Opening Statement at the World Youth Conference 2010

It is my pleasure to deliver this statement on behalf of the Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid.

I would like to thank the Government of Mexico for the initiative of organizing this World Youth Conference.

I would also like to congratulate Mexico for the celebration of 200 years of Independence and the 100th anniversary of the Revolution. I can think of no better way to begin a new period in the country’s history than by hosting a global conference for young people.

Viva Mexico, Viva Mundo and Viva Jovenes! What a great way to kick off the International Year of Youth that was inaugurated in the United Nations on 12 August.

On behalf of UNFPA, I would like to thank all the United Nations agencies for their support and express our deepest appreciation to all youth organizations and national institutions for the excellent work in making this conference possible.

Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen,
and my esteemed young friends;

I have two messages for you today. My first message is that NOW is the time to invest in young people. Now is the time, not sometime in the future. My second message is that NOW is the time to promote dialogue and understanding across cultures and generations, to advance human rights for all people, both young and old.

I say now is the time because young people are not just the future; they are very much the present.

Our world is home to more than 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 and 24 and almost 9 out of 10 of them live in developing countries. This is the largest youth generation in human history and there are many challenges facing us:

Today, more than half of all young people live in poverty and survive on less than two dollars a day.

An estimated 100 million adolescents do not attend school.

Nearly half of all sexual assaults worldwide are against girls aged 15 and younger.

Every year, 16 million adolescent girls become mothers, and complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death worldwide among girls 15 to 19 years-old.

Today, approximately 2,500 youth become newly infected with HIV every single day.

And in all regions of the world, youth unemployment is unacceptably high, and many young people fall victim to exploitation and violence.

Yes, the challenges are many. But they are not insurmountable. Together we can overcome them if we work together and redouble our efforts to guarantee that all young people have the knowledge, skills and opportunities to reach their fullest potential.

And let me say this. We will not achieve any of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to end extreme poverty, to reach universal education, to improve health, to advance gender equality and create a sustainable planet, unless we make these smart investments in youth and partner with young people.

Investing in young people’s education, health and employment will ensure better prospects for their own lives and for their countries' development. On the other hand, if we fail to make these investments now, we will further entrench poverty and ignorance for generations to come.

Let’s just look at one of the goals, MDG5 to improve maternal health. We know that girls aged 15 to 19 are twice as likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth as women in their 20s. And we also know that the two most effective ways to prevent teenage pregnancy are to keep girls in school, and to provide them with sexual and reproductive health education and services.

Young people have a fundamental human right to health, including sexual and reproductive health, and this can only be fulfilled through quality health services, including information and services for family planning and HIV prevention.

Another important area is age appropriate sexuality education, which is often overlooked, but remains an important issue for young people. Education about sexual and reproductive health improves knowledge, exposes harmful myths and taboos, and minimizes risky behaviour. Studies show that, in fact, sexuality education increases safe and responsible behaviour.

To ensure that development policies work for everyone, we must use human rights as our foundation. We must promote and protect the human rights of all young people, especially the most vulnerable ones.

And this is something I also want to highlight to all you young women and men here. Stand up for your rights whenever and wherever you can. And stand up for the rights of others. Speak out for all your sisters and brothers around the world who are vulnerable, and who are not fully empowered to speak for themselves. Human rights belong to everyone.

We know that young people are not a homogenous group. There is not one solution that fits all. Therefore, countries need tailored public policies that address the situation and reality of youth, whether they are rural, urban, indigenous, male, female, living with a disability, or affected by drugs or conflict.

My young friends, your leadership is needed now more than ever. You are already leading the use of new technology to network, create and speak out for change. You are challenging traditional gender roles and paving the way for equity and equality in the 21st century.

And, your leadership is producing great results. We see this clearly in HIV prevention. Just last month, during the International AIDS Conference in Vienna, we heard the long awaited good news: In Africa, the number of young people infected with HIV is falling in 15 of the 21 countries hardest hit by HIV and AIDS.

As young people, you know that true change cannot be imposed from the outside. To be lasting, it must come from within. Through partnership and inclusive dialogue, we can agree on actions for change.

For this to happen, governments, United Nationis agencies, non-governmental organizations and all development actors need to enter a meaningful partnership with young people. Only through meaningful involvement and participation can young people exercise their full citizenship. And only through meaningful dialogue across generations can we all contribute to finding solutions to the challenges we face.

Today, I call on leaders to listen to the voices of young people, to invest in young people, and to involve young people meaningfully in all decision-making that affects their lives. It is time to carry the voices of young people forward to the United Nations Summit in September, where leaders will review progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

I call on you, young women and men, to stay involved and to stand up for the rights of all your sisters and brothers around the world.

And for our part in UNFPA, I pledge that we will continue to work in full partnership with young people and other partners, inlcuding the rest of the UN family, to promote the ideals of peace, solidarity and respect for human rights across all generations and cultures.

Young people are the leaders of today and the makers of tomorrow.

Thank you.