conflict. For us it is natural that civil society is involved in all political processes in Sri Lanka, and we would like to see more of this also on the international level. We are happy to host the International Coordination Meeting on Youth (ICMYO) here in New York, so that a range of youth-led organizations get to influence next week’s High-Level Meeting on Youth in the United Nations.

The ICMYO has been organized every year since 2004 – this is the first time it takes place in the immediate proximity of the United Nations Headquarters. For many of the involved this is a dream which is coming true.

Dr. Kohona, what are your expectations for the High-Level Meeting?

- I think the draft outcome document is both concrete and action-oriented. It is important that the member states take the recommendations back home and together with civil society transform them into national action plans fitting their own context and challenges.

Sanka Abayawardena used to represent the Global Young Green in the ICMYO Task Force and initiated this year's meeting in New York

Do you see the increased focus on youth in the United Nations as a shift towards increased recognition of the role youth-led organizations can play in development cooperation?

- Well, this is why we need organizations like the ones gathering in ICMYO. It is important that those of you representing these organizations are there and demonstrating how civil society organisations contribute.

Le Groupe de Travail est formé des membres d’un groupe d’organisations de l’ICMYO qui mettent en commun leurs efforts bénévolement au service de l’ICMYO, pour planifier la réunion annuelle du groupement. Formé actuellement du YFH (Forum Européen de la Jeunesse), de Pax Romana – IMCS (Mouvement International des Etudiants Catholiques), de la WSCF (Fédération Mondiale des Etudiants Chrétiens), de l’Organisation Mondiale du Mouvement Scout (OMMS), de l’YMCA (Alliance Universelle des Unions Chrétiennes de Jeunes Gens), l’ICMYO a demandé aux organisations de s’engager à participer activement aux divers processus et opportunités offerts tout au long de l’année, et a encouragé la coordination entre les différentes organisations.

Depuis la précédente réunion annuelle tenue à Helsinki en Finlande, le Groupe de Travail a permis la participation de représentants venant d’ONG internationales de Jeunesse au Sommet Europe-Afrique de la Jeunesse, et plus récemment, donné l’opportunité aux formateurs et participants de suivre le GYWTC (Cours de formation pour le travail mondial de la jeunesse) lors de l’AUYD (la 3e Université africaine sur la Jeunesse et le Développement).

La tâche principale du Groupe de Travail est de planifier la réunion annuelle de l’ICMYO. Depuis le début de l’année, il a amené les organisations participantes à s’engager dans le processus de consultation sur les sujets à l’ordre du jour de la réunion de cette année. Comme l’ICMYO a décidé de tenir sa 8e réunion autour du thème de la réunion de haut niveau des Nations Unies sur la Jeunesse (HLM), le Groupe de Travail a profité de cette réunion en face à face pour travailler au développement de stratégies possibles pour une meilleure participation, une meilleure contribution et de meilleurs résultats à la réunion de haut niveau des Nations Unies (HLM).

Groupe de travail de l'ICMYO

Le Groupe de Travail, lors de son évaluation des efforts de coordination de l’ICMYO pour promouvoir la participation des jeunes dans le processus de prise de décision au niveau inter-gouvernemental, a mis l’accent sur le fait que l’HLM est une incroyable opportunité pour les jeunes responsables et les organisations de jeunesse d’avoir un impact réel sur l’ordre du jour international de jeunesse pour les générations à venir. Cependant, pour arriver à ce résultat, les organisations de jeunesse doivent mobiliser leurs efforts collectifs avec force et impliquer leurs membres à tous les niveaux.

Le Groupe de Travail est convaincu du potentiel de la représentation collective de millions de jeunes et que cela peut leur permettre de faire entendre leur voix lors de l’Année Internationale de la Jeunesse.

Les jeunes ont quelque chose à dire sur leurs espoirs et leurs besoins ! Etes-vous prêts à faire entendre votre voix aux gouvernements du monde ?

Members of the Taskforce posing for a group photo

The members of the Task Force are a group of organisations of ICMYO who volunteer their efforts in service to ICMYO to plan the Yearly Meeting. Currently composed of the European Youth Forum (YFJ), Pax Romana – IMCS, World Student Christian Federation (WSCF), World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), they have been encouraging active involvement of the participating organisations to the various processes and opportunities throughout the year and encouraging coordination between organisations.

Since the previous Yearly Meeting, held in Helsinki, Finland, the Task Force promoted participation of representatives coming from International Youth NGOS at the Europe-Africa Youth Summit, and more recently, the opportunity for trainers and participants for the Global Youth Work Training Course (GYWTC) at the 3rd African University on Youth and Development (AUYD).
Their main task each year is the planning of the ICMYO Yearly Meeting. Since early this year, the Task Force has been engaging the participating organisations in a consultation of the agenda items for this year’s meeting. As ICMYO has decided to hold its 8th meeting around the United Nations High Level Meeting (HLM) on Youth, the Task Force focused its work at this in-person meeting on developing possible strategies for the best possible participation, contribution, and outcome at the HLM.

In their evaluation of ICMYO’s coordination efforts to promote youth participation in decision-making processes at the inter-governmental level, the Task Force emphasizes that this lead-up toward the HLM on Youth is an invaluable opportunity for youth leaders and youth organisations to make a real impact in the international youth agenda for coming generations. In order to this, however, youth organisations must strongly mobilise their collective efforts and involve their membership at all levels.

The Task Force strongly believes in the potential of collective representation of millions of young people and that they can make the voice of young people heard during this International Year of Youth.

Young people have something to say about our hopes and needs! Are you ready to make it heard by the governments of the world?

Letter concerning the HLM sent by ICMYO

'under construction' - the parts of the UN need to improve its recognition of Youth Participation

The main focus of the Youth Delegates and the ICMYO partners that were present during the 49^th session of the CSocD was contributing to, and by this improving, the UN Youth Resolution. While the actual focus of the resolution was supposed to be technical aspects, we were able to add substantial proposals on youth employment, and the need to make it an integral aspect of national development agendas. The call for indicators in order to measure the progress towards the World Programme of Action for Youth is valuable but stays uncompleted without working on sharpening and improving the goals and targets that were developed together with Youth Organizations and Young People four years ago.

The Youth resolution valued the importance of coordination and collaboration among United Nations entities, but it came short in proposing concrete steps in order to strengthen partnerships between Youth Organizations/Youth Platforms and the Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development. This was one of the demands put forward in the YFJ’s policy paper on Global Governance, and the Forum will continue to strive towards a real participation in the network. In sum it can be said that the Youth Resolution gathers many valuable issues but lacks a clear focus and connection to the CSocD’s theme ‘poverty eradication’ and is therefore not a big step forward.

Youth Delegates during the Side Event on Youth Participation

With its resolution 64/134, the United Nations General Assembly not only proclaimed the year following the International Youth Day 2010 as the International Year of Youth but it also decided to hold a Youth Conference in 2011, under the auspices of the UN, as the highlight of the year. Both the Youth Resolution and the negotiations for this Conference took a lot of attention and work. The main aim of PaxRomana and the YFJ and its partners is to ensure full and effective youth participation and the involvement of Youth Organizations during all phases of the conference. The negotiations are still ongoing and the outcome is not clear. Together with Youth Delegates and some Member States we were able to ensure a strong EU position concerning real youth participation. Prior to the CSocD several ICMYO members, Youth Delegates and National Youth Council sent a letter to the President of the UN General Assembly, outlining our priorities.

Together with our partners and the Youth Delegates we will follow-up future developments and will closely monitor the progress.