11/08/1998

Mister Chairperson,

On behalf of Lithuanian delegation I have the honour to address my warmest congratulations for you hosting such an important Conference on Youth policy of the United Nations in Lisbon.

Honourable ladies and gentlemen,

It is very meaningful to have the conference on youth as the youth is a powerful tool for politicians to create a better society and better future for its country.

We are happy that the time when the society was treating youth as the one of most problematic social group has already passed. The recent changes in civil and official life of Lithuania as well as the global changes made us understand that young people are ready and able to take the full responsibility for their decisions and actions influencing the process of creating and developing civil society.

We are convinced that the declaration of the Conference as well as the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond would become a perfect background for development of national, regional and international youth policies.

Generally we agree with the statements of the Draft Declaration and we will support the implementation of the Declaration on all the levels that are reachable for us.

We would like to stress the importance of developing National youth policies and Programmes that might support implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, as well as improve living standards of young people and ensure their participation in the social life of the society.

In this case we give a great priority to the intersectional co-operation ensuring the favourable conditions and needed support for the thorough development of young women and young men.

All evolution of Lithuanian youth policy was based on the development of principle of youth participation. We tried to make implementation of this principle as real and as wide as possible. We are proud that in Lithuania

Youth representatives have the real right and responsibility not only to implement, but to govern youth policy as well.

State Council for Youth Affairs was established where representatives of youth organisations are equal decision-makers to representatives of governmental civil servants. We should underline that State Council of Youth Affairs in Lithuania is co-inanaging and co-decision making structure and this is the only governmental intersectional youth policy structure with all governmental powers.

An active youth participation can ensure the devcloprilent of young people in the most effective way. It is also obvious that young people are the greatest resource ensuring social and economic developinciit of society as well as good relations of international co-operation. All these principles are implemented in the National Youth Program of Lithuania

We entirely support the statements of the draft Declaration of the Conference underlining the important role of youth and youth organisations in peace building, conflict prevention and conflict resolution.

We are sure that international co-operation among young people can create strong background for co-operation in culture, education, social care, employment, environment, business. Therefore it is extremely important to train young people, to use international activities for understanding possibilities of friendship with cultural differences and benefit from them.

We hope very much that this international conference will build the bridges between the different cultures, interests but the united willingness of young people to be together and create the world of tomorrow.

Thank you, Mister Chairperson .