Delegate: Jonas Klang
64. Mr. Klang (Sweden), youth representative of his country, said that close to 40 percent of the world’s population were under 25. As receivers of the generational torch, youth could be responsible agents for substantial social change. Young people were an essential part of the solution – not the problem.
65. The major objectives of the United Nations could be realized only if the international community responded to the needs of young people and supported their actions and initiatives. Inclusion of young people and youth-led organizations was a fundamental question of strengthening democracy and making use of untapped resources in attaining the Millennium Development Goals. Sweden therefore strongly encouraged all nations to include youth delegates of both genders in future national delegations to the General Assembly and other essential formal arenas.
66. There were youth movements all over the world. Young people should be full-fledged partners, and the [*10*] States could involve them in a number of activities, such as combating HIV/AIDS, educational reform, attaining the Millennium Development Goals or empowering women. Society stood to gain by acknowledging the role that young people could play, supporting them and listening to them.
UN Doc.: A/C.3/58/SR.4
Cite as:
UN Doc.: A/C.3/58/SR.4, 7 October 2003, p. 9-10, Youth Delegate Search: https://youthdelegatesearch.org/sweden-2003/, doi: 10.17176/20221018-195013-0.