UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 54TH SESSION
Third Committee - Item 106: Policies and Programmes Involving Youth
Statement by Mr Andrew Pudson,
Australian Youth Representative
8 October 1999
Mr Chairman,
As the first Australian youth representative to be included in Australia's delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, it is a great honour to address this committee in relation to the UN's policies and programmes involving youth. The focus of my statement is on youth participation and representation within the United Nations and the international community. Youth participation and representation is not a new concept for the UN. It can be found in any document dealing with youth issued over the last 25 years. Yet it remains less than universally accepted. Full and effective participation of youth in society and in decision-making is the most fundamental aspect of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond. It is the one issue that cuts across all of the priority areas and needs to be reaffirmed. It is important for those with interests in youth participation to find practical and effective ways to achieve such participation.
Why is youth participation important?
First, young people are the largest group of humankind: the number of persons aged 25 and under constitutes 60 per cent of the population. Yet, as the Secretary-General stated in his Report on Youth this year (A/54/59), 'in many parts of the world, seniority is valued and younger persons are often excluded from discussions and decision-making that influence their lives.' As a result, many young people feel alienated even though they wish to contribute.
Second, it is desirable that youth are active participants in the making of decisions that affect their lives. Youth themselves can communicate and represent their own interests most effectively, including in cooperation with a wide range of others. The Australian government is committed to communicating directly with young people on issues that impact upon them. This is demonstrated by the recent creation of a National Youth Roundtable composed of 50 young Australians from diverse backgrounds. It was established by the Australian government to create a direct dialogue with young Australians and to ensure that their views are taken into account in policy-making processes. At this biannual meeting, the designated youth delegates travel from every state and territory to meet members of Parliament to communicate their views.
Third, young people are a major human resource for development. As the 1998 Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes recognised, 'youth are a positive force in society' and can act as key agents for change. The capacity to incorporate the contributions of youth in designing the future is one measure of the dynamism of a society.
Fourth, as a matter of equity, it is important that young people be better represented in the decision-making processes of society. The Braga Youth Action Plan was formulated at the Third World Youth Forum of the United Nations System by 500 young people from over 130 countries. It states that 'Justice between present and future generations is recognised as a fundamental base for sustainable development. Young people should participate in the decisions taken today about the resources of tomorrow.'
Fifth, youth participation is important because it brings the imagination, ideals and energies of youth to bear on problems affecting young people. This can result in new and fresh approaches and can contribute to finding solutions. Moreover - and this is an important practical point - the involvement of young people in the formulation of these solutions means that they are more likely to be implemented in the long term.
Sixth, all individuals should be able to participate freely and fully in the decision making process of society without discrimination on the basis of age. Youth participation provides opportunities for growth and learning for young persons and empowers young people to contribute to their own future.
Finally, youth are, in many ways, at the forefront of the globalisation of our world. They will be most affected by the evolution of our society in the long term. It is only logical then, that youth should be included in shaping that change.
How is youth participation effectively achieved?
As the Secretary-General proposed in the aforementioned report, 'young women and men should be involved from childhood in decisions relating to their own lives and step by step in democratic decisions for their school, their community...as well as at national, regional and international levels. The active participation of young people in the design, implementation and evaluation of, for example, youth-friendly health services, drug prevention programmes and national youth policy has been proven to add relevance and accessibility for the target group.'
Young people wish to be considered as serious and reliable partners in the conception, planning and implementation of policies. Particularly, although not exclusively, those policies specifically aimed at youth.
It would be helpful if governments could enhance their efforts to listen to young people and encourage more communication with young people. This could include contributing to the policy-making process and advisory bodies. Young people are not normally associated with the development of public policy and may be forgotten at times.
Australia continues to give high priority to youth matters, focusing in particular on recognising the contribution that young people can make as responsible citizens. The federal government of Australia has implemented several major initiatives to support this priority. Under the broad title "Voices of Youth", a comprehensive program is being developed to allow young views to be heard in Government. It has also established the national Youth Media Awards to promote a more positive portrayal of young people in the media. Young people are often in the media but negative stories are more likely to make the news than positive stories. The aim of the awards is to recognise the best examples of journalism, which reflect the positive contribution young people make to Australian society, including a category for best young journalist. Furthermore, for the first time, in the year 2000, a National Youth Week will enable young Australians to celebrate and promote their contribution to the nation.
Mr Chairman, the participation of youth representatives in national delegations to relevant United Nations meetings has the potential to improve communication between government and youth. It provides an opportunity for youth perspectives to be considered and incorporated into the work of delegations. It also provides such delegates with a significant opportunity to observe and to understand better, not only the ways in which the UN functions, but also the complex process and political realities that constitute and shape the UN's agenda and determine the decisions made.
In conclusion, Australia would like to encourage other member states to include young people
in their delegations to the General Assembly. As I said at the start, this is the first time Australia has done so and we believe that it has been a positive and useful development, not just
for the individuals concerned, and the youth of our country that I am representing, but for the delegation overall. The appointment of youth representatives is one practical way to achieve
the involvement in discussions and decisions advocated by the Secretary-General in his report
on Youth.
Thank you