No young person to be left behind in the UN Post-2015 Development Framework

Brussels, 27 June 2013 // The European Parliament and the European Youth Forum jointly reflected on the role of young people in the Post-2015 Development Framework concerning what should follow the Millennium Development Goals when they expire in 2015. The UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on Youth, Mr Ahmad Alhendawi, has also provided his inputs to the discussions to put youth at the centre of development.

The European Youth Forum’s UN Advocacy Meeting and the Policy Debate entitled ‘The MDGs after the MDGs: will young people be involved after 2015?´ organised jointly by the European Parliament’s intergroup on youth and the European Youth Forum on 27-28 June included the attendance of Mr Ahmad Alhendawi, UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on Youth, who expressed his views on why the voice of the youth should be heard in the UN post-2015 Development Framework.

Mr Ahmad Alhendawi: “The ‘Post-2015 ‘is an inclusive process reinforcing global citizenship. As young people have been part of the input process they should also be part of the output of the final product. I am working to encourage member states to keep the momentum for having youth in the post-2015 agenda, therefore we proposed specific targets and indicators for youth especially in the areas of education, governance, health and economic empowerment.”

The Policy Debate focused on the theme of Youth and the Post-2015 Development Agenda and drew together Members of the European Parliament and representatives from different EU institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations. This debate offered a platform for discussion on what should follow the Millennium Development Goals and how youth from Europe and beyond can effectively be involved in the new development framework.

Peter Matjašič, President of the European Youth Forum stated that “We are demanding that no young person is left behind in the fulfilment of the post-2015 framework. This approach will ensure the UN remains relevant to young people for the next period 2015-2030. These goals shouldn’t just be about reducing poverty but aim to eliminate it by 2030. This must include a focus on youth unemployment, ensuring no young person is out of a job, training or education for more than 4 months”.

On 28 June, the United Nations Advocacy Meeting will gather around forty government youth delegates and representatives of the European Youth Forum Members Organisations who will be attending the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly and other United Nations (UN) meetings. The meeting will conclude that youth organisations must be part of the process of defining the post-2015 framework and to show a clear priority on youth development in the new frame.

The debate will focus on how youth can be further engaged in the UN System and globally, in the view of the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth, preparing the action of UN Youth Delegates to give a strong youth voice in the UN.