The Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, Livingstone Sewanyana, invites Member States, youth, national human rights institutions, United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations, civil society organisations, academia and other relevant stakeholders to provide written inputs for his thematic report on youth representation and participation in  global governance, which he will present to the Human Rights Council at its 54th session in September 2023.

Background

Meaningful youth engagement at the global level has the potential to empower 1.2 billion of youth who comprise 16 per cent of the world’s population.

The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 35/14 on Youth and Human Rights, calls upon States to promote and ensure the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for youth, bearing in mind that the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the youth empowers them to contribute as active members of society to the political, civil, economic, social and cultural development of their countries.

Youth participation has been recognized and encouraged at the international level in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

Objectives

The report intends to identify good practices of inclusive participation of youth in intergovernmental forums at the global level to advance the Sustainable Development Goals, with a view to:

• Further promoting meaningful participation of youth in intergovernmental forums.
• Identifying obstacles and challenges to meaningful youth participation and ways these can be overcome, including through diverse and innovative approaches.
• Improving the meaningful participation of youth from underrepresented countries.

Key questions and inputs sought

1. What are examples of good practices allowing for meaningful and effective engagement of youth in intergovernmental forums and policy making?
2. What are examples of efforts made by Member States to facilitate and support youth participation and engagement in intergovernmental forums?
3. How is gender diversity promoted in initiatives and programmes to promote youth participation in intergovernmental forums?
4. What are examples of youth participation having influenced policy making of intergovernmental forums?
5. What are challenges and barriers faced by youth in their participation in global forums, and what are the ways to overcome these challenges?

How inputs will be used

Submissions may be posted as received on the mandates’ webpage unless it is indicated that the submission and/or the supporting documentation should be kept confidential.