The objectives set forth in Chapter 25 include the following:

• Promoting dialogue between the youth community and government at all levels;

• Ensuring access to secondary education;

• Reducing current levels of youth unemployment;

• Promoting the involvement of youth representation in United Nations processes; and

• Combating human rights abuses against young people.

To reach these objectives, governments are urged to take appropriate measures so that youth from "all parts of the world [can] participate actively in...decision-making... In addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize support, they bring unique perspectives that need to be taken into account."

The children and youth of today are tomorrow’s parents. A population policy that does not seek to prepare children and especially youth for the responsibilities and implications of adulthood and parenthood is unlikely to be successful. UNFPA has, therefore, sought to increase awareness among government officials of the importance of formulating national policies concerning the reproductive health of youth and of allocating resources accordingly. To this end, UNFPA distributed a Programme Advisory Note on Youth to UNFPA staff, government officials and national and international NGOs active in the area of youth recommending greater attention to meeting young people’s reproductive health needs and services and to facilitate their participation in population and development programmes. It further stressed the importance of developing comprehensive national strategies on youth, population and development. The Fund has supported a variety of youth-related activities at the country level, for example, studies of attitudes and practices regarding adolescent sexuality. Peer education and youth-to-youth counselling on adolescent reproductive health has met with considerable success in several countries. For example, a youth-to-youth reproductive health and family planning information, education and counselling pilot project in South Africa was replicated throughout the country. UNFPA also supported several interregional youth activities. UNFPA sponsored an African Forum on Adolescent Health which made recommendations for national programmes. UNFPA also sponsored an international youth essay contest. The essays demonstrated youth understanding of population and reproductive health. Environmental preservation and sustainable development are closely linked to the security and health of youth.

Chapter 25 of Agenda 21 focuses precisely on these questions. The point is made that, today, youth, i.e., those between the ages of 10 and 24, constitute about 28 per cent of the world’s population and an even higher percentage of the developing world’s population. It is easy to see from these numbers how important the involvement of youth in environmental and developmental decision making is to the long-term success of Agenda 21.

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