The role of youth

Young people 1

The UPR represents an entry point for the meaningful participation of young people in advocating their rights. Through youth-led or youth-focused organisations, young people can play an important role in strengthening civil society engagement to improve human rights on the ground.  

There are numerous resolutions focusing on policies and programmes to encourage youth participation in UN Mechanisms. For example, resolution A/RES/72/146/24:

 

 Recognizes that youth participation is important for development, and urges the Member States and UN entities, in consultation with youth and youth-led and youth-focused organisations, to explore and promote new avenues or the full, effective, structured and sustainable participation of young people and youth-led organisations in relevant decision-making processes and monitoring, in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life[...]”  

 

Youth rights entail the realisation of a wide range of human rights: access to education and to work, sexual and reproductive rights, the right to development, etc. As a result, it is important for young people to tackle problems, take initiatives and engage in a constructive dialogue at the national and international level to defend their rights.

Youth 2

Through its programmes, UPR Info encourages youth participation in the promotion of human rights for society at large by:

  • Creating a favourable environment for youth participation;
  • Facilitating the participation of children and young advocates in UPR Info's Presessions.
  • Building capacity of young advocates that are new to UN Mechanisms;
  • Creating tools to guide and support the engagement of young people in the UPR;
  • Exploring programmatic approaches to support youth participation at the national level.