General Assembly Session 50 meeting 41

The President

It is my sad duty to inform the General Assembly of the death in London yesterday of Mr. Kenneth K.S. Dadzie, former Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Mr. Dadzie was the fourth Secretary-General of UNCTAD. He held that position from 1 January 1986 through 31 March 1994. At the time of his death, he was High Commissioner of Ghana to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Mr. Dadzie was an outstanding international civil servant who demonstrated during his long and very distinguished career the highest intellectual and diplomatic skills and the deepest dedication to the ideals of the United Nations. Mr. Dadzie had tirelessly promoted the cause of development, and his legacy will remain with the United Nations as a benchmark for international cooperation.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I should like to request the representative of Ghana to transmit to the Government of Ghana and to the family of Mr. Dadzie our expressions of profound sympathy.

May I ask representatives to stand and observe a minute of silence in tribute to the memory of Mr. Kenneth Dadzie.

The President

I call on the representative of Ghana.

Mr. Lamptey (Ghana)

First of all, let me thank the Assembly for its condolences, which I will faithfully transmit to the Government and the people of Ghana and to the family of Ambassador Kenneth K.S. Dadzie.

Yesterday was a sad day for Ghana, when we learned of the sudden death of this distinguished son of our country. Kenneth Kweku Sinaman Dadzie was born on 10 September 1930. At Accra High School, at Achimota College and at Queens College, Cambridge, he achieved brilliant academic distinction. Before the independence of Ghana, he was among the pioneer trainees selected by the Government and sent to Britain, as well as to France and other places, to study for the Ghana Foreign Service. He was attached to the British Foreign Office and subsequently served with the British Embassy in Paris. In 1957, he was appointed to the Ghana Foreign Service.

From 1960, when he was first sent to New York as Councillor Head of Chancery of the Ghana Permanent Mission, he was associated with this Organization, occupying distinguished positions within the United Nations. He contributed enormously to the work of this Organization. He was seconded to the United Nations from the Ghana Permanent Mission in 1963 and held several positions. Time will not allow me to enumerate all of these, but he rose within the system to occupy the post of Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. He served his country also as Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, and, as you just noted, Sir, he died serving Ghana as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.

In 1980, a grateful nation conferred on him membership of the Order of Volta. The people of Ghana mourn a truly great son, but we believe that representatives here know best what this young man who left us so suddenly contributed to the world community.

The President

This morning, I draw the attention of representatives first to the second report of the General Committee (A/50/250/Add.1), concerning two requests: first, a request by the delegation of the Philippines for the inclusion of an additional item, and secondly, a request by Argentina, the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela for the inclusion in the agenda of an additional sub-item under item 112, "Human rights questions".

In paragraph 1 of the report, the General Committee recommends to the Assembly that the item entitled "Implementation of the outcome of the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace" be included in the agenda of the current session and that it should be considered directly in plenary meeting for the purpose of endorsing the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action. The Committee further recommends that the item should be allocated to the Second and Third Committees as appropriate for its substantive consideration.

May I take it that the General Assembly adopts the recommendation of the General Committee?

The President

In paragraph 2 of the report, the General Committee recommends to the Assembly that an additional sub-item, entitled "Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights", should be included as a sub-item of agenda item 112, "Human rights questions", and that it should be allocated to the Third Committee.

May I take it that the General Assembly adopts this recommendation?

The President

The Assembly will next turn its attention to document A/50/404/Add.1, which contains a letter dated 19 October 1995 addressed to the President of the Assembly by the Chairman of the Committee on Conferences. As members are aware, the Assembly, in paragraph 7 of its resolution 40/243, decided that no subsidiary organ should be permitted to meet at United Nations Headquarters during a regular session of the Assembly unless explicitly authorized by the Assembly.

As indicated in the letter I have just mentioned, the Committee on Conferences has recommended that the General Assembly authorize the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters Related to the Security Council, the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on An Agenda for Development and the High-level Open-ended Working Group on the Financial Situation of the United Nations to meet in New York during the fiftieth session of the General Assembly.

May I take it that the General Assembly adopts the recommendation of the Committee on Conferences?

The President

The General Assembly, in accordance with the decision taken at its 3rd plenary meeting and pursuant to its resolution 49/152 of 23 December 1994, will hold, under agenda item 105, the first of the plenary meetings devoted to marking the tenth anniversary of International Youth Year and to consider, with a view to adopting it, the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.

I am pleased and gratified to address the Assembly on this occasion to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year, and it is particularly interesting that this anniversary coincides with the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations. The Organization is reinvigorating itself, and I am convinced that today's youth, when they become the adults of tomorrow, will demonstrate their support towards this universal Organization and its goals.

Fifty years ago the United Nations was founded, based on a noble idea. That idea was -- and still is -- that each human being has individual dignity and worth. In all, 185 countries have joined this world body, stating their intention to voluntarily comply with its principles. These principles, embodied in the United Nations Charter, speak far better than anything else I may say, and are points of light for all of us.

With firm belief in these principles, we must reaffirm our faith by sharing them with our young people. To offer youth the opportunity to participate in the development and renewal of our societies is the greatest challenge and the greatest honour we may afford them. It is also our greatest responsibility and our finest reward.

Today the international community has gathered to reflect on the achievements and problems confronting youth, in order to advance the common historic purpose started in 1985 during International Youth Year. We are here today to build upon the positive processes created since the adoption in 1965 by the General Assembly of the Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples (resolution 2037 (XX)).

Investing in the youth of today enables them, as individuals, to fulfil their lifetime's potential. The benefits to young women and men can be counted in terms of individual achievement and self-development. For the nation, its gains are through tapping the storehouse of energy, resourcefulness, labour and enthusiasm of its youth. Such gains are not achieved without costs. Governments need to develop policies and invest in programmes which provide their young men and women with the opportunities to participate fully in the nation's economic and social development.

It is my sincere hope that this special plenary will be a landmark in the process of refining the international community's response to the challenge of youth, for those of us gathered here represent all sectors of society: Governments, which have the ultimate responsibility for solving the problems of youth; United Nations organizations and bodies, with their enriching expertise and specific mandates; intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, particularly youth organizations -- all are valuable partners with unique experience. I am confident that from these deliberations today, we will strengthen our commitment to the objectives of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.

I now call on the representative of the Secretary-General.

Mr. Desai (Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development)

May I begin first by apologizing on behalf of the Secretary-General, who would very much have liked to be present because he has laid great stress on the importance of relating the work of the United Nations to the concerns of young people all over the world.

Just a few days ago the leaders of the world came together in this Hall, in a gathering which was both unprecedented and of immense significance, when they celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of our Organization. As we commemorated 50 years of the United Nations, we also looked to the tasks and challenges that lie in the years ahead, and especially to the challenge of preserving and strengthening the United Nations as a unique force for the maintenance of peace and in promoting development and social progress.

Reaching out to the young was the theme of many activities linked to the commemoration, and it is indeed appropriate that the very first act of the Assembly following the celebration of the Organization's fiftieth birthday is to turn the spotlight on young people -- our future -- to those who will have to nurture, maintain and run this institution in its next 50 years. Let me, therefore, welcome the participants who have gathered here today, who represent so many who are devoted and dedicated to the well-being of young people all over the world. I welcome the Ministers and high-level officials present. I welcome the youth representatives, and I welcome particularly the representatives of the young non-governmental organizations.

During the course of these plenary meetings, the Assembly will formally adopt, we hope, a World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond. The central purpose of the Programme of Action is to provide a policy framework and practical guidelines for national action and international support to improve the situation of young people. It emphasizes the measures that can best provide opportunities for young men and women for full, effective and constructive participation in society.

In a formal sense, the United Nations considers the age range from 15 to 24 as representing the youth life span, and measured in this sense there are about a billion young people in the world today. But young people of similar age often face very different problems, and live in surroundings that are as dissimilar as the conditions of the societies at large. Given all these important differences, it is not always easy to keep focused on the one core issue that binds youth together -- on what one could call the essence of being young. That essence which defines youth is that youth is a period of transition. It is a passage from childhood and dependence to adulthood with its attendant rights and responsibilities. To make that passage safer, easier and constructive -- that is the focus of all youth activities for the well-being of the individual and the benefit of society.

In all of us there exists both a conformist and a rebellious streak. Over a life span, the individual comes to reconcile the conflicting poles. In young people, that conflict is at its most intense.

Young men and women wish to fit into society and, yet, seeing the world with an uncynical eye, they also wish to change the world for the better. An enlightened youth policy creates a climate in which the appropriate balance between conformism and rebelliousness can best be struck. All of us, young and old, have a desire to be heard. But to get a hearing is not easy when one is young. It is, in fact, often a rare privilege. So, it is the underlying premise of the draft world Programme of Action that the best chance for success, for realizing its goals, is to be found in the concept of partnership. The value of the contribution that young people can make is maximized when their voices are heard. These voices, I should like to add, were certainly heard in the processes that brought the draft Programme of Action into being. Keeping in focus this dimension, the draft Programme addresses many practical concerns and issues, and I should like to refer to a few of them.

Almost 85 per cent of our young people live in developing countries. Their opportunities for education and training often remain limited, and social services are lacking. There is an incongruity, an imbalance, in many countries between education and the needs of the workplace. Rates of youth unemployment are much higher than average in practically every country and its this unemployment which often generates a sense of hopelessness and often contributes to social stress. The policies required to tackle youth unemployment are qualitatively different from those required for employment policy in general. We have to focus on new jobs for youth and not just protection of existing jobs.

Young people, as we can see so frequently, constitute a significant proportion of the refugees and displaced persons created by conflicts. Amongst young people, young women continue to encounter discrimination. Eighty-six million girls have no access to primary school education. Unemployment rates for young women remain higher than for young men. Exploitation and violence add to the impoverishment of young women. Globally, pregnancy-related complications are the main cause of death for girls between 15 and 19 years of age.

A large proportion of rural youth do not enjoy the benefits of development and progress because of the lack of access to resources, because of the lack of employment. A very large number of young people live in poverty as officially defined. Malnutrition, sexually transmitted diseases, particularly AIDS, and substance abuse are decimating young people in many parts of the world. Juvenile delinquency, and crime and violence by and against young people, are major problems around the world. The rapid transformation of many societies has weakened the capacity of families in the role of nurturing and socializing young people and equipping them for life. This role has not been fulfilled adequately by other institutions.

These are but some of the dimensions which have figured in the discussions on this draft Programme of Action, and some of the reasons why a particular focus on youth is necessary as a critical dimension of the pursuit of social progress.

The concern of the United Nations over youth found its expression in the proclamation in 1985 of International Youth Year. Within the framework of that Year, Member States have developed measures to improve youth programmes and to mobilize resources. The Year also provided an opportunity to articulate a policy on youth, not just in isolation but as an integral part of a complex overall social reality. The various entities of the United Nations system, including the regional commissions, have worked to provide the necessary international support for the objectives of the Year. They have strengthened their youth-oriented activities, stressing an integrated approach to youth concerns. Most important, non-governmental organizations have played a vital role in articulating the concerns of young people and in youth development activities in the framework of the Year, particularly as innovators at the community, local and grass-roots level. They have been a vital interlocutor with youth and have given life and participation to the process in a very authentic manner.

The draft Programme of Action incorporates many valuable initiatives generated in the many conferences that have been held. Today, we reaffirm that the needs and aspirations of young people are a global priority; that it is the right of young people to contribute to and participate in the life of society; that it is the responsibility of Governments to strive to create the necessary conditions. And to this end, we need a renewed sense of cooperation between Member States, the United Nations system, the private non-governmental organizations sector, and civil society. The adoption of the draft World Programme of Action is, of course, an important step. But, beyond that we need more active and continued advocacy, more form and commitment and more tangible actions. Governmental action will not be enough; we need the commitment of young people, the commitment of non-governmental organizations and the commitment of the United Nations system to support this process.

Fifty years from now, many who are here will surely be present in this room to commemorate the centenary of this institution. It must be our aim and hope that when they do so, they will be able to look back on a century of action and achievement to which they have been able to contribute -- action and achievement for peace, justice and development for all people. I look forward to the debate and assure the General Assembly of the continued commitment of all the organizations of the United Nations system to promoting the concerns which are expressed, and the actions which are contemplated in the draft Programme which the Assembly will be considering.

The President

I should like to propose that the list of speakers for the plenary meetings devoted to marking the tenth anniversary of International Youth Year be closed at 11.15 this morning.

The President

I therefore request those representatives wishing to participate in the plenary meetings devoted to marking the tenth anniversary of International Youth Year to place their names on the list of speakers as soon as possible.

I now call on the representative of Spain, Mrs. Rosa Escapa, who will speak on behalf of the European Union.

Mrs. Escapa (Spain)

I have the honour, on behalf of the European Union, to participate in this special meeting of the General Assembly to mark the tenth anniversary of International Youth Year. This anniversary represents a unique opportunity to assess the situation of youth around the world, and to consider the steps to be taken in the near future.

In 1985, International Youth Year, the world youth population, that is persons aged between 15 and 24 years, was 941 million. In 1995, the world youth population is estimated to be 1 billion. According to United Nations estimates, 85.9 per cent of the world's youth population lives in developing countries.

Young people constitute the major human resource for development in our societies. They are, in many sectors, the key agents for social change and technological innovation. But young people, particularly in developing countries, experience difficulties related to the lack of adequate educational, training and employment opportunities, as well as access to only poor health facilities and services. All of these factors can fuel social exclusion and marginalization.

Young people are especially vulnerable to poverty. Youth unemployment and underemployment are also prominent features of most societies around the world. In addition, rapid socio-economic change can be a cause of increased juvenile delinquency and drug abuse.

International Youth Year, proclaimed by the United Nations in 1985, based its strategies on three distinct, yet interrelated, themes: participation, development and peace. The objectives of the International Youth Year were set out in the guidelines for further planning and suitable follow-up in the field of youth, which served as a conceptual framework for youth work in ensuing years.

International Youth Year contributed to the creation, particularly at the national level, of channels of communication and participation for youth. It also helped to direct attention to youth issues on national agendas, to establish national youth programmes and to strengthen youth organizations. The European Union holds the view that these goals of the International Youth Year are as valid today as they were a decade ago, and it considers that the draft World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond will constitute an important step in further promoting the aspirations of young people to participate fully in and to contribute actively to the life of our societies. We consider that it is the responsibility of States to facilitate and promote such participation.

The European Union hopes that the consensus achieved last week in the negotiations on the draft World Programme of Action for Youth will be maintained. We hope that the additional concerns that some delegations may have can be accommodated by international intervention and that the draft Programme of Action will be adopted during these special meetings.

The draft World Programme of Action for Youth pays special attention to the issue of youth participation. This is not only one of the specific priority areas but also an overriding general principle. The draft Programme also strongly emphasizes that its implementation requires the full enjoyment by young people of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Implementation of the draft Programme, as the Programme itself states, is ultimately the responsibility of Governments, with the support of the international community. Young people should be involved, at all appropriate levels, in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of youth policy. At the international level, the World Youth Forum can play an important role in the implementation of the draft Programme. Young men and young women have many needs in common, but it is all too easy to forget the specific needs of young women when programmes for young people are being developed. It is important also that governmental and non-governmental organizations alike actively take up young women's as well as young men's concerns at every stage of the planning of their programmes.

I should like to refer now to some aspects of the situation and concerns of young people in the context of the European Union. There are almost 60 million young people between the ages of 15 and 25 in the European Union. Their participation and active involvement in the construction of Europe, as citizens conscious of their rights and responsibilities, are an enormous potential for our societies, on which the future of the Union depends. Sectoral policies affecting young people, and especially the community programmes specifically targeted at the young, are tools for the development of a European Union policy of cooperation in the field of youth. In the European Union the policy of cooperation on youth issues is part of a broad concept of developing active citizenship on the part of young people. To move towards the development of active citizenship, the European Union has begun coordinated action, especially through the Youth for Europe programme, aimed at supporting the youth socio-educational process outside the formal educational framework.

Exchanges between youth groups and youth associations are important mechanisms of Community cooperation policy in the field of youth. Within the framework of these mechanisms, projects designed and carried out by young people themselves, pursuant to their own interests -- projects in various thematic areas, such as the fight against social exclusion and racism, conservation of local heritage, protection of the environment, cultural and artistic expression, employment, health and youth rights -- contribute to the active commitment of young people to a social integration process and to the development of their social, professional, cultural and personal attitudes.

A policy of cooperation in the field of youth that focused exclusively on the intra-Community level would not be complete and would go against our basic principles on the development of active citizenship on the part of young people.

Finally, it is important to point out that cooperation on youth issues in the European Union cannot be developed effectively without the active participation of young people through their representative structures, particularly the World Youth Forum.

The European Union cooperates actively with other countries on youth issues. This cooperation includes the exchange of knowledge and experience in respect of such matters as youth employment, the training of youth directors and information related to youth. It also involves the promotion of exchange programmes with young people from countries outside the European Union.

We also want to take this opportunity to recognize and stress the importance of the contribution of the Council of Europe in respect of youth issues. An example of this contribution is the current European youth campaign against racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and intolerance.

The success of efforts in the elaboration of the draft World Programme of Action for Youth depends primarily on Government commitment to its implementation at the national level, with the full involvement of youth.

All the recent major United Nations Conferences have devoted attention to the specific needs of youth. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development called for the involvement of youth in environment and development planning and decision-making as well as in the subsequent implementation of measures adopted. The International Conference on Population and Development gave attention to the reproductive rights and reproductive health of young people as well as to a number of related population issues. The World Summit for Children and the World Conference on Human Rights, the latter of which was held in Vienna, put emphasis on the rights of the child and the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all.

Furthermore, the Fourth World Conference on Women stressed again that gender roles greatly affect the situation of young people. Young women and girls face discrimination in all societies from an early age, particularly with regard to access, on an equal basis with boys and young men, to the opportunities that society offers, as well as participation in the decision-making processes at all levels. Equal rights, including sexual rights such as the right of the individual to have control over and decide freely on matters related to his or her sexuality, was one of the aspects stressed by the Beijing Conference.

In Copenhagen, on the occasion of the World Summit for Social Development, Heads of State and Government agreed to give the highest priority in national, regional and international policies and actions to the promotion of social progress, justice and the betterment of the human condition, based on full participation for all. The Summit acknowledged and considered the contribution of people of all age groups as equally and vitally important for the building of a harmonious society, and stressed the need for fostering dialogue between generations in all parts of society. More specifically, the Summit underlined the need to give special attention to long-term unemployment and underemployment of youth within national efforts to put the creation of employment and the reduction of unemployment at the centre of strategies and policies of governments. In the present context, that also underlines the need for providing access to education for all.

The Programme of Action adopted by the Summit also stressed the need for:

"Encouraging youth to participate in discussions and decisions affecting them and in the design, implementation and evaluation of policies and programmes; ensuring that youth acquire the skills to participate in all aspects of life in society and to lead self-sufficient lives through the provision of relevant and innovative educational programmes; and establishing laws and measures that ensure the protection of youth against physical and mental abuse and economic exploitation". (A/CONF.166/9, annex II, para. 75 (i))

The European Union thinks that the follow-up of the outcomes of the recent major United Nation conferences should form the appropriate framework for future activities related to youth issues. We believe that the draft World Programme of Action we are adopting should be placed in this global perspective. The participation of youth -- young men and women -- in the implementation of the World Programme of Action will be the best way of pursuing our efforts to ensure that young people find their rightful place in our societies.

The President

I now call on Mr. Martin Kargl, Youth Representative of Austria.

Mr. Kargl (Austria)

Before I start, let me point out that I fully endorse the statement just made by the Spanish delegate on behalf of the European Union. Please let me add some comments from a youth's perspective.

On behalf of Austria's young women and men and the Austrian youth organizations, I am glad to convey to you our warmest congratulations on this fiftieth anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations. The efforts made to achieve the aims of the United Nations Charter are, despite all problems, indispensable and must not be underestimated by any government or organization today or the future. We, today's young generation, feel responsible for upholding and spreading the spirit of the Charter.

Young people must have a more important role in the social and political development of the world. We no longer want to be objects of governments' youth policies, but want to participate fully in building our own future. This future must be one of peace and justice. Therefore, all young people and youth organizations have to be recognized as partners of governments at all levels. The reform process now under way within the United Nations system should include the creation of a proper framework in which non-governmental youth organizations can meet and participate.

In Austria, more and more, youth organizations are successfully involved in the political decision-making process. The co-management system between youth non-governmental organizations and governments, well established in the Council of Europe since 1972, is now also implemented at the national level. For the first time, everyone is working together on an equal footing in the European Youth Campaign against Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism and Intolerance. We would also like to see this co-management within the United Nations, in order to improve the quality of United Nations youth work.

In the same spirit, I hope that more countries will follow the Austrian example by involving their youth organizations in national youth policies and in their work within the United Nations.

In the follow-up to International Youth Year in Austria, local, regional and national children and youth parliaments took place. At the same time, independent ombudspersons were appointed to protect the rights of children and youth.

The historic changes in Central and Eastern Europe affected the life and future of all young people in Austria. Youth exchange and training programmes with countries in transition have been organized in the spirit of peace and mutual understanding.

A major national initiative resulting from International Youth Year is HOPE '87, which stands for "Hundreds of Original Projects for Employment". This Association is affiliated with the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and is active in more than 15 countries around the world. Austria is the main contributor. HOPE '87 creates jobs for young people and supports training programmes by providing grant schemes and seed money for self-employment. HOPE '87 supports the reconstruction of educational facilities in Sarajevo and the vocational training of war-disabled young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I have mentioned the positive cooperation between my Government and Austrian non-governmental organizations in the ongoing campaign against racism and intolerance. In this respect I want to draw attention to the recent report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees which supports the struggle of non-governmental organizations in the field of human rights and youth for an asylum law in full accordance with the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and other human rights instruments.

As representative of the Austrian Youth Council I welcome the United Nations headquarters in Vienna. I hope that the United Nations will continue to be a place where youth organizations have a voice, so that youth can still trust someone over 50.

The President

A problem occurred in a Python script. Here is the sequence of function calls leading up to the error, in the order they occurred.

<type 'exceptions.UnicodeEncodeError'>: 'ascii' codec can't encode character u'\xed' in position 98: ordinal not in range(128)
      args = ('ascii', u'\n\t<p id="pg008-bk01-pa01">I now call on the Perm...sentative of Ecuador, Mr. Valencia Rodr\xedguez.</p>', 98, 99, 'ordinal not in range(128)')
      encoding = 'ascii'
      end = 99
      message = ''
      object = u'\n\t<p id="pg008-bk01-pa01">I now call on the Perm...sentative of Ecuador, Mr. Valencia Rodr\xedguez.</p>'
      reason = 'ordinal not in range(128)'
      start = 98