Draft resolution submitted by the President of the General Assembly

Organization of the High-level Meeting on Youth


The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 64/134 of 18 December 2009, by which it proclaimed the year commencing on 12 August 2010 the International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding and decided to organize, under the auspices of the United Nations, a world youth conference as the highlight of the Year,

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, as contained in the annexes thereto, and acknowledging that it provides Member States with a useful policy framework and practical guidelines for improving the situation of youth,

Bearing in mind that youth represent a significant proportion of the world’s population and that the way in which the challenges and potential of young people  re addressed will influence social and economic conditions and the well-being and livelihood of future generations,

Recognizing that the International Year of Youth provides an important opportunity to enhance dialogue and mutual understanding among youth worldwide, to promote youth participation at all levels, and to increase the commitment and investment from Governments and the international community in addressing the challenges that hinder youth,

1. Decides that the world youth conference shall take the form of a Highlevel Meeting of the General Assembly, to be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 25 and 26 July 2011, and shall be funded within existing resources and voluntary contributions;

2. Also decides that the High-level Meeting will have as its overarching theme “Youth: dialogue and mutual understanding”;

3. Calls upon Member States to pay due attention to relevant internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and relevant outcomes and programmes of action including the World Programme of Action for Youth and General Assembly resolution 62/126;

4. Decides that the organizational arrangements for the High-level Meeting should be as follows:

(a) The High-level Meeting will comprise plenary meetings and two consecutive informal interactive round tables, with the round tables to be chaired by Member States at the invitation of the President of the General Assembly and to address the following themes:

(i) Round table 1: Strengthening international cooperation regarding youth and enhancing dialogue, mutual understanding and active youth participation as indispensable elements of efforts towards achieving social integration, full employment and the eradication of poverty;

(ii) Round table 2: Challenges to youth development and opportunities for poverty eradication, employment and sustainable development;

(b) The opening plenary meeting will feature statements by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and an eminent person actively engaged in youth issues, and a youth representative of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, both of whom will be chosen by the President of the Assembly;

(c) The Chairs of the round tables will present summaries of the discussions at the closing plenary meeting;

(d) In order to promote interactive and substantive discussions, participation in each round table will include Member States, observers and representatives of entities of the United Nations system, civil society, youth organizations and the private sector, without a list of speakers being maintained in this regard;

5. Also decides that the High-level Meeting will result in a concise actionoriented outcome document and requests the President of the General Assembly to produce a draft text, in consultation with Member States, taking into account input from youth-led organizations, and to convene informal consultations at an appropriate date in order to enable sufficient consideration and agreement by Member States prior to the Meeting;

6. Invites Member States and observers to be represented at a high level at the High-level Meeting;

7. Invites the Holy See, in its capacity as observer State, and Palestine, in its capacity as observer, to participate in the preparatory activities and in the Highlevel Meeting;

8. Calls upon Member States to consider including in their delegation to the High-level Meeting young people who suitably and broadly represent youth in their countries, bearing in mind the principles of gender balance and non-discrimination;

9. Invites the President of the General Assembly to draw up a list of representatives of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council who will participate in the High-level Meeting;

10. Also invites the President of the General Assembly to draw up a list of representatives of other non-governmental organizations, relevant civil society organizations and the private sector who might participate in the High-level Meeting, taking into account the principle of equitable geographical representation, and to submit the list to Member States for consideration on a no-objection basis;

11. Encourages all Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, private sector entities, and other relevant stakeholders to consider supporting the participation of representatives from developing countries, in particular youth delegates and representatives of non-governmental organizations and civil society organizations from those countries, including by making voluntary contributions to the United Nations Youth Fund, in order to ensure the broadest possible participation, and requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary measures in this regard;

12. Requests the President of the General Assembly, in consultation with Member States, to finalize the organizational arrangements of the meetings, taking into account the length of the meetings, the identification of the eminent person and the youth representative to speak at the opening plenary meeting and the identification of Chairs for the round tables, bearing in mind the level of representation as well as equitable geographical representation.