VULNERABILITY OF YOUTH TO POVERTY, WARS, UNEMPLOYMENT STRESSED BY SPEAKERS IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Press Release
GA/8975

VULNERABILITY OF YOUTH TO POVERTY, WARS, UNEMPLOYMENT STRESSED BY SPEAKERS IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Fifteen Speakers, Including Seven Youth Representatives, Address Assembly's Commemoration of International Youth Year

The vulnerability of youth to poverty, wars and unemployment were stressed this afternoon in the General Assembly, as 15 speakers, including seven youth representatives, addressed the Assembly in its continued commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year.

When half of the young population lived beneath the poverty line, as in her country, it was not surprising that the young vacillated between hope and despair, the youth representative from Panama said. She added that unemployment among the young in her country had reached 21 per cent.

Referring to the migration of youth from rural to urban areas, the representative of Indonesia said that "many young people awake to discover that development may in fact pass them over, leaving behind a disillusioned and alienated generation". The Presidential Adviser on Youth Affairs of the Philippines called for greater attention towards the plight of young migrant workers, who were particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

The interest of the young needed to be incorporated into the social development efforts of developing countries, where the young were the main victims of poverty and conflict, the representative of the Republic of Korea stated.

The youth representative from the Netherlands said current wars disrupted the lives of young people and created flows of refugees. In refugee camps the lack of youth activities lead them to get involved in gangs and criminal activities.

The youth representative of Norway expressed her regret that no consensus had been reached on the draft world programme of action to the year 2000 and beyond. She hoped governments would use the draft as a guideline for further development of national policy.

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Statements on the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year were also made by the representatives of Turkey, Japan, and Romania. The Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture of Barbados, and the Minister of Youth and Culture of the Bahamas also made statements, as well as youth representatives from Latvia, the United States, Denmark and Syria.

The plenary is expected to adopt the world programme of action for youth to the year 2000 and beyond during its current session. That draft contains practical guidelines for national and international action to improve the situation of young people.

Also this afternoon, the President of the General Assembly, Freitas do Amaral (Portugal), informed the plenary that a tentative programme of work and the schedule of plenary meetings for the rest of October and for November was available in document A/INF/50/Add.1. Also, the item entitled "The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina" would not be taken up on 31 October as scheduled, but would be considered at a date to be announced.

The Assembly also observed a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of Judge Andres Aguilar Mawdsley, a member of the International Court of Justice, who passed away on 24 October.

The General Assembly will meet again tomorrow, 27 October, to continue its discussion on the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year.

Assembly Work Programme

The General Assembly met this afternoon to continue its commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year. The final text for the draft world programme of action for youth to the year 2000 and beyond, which was considered by the Economic and Social Council yesterday, has not yet been agreed upon (see Press Release ECOSOC/5629 issued 25 October).

Statements

INGRID NORDBO, a youth representative of Norway, expressed regret that no consensus had been reached on the draft world programme of action. She hoped that governments would use the draft world programme as a guideline for further development of national policy. Youth was not characterized by passivity and troublesomeness, but rather by enthusiasm mixed with a critical view of the established structures of society.

Recent decades had increased the international community's consciousness of the earth's fragility. Youth must be given a fair chance to influence decision-making, an issue reflected in the draft programme, because a feeling of resignation among youth must be prevented. Youth organizations should be recognized as schools for democracy and the Nations Youth Forum scheduled for 1996 deserved support. The United Nations should also encourage governments to include youth representatives in the delegations to the General Assembly and other United Nations events, as requested in Assembly resolution 47/85.

AMINA RASUL-BERNARDO, Presidential Advisor on Youth Affairs of the Philippines, said that the world's youth still cried out for the opportunity to fulfil their rightful role as partners in the development of their nations. The plight of vulnerable and disadvantaged youth, including those in areas of conflict, foreign-occupied or alien-dominated territories, refugee and displaced youth, indigenous youth and those with disabilities were of particular concern to the international community.

She said that nine out of 10 of the world's youth were citizens of developing countries. The reverse demographic trends in the developing and mature economies implied that there would be increased youth migration from developing to developed societies, as those youth searched for opportunities and responded to the need in those societies for younger blood to fuel their economies. That would be occurring as pressure rose for equitable access to the world's resources and the upgrading of structures and mechanisms for development.

A global response that would open greater opportunities in developing countries was, therefore, unavoidable, she went on. Attention should be focused on the plight of migrant workers, many of whom were youths and particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. The Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families should be speedily ratified. It was also time for a global conference on migration and development to be convened.

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MIA AMOR MOTTLEY, Minister of Education, Youth Affairs and Culture of Barbados, said the challenges of the end of the millennium must squarely rest on young people, who would shape the structure of the new world order. In today's world, economic gain often came at a cost to the poor, marginalized and socially deprived. Given the mind-boggling changes in the world during the last decade, could youth be blamed if they remained cynical and adopted an existentialist stance? The programme before the Assembly, if implemented by governments, would benefit young people everywhere by providing new opportunities, integrating youth-related concerns into national development policies, protecting the young from harmful drugs and addictive substances and by fostering racial and religious tolerance. The young must also be given access to employment.

LINDA JAKOBSONE, youth representative of Latvia, said tolerance meant listening to different opinions and trying to understand them. A lesson should be learned from the very young, who treated one another as individuals, despite their differences in colour, gender and nationality. There was enough space for everybody if the international community stood for peace based on tolerance.

"I think we cannot wait for future generations to bring peace", she said. "We have to act now." Youth had always had the task of breaking with the old and bringing in new ways. The legacy of her parents' generation was that of the cold war, for which they should not be blamed. Nevertheless, youth should be aware of it, in order to learn. Children and youth assemblies were needed to unite people from around the world. The United Nations was a place where people from around the world could meet and share their views. However, for now, it was also like a card game. "What are we playing for?" she asked.

HILDE LAFFEBER, a youth representative of the Netherlands, said current wars disrupted the lives of young people in a number of countries and created flows of refugees, which was not only a problem for youth, but for societies as a whole. In refugee camps, children up to the age of sixteen were generally offered some form of education. Their parents, mostly the mothers, received guidance in coping with their new situation and were involved in many activities. Youth, however, had hardly anything to do in those refugee camps. As a result of such continuous inactivity, some had become involved in gangs and in criminal activities. Education and other programmes for the youth needed to be implemented in the camps. Furthermore, the world programme of action needed to include steps to improve the life of young refugees.

HUSEYIN E. CELEM (Turkey) said that in meeting the challenge of creating a society for all, young people occupied an important place with their unique characteristics. Young people guaranteed the future and the renewal of generations. Their visions, ideals and energies were major sources of sustainable development. They deserved a healthy environment, both physically and mentally, to develop their skills and contribute to the achievements of their societies.

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He said that the world programme of action for youth to the year 2000 and beyond pointed out major areas of problems that were contributing to the marginalization of young people. It also created a framework of universal standards of action to be applied by national, regional and international bodies to address the problem areas. Turkey had changed some articles of its constitution to allow younger people to take an active part in political life. In Turkey, national programmes addressing youth-related issues were designed to foster tolerance, respect and understanding among young females and males without discrimination.

MITSUKO HORIUCHI (Japan) said serious consideration must be given to the issues that confront and occupy youth. While some progress had been achieved in enhancing the well-being of people world-wide, the young still lived in considerable uncertainty. Yet, there was hope of improvement in the next millennium. In the action programme adopted at the Beijing women's Conference, emphasis was placed on the role of young women and girls as important agents of change, and also as persons who did not enjoy equal rights. That programme had not yet been translated into action.

His country wanted to foster among its young people the mental and physical strength that would be required to meet the challenges of the twenty- first century. Numerous youth exchange programmes had been launched to promote "friendship networks". Thirty years ago, Japan also established a Youth Affairs Administration within the Prime Minister's office, to coordinate and implement measures relating to youth.

NUGROHO WISNUMURTI (Indonesia) said the uneven patterns of development could contribute to "harmful patterns of migration". The migration of youth from rural to urban areas and across national boundaries in search of employment and a better life did not always have positive results. "Many young people awake to discover that development may in fact pass them over, leaving behind a disillusioned and alienated generation", he said.

In past societies, cultural values gave youth a strong sense of identity, he continued. However, the current era of globalization seriously threatened established orders, causing a widening schism between the old and new. It was not surprising that such an environment would foster drug abuse, criminal activities and unacceptable lifestyles. International cooperation was needed to develop better monitoring mechanisms to prevent youth problems.

ZAID ABDUL-ALEEM, a youth representative of the United States, stressed the importance of listening to the voices of youth and paying attention to the solutions they proposed. Young people needed to be nurtured. They needed to hear from home, school and community that they could do anything they wanted to do, free from discrimination due to race, class or caste, and gender. They must be sufficiently free from want and fear to dream about what they wanted to be and to believe that it was a real possibility.

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He said that youth throughout the world needed the support systems of the family, friends, groups in the community and education. Only if they were provided a supportive environment in the home, community and school would children develop into youth who could recognize or create opportunities for themselves. Investment in the family, community and education should be addressed locally, nationally and globally.

The United States had designed an array of activities to empower students as citizens and to ensure safe passage of youth through the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, he continued. Those activities included comprehensive services to reduce teenage pregnancy and the President's tobacco initiative to reduce smoking among children and adolescents by 50 per cent in the next seven years. Also, community schools had forged partnerships at the community level and provided a place for youth to go after school and on weekends. In addition, enterprise communities had been instituted, so that private and public institutions would collaborate on improving job opportunities, housing, transportation and services.

PARK SOO GIL (Republic of Korea) said the interest of the young needed to be incorporated into the social development efforts of developing countries. In those countries, the young were the main victims of poverty and conflict. Gender discrimination should be eliminated at an early age and women should be provided with expanded access to education and health care. He hoped that the world youth programme of action to the year 2000 and beyond would be adopted by consensus. The eradication of hunger and absolute poverty were two of the most pressing priority areas suggested by the programme.

Even though youth represented a diverse population, many of their problems were commonly shared, such as drug abuse, criminal activities and intolerance. In his country, a long-term plan for youth entitled "1992-2001 Basic Plan for the Youth of Korea" had been incorporated into the national socio-economic development plan. Furthermore, a Youth Development Committee had been established.

EILEEN COPARROPA, youth representative of Panama, said her country was a crossroads of different peoples. Unemployment among the young in Panama had reached 21 per cent and half of the young population lived beneath the poverty line. It was not surprising that the young vacillated between hope and despair. However, the complexity of the world did not exempt the youth of the developing countries from taking responsibility for problems, despite the simplicity of their lives and circumstances.

The young of Panama could see some degree of disparity of opportunity based on gender or due to marginalization, she continued. As an athlete, a swimmer, she appealed to the international community and other countries to set aside special resources for sports activities, which were needed so young

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people could use their time productively. Also, young people should be more adequately consulted by decision-making bodies in formulating national policies. For young people, a new lifestyle or model for life was needed -- youth should be a heroic time of life.

PETER FRIIS-NIELSEN, youth representative of Denmark, said that youth today were often stigmatized as vulnerable and the object of a variety of problems. Young people were, however, not merely an object, but the subject of the future. The world community needed a new approach to young people. Action was needed now and such a new approach should start with the adoption of the draft programme of action.

The solution to the problems discussed in the draft programme of action was to recognize young people as an asset and genuine partners in the decision-making process, he said. They must be recognized as subjects of their own lives, not objects. For young people to become responsible citizens in society, governments should establish the structures and platforms needed to ensure youth participation in the decision-making process. They should also ensure cooperation between youth, independent youth organizations and governmental bodies.

There was a fundamental need for all countries to create or improve their national youth policies to allow young people to participate actively, he said. The draft programme of action should be integrated into the national youth policies. The United Nations should establish structures to ensure and improve cooperation between national youth bodies, governmental structures and the United Nations system.

AMMAR SAATI, Vice-President of the National Student Union of Syria, said there was an integrated national strategy in his country that dealt with the overall interests of youth, seeking to foster the potential of youth and its widest possible participation in society. In addition, there was the National Student Union that dealt with the problems that could obstruct the advancement of students. The Union had more than 1.5 million members, of which 40 per cent were women. Education, at the primary and secondary levels, was free. He called for an end of the Israeli occupation in the Golan, which was obstructing peace and the aspirations of many Syrian youth living there.

ALGERNON S.P.B. ALLEN, Minister of Youth and Culture of the Bahamas, said that youth were in a supreme crisis throughout the world and no nation or community had been able to escape it. The critical afflictions of youth were particularly acute and invited world attention and action. Now was the time for action and the United Nations was the appropriate venue for such action.

The Bahamas had promoted programmes designed to save young people from their problems, he continued. Such programmes included character development

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initiatives and the establishment of a college to provide training in trade and vocational areas. Also, a programme had been designed to encourage young people to widen their interest in reading beyond the classroom. With assistance from the Organization of American States (OAS), a Youth Enterprise Programme had been implemented which placed special emphasis on empowering young women who were raising children alone. Many small States lacked the means of fighting the problems of youth alone. The United Nations must assume a leadership role in that regard, to ensure capable leaders for the world of tomorrow.

ALIN-CONSTANTIN CRAPATUREANU (Romania), presenting a statement on behalf of the Minister of Youth and Sports of Romania, expressed the hope that all young people would carry the message of understanding and involvement in the building of the third millennium. He hoped that cultural, scientific and technical heritage could become a link in international dialogue and that reason would triumph on earth.

He expressed the hope that the programme of action would be adopted by consensus. That programme of action represented a useful policy framework and provided practical guidelines for improving the situation of youth throughout the world. The goals of the International Youth Year were as valid today as they were a decade ago. The adoption of the pertinent resolution on the programme of action would promote the aspirations of young people to fully participate in their societies.

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