Youth Portal for the Latin America and the Caribbean - International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding

The Year will aim at encouraging dialogue and understanding across generations. It will promote the ideals of peace, respect for human rights and freedoms, as well as solidarity. It will also aim to encourage young people to dedicate themselves to achieving the objectives of progress and development, including the Millennium Development Goals.

In its resolution proclaiming the Year, the United Nations General Assembly called on Governments, civil society, individuals and communities worldwide to support activities at local and international levels to mark the Year.

While we would have wished for more time to prepare for the Year, we are excited about the opportunities that it presents. The International Year can generate much needed attention for youth participation and youth development and can provide an impetus to partnerships among youth organizations around the world.

We hope that you will join us in celebrating the Year. In the limited time that we have before the year commences, we encourage you to organize activities that promote youth participation in all aspects of society, as well as those that support youth to devote their energy, enthusiasm and creativity to development and the promotion of mutual understanding. Please send your initiatives and activities for the International Year to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it so that we can include them in our calendar of events. Let’s also try to be creative and see how we can incorporate already planned activities into the theme of the Year.

For your information, I am attaching the draft resolution that was adopted. Please note that the final version of the resolution will only be available in early spring. Please also see the press release at http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/ga10906.doc.htm. More information on the Year will be available shortly on our website (www.un.org/youth).

Please circulate information on the Year among your networks.

Best regards and happy new year,

Anke

United Nations General Assembly

18 November 2009

Sixty-fourth session

Third Committee

Agenda item 61 (b)

Social development: social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family Sudan:* revised draft resolution Proclamation of 2010 as International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding

The General Assembly,

Bearing in mind the Charter of the United Nations and the principles contained therein,

Considering that it is necessary to disseminate among youth the ideals of peace, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, solidarity and dedication to the objectives of progress and development,

Recalling the provisions of the Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples, proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 2037 (XX) of 7 December 1965,

Recalling also its resolutions 50/81 of 14 December 1995 and 62/126 of 18 December 2007, by which it adopted the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond and the Supplement thereto,

Bearing in mind that the ways in which the challenges and potential of young people are addressed will influence current social and economic conditions and the well-being and livelihood of future generations,

Bearing in mind also that 2010 will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1985 International Youth Year: Participation, Development and Peace, and stressing the importance of commemorating this anniversary,

* On behalf of the States Members of the United Nations that are members of the Group of 77 and China.

Convinced that young people should be encouraged to devote their energy,enthusiasm and creativity to economic, social and cultural development and the promotion of mutual understanding,

Welcoming the fifth World Youth Congress, to be held from 31 July to 13 August 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey, European Capital of Culture 2010, and the initiative of the Government of Mexico to host a World Conference for Youth in Mexico City from 24 to 27 August 2010, both of which will focus on the issue of youth and sustainable development in the context of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, to be held in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010, the aim of which is to inspire youth around the world to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect,

1. Decides to proclaim the year commencing on 12 August 2010 the International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding;

2. Invites all Member States, the specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system and youth organizations to take advantage of the International Year to build on the synergies among the activities to be carried out at the national, regional and international levels during the Year and to promote actions at all levels aimed at disseminating among youth the ideals of peace, freedom, progress, solidarity and dedication to the objectives and goals of progress and development, including the Millennium Development Goals;

3. Decides to organize under the auspices of the United Nations a World Youth Conference as the highlight of the Year, and invites the President of the General Assembly to conduct open-ended informal consultations with Member States with a view to determining the modalities of the Conference, which is to be funded by voluntary contributions;

4. Requests Member States, international and, where appropriate, regional organizations, and all relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society, to support all activities related to the Year, including by means of voluntary contributions;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution.