On Tuesday, June 24, 2014 IIMA and VIDES presented a joint oral statement on youth empowerment during the 26th session of the Human Rights Council. The statement was presented during the Item 8 General Debate on Follow Up and Implementation by Maria D’Onofrio and was entitled “Youth Empowerment: A Human Rights Perspective.” The statement was in response to the recent cross-regional statement on the situation of youth worldwide that was supported by 116 cosigning States.

IIMA and VIDES took the opportunity to express its support in this positive step forward in the fight for protection and security for youth worldwide, but also to voice specific concerns and make concrete recommendations to all of the participating Member States at the Human Rights Council. The statement reemphasized the point from the OHCHR Expert Meeting on the Human Rights of Youth in July of 2013 “that young people do experience difficulties in the exercise of their rights by the virtue of being young and that there are gaps in the protection of the human rights of youth.”

At the conclusion of the statement, IIMA and VIDES provided the States with three recommendations that encouraged them to take concrete action to empower youth and protect their specific human rights, as well as working to mainstream youth issues into the UN human rights mechanisms and panel discussions by incorporating them officially into the Treaty Bodies, the Special Procedures, and the UPR process.

Listed below is the link to presentation of the oral statement. Skip ahead to 56:18 minutes in order to see the statement.

http://webtv.un.org/search/item8-general-debate-contd-32nd-meeting-26th-regular-session-of-human-rights-council/3639365405001?term=item%208

To consult the article on youth posted on the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco – Daughters of Mary Help of Christians web site, please see:

http://www.cgfmanet.org/info/_4_.asp?sez=4&sotSez=1&detSotSez=1&doc=1362&lingua=2