The Youth Should Be Involved In Decision Making - UN Boss

Mr Ban Ki-moon, U N Secretary General, has called on people around the world to strengthen partnership with youth-led organisations, and involve young people in decisions that affect them. He said this would lay the groundwork for a more sustainable future for generations to come. In a statement copied to Ghana News Agency on Friday, the UN Secretary General said there are 1.8 million young people in the world with enormous potential to help tackle the major challenges facing humanity. He said too many of them, however, are denied their rightful opportunities to get quality education, find decent work, and participate in the political life of their societies. The Secretary General said many young people lack resources they need to lift themselves out of poverty. �I am particularly concerned about adolescent girls who may face discrimination, sexual violence, early marriage and unwanted pregnancies,� he said. He stated that young people �fortunate enough to receive university degrees, often find themselves without employment or stuck in low-wage, dead-end jobs�. �Action is urgently needed, and the World Population Day is an opportunity to renew our commitment to help young people unleash progress across society. The solution lies in investments in health, education, training and employment for young people as they undergo the critical transition to adulthood. This will improve prospects for their lives and our common future," he added The Secretary General said young people have, therefore, taken it upon themselves to speak out. He said more than 1,000 youth organisations, earlier this year, endorsed a Global Youth Call, welcomed by 40 countries, which recommends youth-focused goals and targets in the post-2015 development vision. The Secretary General said 2015 marks the deadline for reaching the Millennium Development Goals, shaping the successor agenda, and adopting a meaningful legal agreement on climate change. �The Youth have a major role in all these processes,� he added He said 2015 also marks the 20th anniversary of the World Programme of Action on Youth. �Its practical guidelines for national action and international support remain relevant today. "To fully carry out this Programme of Action, governments must respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all youth and respond effectively to any violations," he added.