Delegates: Ms. Büning, Mr. Mohrs
3. Mrs. Büning (Germany), speaking on behalf of German youth, said the four subjects of greatest concern to them were climate change, education, effective participation, and the rights of youth around the world. Young people were acutely aware of the fallout from climate change, which in the end was man-made, and they were standing shoulder to shoulder with young people around the world in the campaign to combat climate change. However, their commitment would be meaningless unless Governments assumed their responsibilities by reaching a climate agreement at the Copenhagen Summit, one that would involve young people in combating climate change and would require ecological education in school and extracurricular activities.
4. Young Germans recognized that, like the learning imparted in school, extracurricular education (which was generally provided by independent or charitable associations) helped young people to forge an identity and to become responsible members of society. They were therefore calling on Governments and other stakeholders to support volunteer associations and in this way revive young people’s commitment to volunteer work.
5. Mr. Mohrs (Germany), also speaking on behalf of German youth, said that young people were in the best position to know what was needed to improve their situation, and that they should be given a greater role in decision-making at the local, national and international levels and should be included in delegations representing their countries to international bodies. Considering the prime importance of participating in elections, the principal tool of democracy, German youth were demanding that the voting age be reduced to 15 years, that the right to vote and the right to stand for election be tied to residency and not to nationality, and that all young people be duly informed on this point by the independent media.
6. Fully aware of the problems involved in the transition from childhood to adulthood, German youth were calling for adoption of a worldwide convention on the rights of youth that would give them the chance to achieve their full potential, protect their rights and guarantee their autonomy, their health, their rights to decent employment and education, and their right to housing. They were demanding an ambitious programme to achieve all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and insisting that all stakeholders [*3*] assume their responsibilities in accordance with the principles of good governance and viability.
UN Doc.: A/C.3/64/SR.3
Cite as:
UN Doc.: A/C.3/64/SR.3, 17 November 2009, p. 2-3, Youth Delegate Search: https://youthdelegatesearch.org/germany-2009/, doi: 10.17176/20221018-194257-0.