Delegate: Mr. Kutlualp
Mr. Kutlualp (Turkey): It is indeed an honour and a privilege for me to address the General Assembly in my capacity as youth delegate from Turkey at this meeting on the evaluation of the progress made in the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.
This special occasion not only enables young people from numerous Member States to make their voices heard but also creates an opportunity for Governments to recognize and fully realize the potential of youth, especially in matters of direct concern to young people.
Beyond doubt, the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond has served as a key document in the formulation of policy on issues regarding youth. Certain progress has been achieved in priority areas defined by the World Programme of Action. However, serious challenges remain.
We believe that the key to success in achieving the goals defined by the Programme of Action is the involvement of youth, both in decision-making and implementation processes. Assigning certain responsibilities will help young people play a more significant role in society as active partners. Cooperation and collaboration between Governments and civil society organizations are also crucial for success.
Turkey has achieved important progress in areas of policy priority addressed in the World Programme of Action. Education, health, environment and, especially, girls and young women are some of the areas in which promising progress has been made. The success achieved in raising awareness of gender issues and the sustained efforts for increasing the schooling rate of girls deserve particular attention.
The activities of civil society on youth issues in Turkey are also commendable. Among those activities, the establishment in 2004 of the Local Agenda 21 Youth Parliament should be underlined. That event, which coincided with the official Youth Day of Turkey, 19 May, brought together 297 youth delegates from all over the country.
We see the World Programme of Action as a living document. Therefore, we welcome the inclusion of the five additional priority areas, namely, the mixed impact of globalization on young women and men; the use of and access to information and communication technologies; the dramatic increase of HIV infections among young people and the impact of the epidemic on their lives; the involvement of young people in armed conflict, both as victims and as perpetrators; and the increased importance of addressing intergenerational
issues in an ageing society. It is with this understanding that we have joined in sponsoring draft resolution A/60/L.2, on policies and programmes involving youth.
Before concluding my remarks, I would like to express my sincere hope that the number of occasions providing youth delegates with the opportunity to participate in the work of the United Nations will continuously increase. We believe that the participation of young delegates not only enriches the debate and the policy dialogue, but also strengthens existing channels of communication and cooperation among Governments and, most important, young people.
UN Doc.: A/60/PV.27
Cite as:
UN Doc.: A/60/PV.27, 6 October 2005, p. 24, Youth Delegate Search: https://youthdelegatesearch.org/turkey-2005/, doi: 10.17176/20221018-194807-0.