Delegate: Ms. Matabadal
43. Ms. Matabadal (Netherlands), speaking as a youth delegate, said that the United Nations was unique but urgently needed to demonstrate its relevance in a changing world. The perception of young people was that it was failing to meet the commitments it had made to improve their everyday lives. Unemployment, hunger, lack of access to education and clean drinking water, conflict, forced marriages and unwanted pregnancies still affected 1.8 billion young people.
44. At the national and community level, funds should be raised in support of Education First, the Secretary-General’s Global Initiative on Education, to send 61 million children to school. Universities, the private sector and Governments should be brought together to provide the education young people needed for success on the job market. Programmes should be put in place to end child marriage and allow girls to realize their potential. Young people should be enabled to participate in governance and hold their Governments accountable.
45. Those activities should be done in partnership with young people, through independent, transparent and democratically elected national youth councils, with young people involved on an equal footing as decision makers. Time was running out for the United Nations to meet its commitments to young people, inparticular young women.
UN Doc.: A/C.3/67/SR.2
Cite as:
UN Doc.: A/C.3/67/SR.2, 24 December 2012, p. 7, Youth Delegate Search: https://youthdelegatesearch.org/netherlands-2012/, doi: 10.17176/20221018-193754-0.