10/08/1998

On behalf of the Polish delegation I have the pleasure of heading, I would like first of all to express my satisfaction at our participation in the First World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth and to congratulate its organizers.

Youth problems should be one of the priorities of every government. We all realise that young people are the future of every nation. An old Polish proverb says that as youth are reared, so the Republic is.

For that reason, the Government of the Republic of Poland, the Government of Prime Minster Jerzy Buzek ranks youth affairs among its most important policy issues.

The importance the Government attaches to supporting young people in various fields of activities is evidenced, I believe, by the creation of the post of the Plenipotentiary of Government for Family Affairs who has been entrusted with youth affairs. Within the Office of the Plenipotentiary of Government, a Department of Youth Affairs has been set up to shape and implement the states pro-family policy it relates to young people. That department co-ordinates activities ensuring implementation of the full rights of children and youth as well as improving their living conditions. Those activities stem from:

1) The laws and resolutions, of the Sejm (lower house of parliament) of the Republic of Poland, executive acts as well as documents of the Cabinet and its individual ministries,

2) Government programmes accepted for implementation,

3) International treaties to which Poland is a party, in particular the Convention on the Rights of a Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989, and recommendations of organizations acting on behalf of children and youth.

The communist system of Government existing in Poland up till 1989 did not provide opportunities for the development of independent, non-governmental youth organizations. Since 1989, i.e. since the overthrow of the totalitarian communist system, an intensive development of non-Governmental organizations has taken place to fill the existing gaps.

One of the goals the present Government has set itself is to create equal chances for all youth organizations functioning in democratic Poland.

The present Government supports the activities of youth organizations in Poland as well as their involvement in international co-operation serving to bring the nations of Europe and the world closer together.

Youth-exchange programmes can count on particular support. In such activities we see the opportunity for young people from different countries to get to know one another, break down barriers and stereotypes concerning individual nations, expand their horizons and build a democratic society.

The activities of young Poles in the international sphere have so far been carried out within the framework of bilateral inter-state agreements.

For several years Polish-German Youth Exchange, Office, called into being under an agreement between the Governments of Poland and Germany, has been functioning successfully.

An exchange with Great Britain has been under way since 1991. The co-operation, in accordance with the agreement, concerns sharing of experiences of youth involved n social activities and local Government, the fight against youth pathologies, ecology, education and culture.

A Polish-French protocol is signed each year. It regulates matters connected to youth co-operation chiefly in such fields as sport agricultural schools and secondary schools.

As part of Poland's exchange with Italy, projects of a socio-cultural nature are being carried out.

In addition, Poland has signed bilateral agreements with Israel, Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

For the Polish Government, another important aspect of activities serving integration within the European Community is the European Union Commission's programme "Youth for Europe" which has been implemented in Poland since March this year. Its purpose is a trans-border co-operation as well as co-operation in the Baltic Sea region. In these activities we see a great opportunity to develop tri-and multilateral relations as well as collaboration among non-governmental organizations.

The Baltic Sea, perceived until recently as a geographic barrier, has a chance of being a bridge linking our countries. It can become a bridge sparking off co-operation in the youth area between Government structures, responsible for youth affairs, as well as non-Governmental Youth organizations and young people themselves. Efforts to build mutual understanding break down prejudice and stereotypes and learn about the culture of other countries are the best ways to create a new, active society of a Europe of nations open to others.

We hope the Conference of Baltic Sea Ministers responsible for the youth affairs, which Poland is organising next year in co-operation with Sweden, Germany and Lithuania, will mark a major step in that direction.

The experience of past years has dearly shown that the civilisation of the World in the 21st century should be built on truth and love. Withouty0uth, than goal cannot be accomplished.

Speaking of youth, one cannot forget about the family. It is the place where a person is born and reared. The experience of family life - both positive and negative - exerts an influence on man's entire later life. Every crisis affecting the family leaves exceptionally deep wounds, especially in young people, which do not heal easily. It would be difficult to speak of shaping the younger generation in isolation from the family.

In constructing our youth policy, we should therefore also keep a pro-family policy in mind.

To summarise, I would like to call attention to several aspects which seem important in the context of creating youth policy.

As one of the main tasks facing institutions acting on behalf of youth we regard the maintenance of permanent working contacts between non-Governmental organizations. Such co-operation should be directed towards learning about other cultures, seeking similarities among co-operating countries as well as building mutual understanding and respect for existing differences.

We should undertake efforts to activate young people who cannot find a place for themselves in a contemporary world based on the culture of technology and information.

Principles governing permanent contacts among government institutions involved in youth issues in individual countries should also, be developed.

Efforts must be made to support the institution of the family which should be an asylum of security and love - the family which is the basic, irreplaceable social unit - the family in which the future of every state is being born.

To conclude, I would like to express the hope that the First World Conference will provide major impetus for closer co-operation among nations in the field of youth affairs and point the way to the implementation of the goals we have set.