CONCERN OVER ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES EXPRESSED AT LISBON MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Press Release
SOC/4467
CONCERN OVER ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES EXPRESSED AT LISBON MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
19980810 (Received from a United Nations Information Officer.)LISBON, 9 August -- While adolescent reproductive health, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among young people, and sexual violence had been largely neglected by the international community, the framework for action was already in place, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Nafis Sadik, told the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth this afternoon.
As the Lisbon Conference continued its exchange of views on the situation of youth, Dr. Sadik said the Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994) had clearly stressed the importance of providing youth access to information and services on reproductive and sexual health, such as the prevention of early pregnancies and HIV/AIDS. The draft Lisbon declaration being considered for adoption at the current Conference reinforced that consensus. Reproductive health was universally accepted as a human right. The Lisbon Conference was making excellent progress in extending that right to adolescents.
The Director for External Relations of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Sally Cowal, said young people were bombarded with contradictory information. They were told to be abstinent while, at the same time, targeted by advertisements using sex to sell goods.
Youth-friendly information on healthy sexual behaviour was lacking, and, in some cases, young people were denied services and information altogether, she said. Yet, sexual education programmes had been found to delay the age of first sexual encounter. Approximately 100 million people became sexually active each year, and one third of the world's 30 million persons infected with HIV were youth.
Some speakers this afternoon drew attention to the situation of young people in armed conflict and living under foreign occupation. Guinea's Minister for Youth, Sports and Civic Education, Sylla Koumba Diakite, said the impact of armed conflict on young people should be highlighted in the Lisbon
declaration. Guinea was hosting more than 700,000 refugees from neighbouring African nations, and found the cost of caring for them a serious obstacle to national development. Egypt's Minister for Higher Education, Mofeed Shehab, said Palestinian and Arab youth had suffered under Israeli occupation since 1967. The situation must be resolved to spare future generations the bitter legacy of strife.
Wars began in the minds of men, and it was in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed, said the United Nations Educational, the Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director of Secondary Education and Vocational Training, A. Parsuramen. The UNESCO, therefore, focused on creating a culture of peace in the minds of young people, through education, science and culture.
Every child on the planet could be fed and educated for a fraction of the amount spent on arms, he continued. For an annual investment of about $4 billion for the next 10 years, primary education could be universal. That amount represented only a two-day expenditure on arms by the industrialized nations, and only one week of military spending in developing countries.
Before the opening of this afternoon's meeting, the President of the Independent Commission on the Oceans and former President of Portugal, Mario Soares, called on the Conference to adopt a resolution on the importance of the oceans, in recognition of 1998 as the Year of the Ocean.
Also today, ministers from Algeria, Sri Lanka, Chad, Liechtenstein, Viet Nam, Trinidad and Tobago, Burkina Faso and Samoa addressed the Conference.
In addition, representatives of Saudi Arabia and Cuba made statements, as did the Deputy Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and the Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Representatives of the Latin American Youth Forum, Pan African Youth Movement and European Youth Forum also spoke.
Conference Work Programme
The first World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth met this afternoon to continue its general exchange of views on the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1995 on the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year. The Conference, which began yesterday, 8 August, in Lisbon, brings together representatives of some 160 nations -- more than 100 at the ministerial level -- to find ways of responding more effectively to the needs of young people.
Participants at the five-day Conference will review the efficacy of efforts to fulfil the World Programme of Action and consider what additional
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actions are required on the national level. They will also appraise progress since the 1985 International Youth Year, as well as the relevance of its themes -- participation, development and peace. In another area for discussion, social development, the focus will be on certain priority issues: education, health, employment, and the increasing problems of drug abuse and risk of communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The Conference is expected to adopt a declaration by which governments will commit to strengthening national policies to benefit youth.
Statements
MOHAMED AZIZ DEROUAZ, Minister for Youth and Sports, Algeria, said youth had been at the forefront of the fight for freedom from colonialism. Old policies in his country had not enabled young people to assert themselves as social actors. The 1996 Constitution adopted by Algeria lay down a charter of human rights and fundamental freedoms, which committed the Government to the creation of democratic institutions.
The nature of the impact of this change on youth would allow them to have a place at the heart of society, he said. The goals of the Government would be achieved as soon as young people became directly involved in a process of change and when they became the major beneficiaries of social changes. The Algerian action programme for youth aimed at mobilizing both the public and private sectors in support of youth programmes in such areas as health, education, information, culture, science and sports.
Algeria was open to modernization and was committed to the current global changes, he said. However, there were several global gaps which must be closed, including the fact that problems such as drug addiction, terrorism and HIV/AIDS continued to target young people. He called on all nations to fight terrorism in support of Algeria`s efforts to create a future of peace and stability.
OTHMAN AL-SA'AD, Secretary of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare, Saudi Arabia, said it was important to concentrate on social, moral, health and economic aspects of young lives as they were the major ingredients of a successful programmes. Ultimately, young people must feel that youth programmes had daily application.
Youth today needed a common view that included international goals and domestic aspirations, he continued. Such a view must take into account contemporary requirements of life, while honestly considering the hardships that youth commonly encountered. Such a vision must show the way to a dignified life with a hopeful future.
MANSOUNGARAL NASSINGAR, Minister for Culture, Youth and the Promotion of Sports, Chad, said young people made up over 50 per cent of Chad's population,
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as was the case in many developing countries. Supporting youth was a national priority, but efforts were severely hampered by a lack of financial resources. The economic crisis had created severe problems for young people in his country, while the educational system was not in line with present standards. In addition, structural adjustment programmes had created further stresses. Chad was striving to develop a more creative and enterprising youth that would contribute to development.
The Government had formulated strategies to combat poverty, substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases, he continued. Inter-sectoral cooperation was fostered, and income-generating activities were a priority. Young people who were unable to attend school comprised a risk group that must be protected from the severe poverty that often led to crime. In rural areas, lack of infrastructure affected young children and women in particular.
Chad had been working for its young people in cooperation with other bodies, including the World Bank and the French Government, he said. Youth associations were increasingly active on the ground, which was a cause for optimism. The third millennium would be the millennium of young people. Worldwide, governments must create conditions to enable the world's youth to get to know each other better. He called for the creation of a world youth league to implement the United Nations programmes for young people, and to foster communication and the dissemination of information.
ANDREA WILLI, Minister for Family Affairs and Equality between Men and Women, Liechtenstein, said the foundations laid in the present millennium would become evident in the next. In 1996, Liechtenstein had commissioned a comprehensive report on the legal and social situation of its youth, to contribute to discussions on national youth policy. The initial report under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child would also serve as reference for future measures.
Liechtenstein's youth programmes were divided into three areas: care, assistance and protection, she said. Care was provided outside the school and workplace, and was supported financially and technically by the State. A wide array of youth associations fell under that category, with over 50 per cent of youth nationwide participating. Regarding assistance, she said that counselling and intervention services were offered by the State and by private institutions. Protection efforts took society as a whole into account, particularly when it came to the problem of drug and substance abuse, which was addressed through education rather than punishment.
The fight against sexual abuse was another national priority, she said. The Government was planning to amend national legislation on sexual abuse. The plight of young people in armed conflict also required priority attention, and her Government welcomed the appointment of Olara Otunnu as the Secretary-General's Special Representative on the issue. Liechtenstein would
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continue to provide financial support for juvenile victims of armed conflict. While the situation of young people was different in each country, all young people were the foundation and a major resource for the future, she stressed.
S.B. DISSANAIKE, Minister for Youth Affairs, Sports and Samurdhi, Sri Lanka, said his Government`s policy intended to create harmony between the various cultural groups in Sri Lanka. The economic policy, which was based on liberalization, focused on protecting the poor and the youth who could be marginalized by the process of globalization.
Before 1971, young people in his country were largely ignored, he said. However, the youth uprising in 1971 forced the Government to recognize the problems and aspirations of the youth and to take collective measures. The post-1977 period saw the emergence of an armed youth struggle. They emerged from the Tamil areas in the north and the Sinhalese areas in the south. However, those two uprisings were different and the aspirations of the youth involved were different. The Tamil youth held political aspirations. However, there was only one leader, who was today the President of Sri Lanka, who had openly spoken against "pseudo nationalism". The President believed there could only be a political solution to the Tamil problem and reiterated that the rights of the Tamil people had to be duly recognized.
It was the State's duty to prepare the young people for the responsibilities of the future, he said. Health services and education were provided free to all young people. Many people living in rural areas were trapped in poverty. To correct that situation, his Government made all efforts to move people out of rural areas and to support sustainable development. To help and guide the youth, the National Youth Services Council planned and coordinated youth activities at the national level, while working to foster goodwill between all young people in the country.
MOFEED SHEHAB, Minister for Higher Education, Egypt, said that in his country, the largest Arab nation, there were more than 1.5 million young people attending universities and institutions of higher learning. Youth training, education, employment, participation, social welfare and integration were high priorities of his Government. Egypt had successfully established a social fund to help young people in training and through job creation.
Egypt, as an integral part of the Arab-African region, was well aware of the difficulties in achieving peace and development in that area, he said. The long suffering of the Palestinian and Arab youth under Israeli occupation since 1967 underscored the need for a speedy resolution of the problem based on international agreements reached in Oslo and Madrid and on relevant United Nations General Assembly resolutions. Progress in that regard, together with the establishment of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, would spare future generations the bitter legacy of strife. He called upon Israel to honour its obligations, to desist from its repressive policies and practices,
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and to join hands with Egypt in an effort to build the edifice of a just peace for future generations.
He said that millions of young people were suffering due to the application of United Nations sanctions against Iraq, Libya and the Sudan. The sanctions regimes must be reviewed to find ways to spare innocent civilians unnecessary hardships. The plight of millions of young people in Africa and the Balkans due to civil strife, ethnic cleansing, natural and man-made disasters should not go unnoticed.
TRAN DAC LOI, Secretary for International Affairs of the National Committee on Youth, Viet Nam, spoke on behalf of Vu Trong Kim, Minister, Chairman of the National Committee on Youth. More than 60 per cent of Viet Nam's population was under age 35, he said. Young people had contributed greatly to the country's development, and the Government was currently formulating a national youth policy. As part of that process, it was studying the experiences of neighbouring countries. The national youth policy should address the diverse needs of young people, for which collaboration between all social sectors was needed. Youth policies should aim to support young people's development and enable them to participate in all spheres of society. The participation of youth could be increased through the establishment of coordinating mechanisms between youth groups and the government.
Viet Nam was paying special attention to exchanges among young people, he said. He thanked governments and United Nations agencies for their support for youth projects in his country. The Government looked forward to developing cooperation with all countries, as well as all international and intergovernmental organizations, in the interests of peace and development.
OTTO RIVERO TORRES, First Secretary of the Young Communist Union, Cuba, said that with only 16 months until the end of the millennium, it was clear that the door to the future would not be open to everyone. Those who lacked prospect and had no hope would be excluded. There was need to open the pathway to guarantee a bright future for all young people. They held the future of the planet in their hands, but they depended on current leaders for the kind of world they would inherit.
Young Cubans had benefited from the nation's revolution, he said. They had been given the freedom to choose their destiny, free from the scourges of unemployment, drug abuse and lack of participation. There were thousands of young professionals in Cuba, contributing to society in a variety of means, such as a ratio of one general physician to every 176 persons. Cuba had the lowest infant mortality rates in Latin America, and its teacher-student ratios were among the best in the world.
The right to life meant that all human beings should be given the freedom to have access to a life of dignity, including both material
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possessions and ethical values, he said. Today, young people were bombarded by the message that individualism was supreme, which distanced them from their fellow human beings. The next generation could not be trusted if the current one failed them. Today, the persistence of many problems was due to a lack of will rather than structural deficiencies. Economic exploitation and unequal trade created further obstacles for young people. International forums for dialogue, such as the current Conference, were of utmost importance. After years of difficulties resulting from an imposed economic embargo, the youth of Cuba had demonstrated the will to actualize their aspirations.
Dr. NAFIS SADIK, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said the international community had neglected several very important areas of concern, such as adolescent reproductive health, the spread of sexually transmitted disease among young people, and sexual violence. The major obstacles to progress in those areas lay in the minds of older people who had not adjusted to the practical needs of teenagers in a rapidly changing world.
The framework for action to overcome those obstacles was already in place, she said. In the Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994, countries had been quite explicit about adolescent reproductive health. The Programme of Action emphasized the importance for youth to be involved in and have access to "information, education and communication activities and services concerning reproductive and sexual health, including the prevention of early pregnancies, sex education and the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases". The draft Lisbon declaration reinforced that consensus.
Reviewing progress which had been made, she noted that the concept of sexual and reproductive health for girls had been accepted without debate or demur by the Commission on the Status of Women during a meeting early this year. At the national level, there was considerable evidence that governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were overcoming their reluctance to deal with adolescent reproductive health.
Young people wanted to take responsibility for their own lives, including their sexual and reproductive health, she said. The UNFPA was proud to have supported that initiative and had given high priority to its work on behalf of adolescents. The Fund had supported population education in schools and programmes to reach out-of-school youth in over 100 countries. Efforts had been undertaken to sensitize leaders and policy-makers and mobilize support for parents and communities.
The Braga World Youth Forum and the Lisbon Conference represented important steps towards meeting the reproductive health needs of young people, she said. Reproductive health was universally accepted as a human right. The Lisbon Conference was making excellent progress in extending that right to
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adolescents. Now, the international community must work to make reproductive health a reality for all of the world`s young people.
SYLLA KOUMBA DIAKITE, Minister for Youth, Sports and Civic Education, Guinea, said events at the Lisbon Conference could highlight the situation of young people to the world. The national youth policy of Guinea took into account the United Nations 1995 Action Programme. It was based on free enterprise and freedom of association. The goal was to arrive at the economic and social inclusion of young people. The Government was attempting to extend primary education to the entire population and make literacy universal. The education of young girls was a priority intended to support social balance and to reduce poverty among women. Civic and moral training was provided to fight such things as crime and drug abuse. Within the framework of sustainable development, population programmes for young people were being carried out.
The issue of the impact of armed conflict on young people should be highlighted in the Lisbon declaration, she said. Guinea was hosting more than 700,000 refugees from neighbouring African nations. The cost of caring for those refugees constituted a serious obstacle to national development. Thus, the Lisbon Conference must view the implications of armed conflict on youth as a priority.
PAMELA NICHOLSON, Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago, said young people aspired to participate fully in society. The current Conference played an important role in realizing that goal. Almost 85 per cent of the world's young people lived in developing countries, facing limited opportunities for education and training. High unemployment rates worldwide often created a sense of hopelessness and contributed to social stress. Structural adjustment mechanisms and globalization further marginalized young people. Health care, education, and social infrastructures eroded as resources diminished, affecting the poor and the young in particular. The situation of the world's young people demanded national action with international support.
Her Government was committed to addressing the challenges confronting its young people, she said. Expanding opportunities for education and skills development were government objectives. To that end, the education system was being reformed, with greater focus on training and skills. Also, the Government was increasing coordination of training programmes, and ensuring they were in line with the country's needs. A committee had recently been appointed to draft a national youth policy.
The growing numbers of marginalized young people was a cause for concern she said. The Ministry of Youth was determined that its projects would become collaborative, creative and focused on skill acquisition and employment. A "super 5" project promoted sports to encourage productive lifestyles, supported by classes in numeric and literacy. While the programme had been
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successful, there was need for collaborative and inter-sectoral efforts for meaningful and sustainable results.
DAW SWEDAN, Deputy Secretary-General, League of Arab States, said Arab countries had always taken special interest in the problems of youth. Issues such as young people's participation in public life, education and employment were given priority in the national plans of these countries. Since the endorsement of the World Programme of Action by the General Assembly, national youth programmes had been expanded, reflecting an expanded commitment to offer the best opportunities to a new generation.
Even as the Conference took place, many young people were suffering from unjust policies which limited their potential and deprived them from full participation in national life, he said. Young people in occupied Arab territories, including Palestine, were living under the scourges of ethnic conflict and economic embargoes. He hoped that in the coming millennium those young people would be able to live in conditions of peace and justice.
A. PARSURAMEN, Director of Secondary Education and Vocational Training, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said his organization had been founded on the premise that since wars began in the minds of men, it was in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed. Therefore, one of UNESCO's priorities had been to create a culture of peace in the minds of young people, through education, science and culture.
Young people around the world must be ambassadors of peace, he said. Worldwide, many people were speaking up against the vast sums spent on the arms, a fraction of which could feed the world. Every child on the planet could receive primary education if about $4 billion was invested every year for the next 10 years. That amount represented only two days expenditure on arms by the industrialized nations, and only one week of military spending in developing countries.
Education throughout life -- formal, informal and non-formal -- was the key to empowering people, he said. New information and communication technologies were overturning the monopoly on knowledge that had long been held by the formal education systems. These new technologies must be made accessible to young people everywhere. He then outlined three events that UNESCO would organize later this year and next year in Paris, Bangkok and Seoul. He pledged to involve young people in the construction of a culture of peace and a better world for humanity.
JOSEPH ANDRÉ TIENDREBEOGO, Minister for Youth and Sports, Burkina Faso, said societies must be based on solidarity and mutual need. Over 60 per cent of the population of Burkina Faso was between the age of 15 and 24, and faced the problems caused by inadequate education, crime, poverty, and serious
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health matters which were worsened by sexually transmitted diseases. Nonetheless, the youth of his nation had not lost hope. Despite economic difficulties, the Government had set up many programmes to address the problematic situations they encountered.
The Government had involved youth in the national debate, he said. They had participated in the elaboration of national laws and in the development of youth programmes. Youth were now being prepared for participation in democratic life. In the area of deforestation, efforts were under way to ensure that the resources of the future would be protected. All actions were financed by special funds established for those purposes.
RAFEEUDDIN AHMED, Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said it was absolutely crucial for today's youth to be part of today's development efforts. They must be involved in efforts to create the better world envisioned for the new millennium.
The essence of UNDP's approach to sustainable human development was to focus on people as actors, not merely outcomes of the development process, he said. There was no such thing as an undifferentiated category of youth. Each individual had different needs and different abilities. The UNDP had promoted development support events around the world, focusing not only on poverty reduction, but also on the health and special needs of persons with disabilities.
A major focus of UNDP programmes was to build capacity for institutions -- in government and civil society -- to enable countries and societies to help themselves in the effort towards sustainable human development, he said. The UNDP pledged to help youth as an integral part of sustainable development. The problems of child prostitution, of youth in armed conflict, of child-headed households and teenage pregnancies, and the growing inequity and inequality were not problems for tomorrow. They were issues which must be faced today.
LEOTA LU II, Minister for Youth and Sports, Samoa, said that among problems facing Samoa's youth was inadequate education. Communication breakdowns between generations, drug use, population pressure also presented challenges to young people. Traditional patterns of neutralizing young people had broken down. Now, youth must participate in making decisions that would influence their lives.
Samoa's youth policy had been developed for many years and had benefited from the participation of young people, he said. Areas of focus were education, training, employment, health and involvement in areas such as culture and art. Youth organizations had participated in efforts to implement programmes. The youth policy was again being reviewed by the Government, with
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the participation of youth, to determine its effectiveness and adjustments needed.
SALLY COWAL, Director for External Relations of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said young people made up one third of the 30 million persons currently infected with HIV. Over 85 per cent of the world's youth lived in developing countries, where 90 per cent of new cases were occurring. Young men and women were often confronted with double standards. For example, virginity was prized in girls, while early sexual activity was expected in boys. They were told to be abstinent while being bombarded by advertisements using sex to sell goods. Youth-friendly information was lacking, while, in some cases, young people were denied services and information altogether.
A recent survey conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that -- contrary to beliefs held by many -- sexual education programmes delayed the age of first sexual encounter, she said. With over 1 billion young people in the world, effective HIV prevention was crucial to prevent staggering human and economic costs of infection. Approximately 100 million people became sexually active each year. They must have appropriate information, through initiatives that combined the strength of young people and adults, from planning through implementation.
JULIO BANGO, of the Latin American Youth Forum, said that actions taken by both governments and youth groups must be examined if youth policies were to be accurately assessed. It was evident from discussions at the World Youth Forum in Braga and the current Conference that youth policies should be supported at the national, local and regional levels, while existing organizations should be strengthened. Many had expressed the need to coordinate all policies for youth, instead of dividing them by issue. Government representatives at the Conference -- from all regions -- had been insisting on the importance of involving youth in policy formulation and implementation. Appropriate mechanisms must be established for that involvement. In Latin America, youth organizations had acquired a certain degree of legitimacy, but there was still a long way to go. Social policy was not a service, but rather a right to which young people were entitled. The construction of such a policy must be based on dialogue and youth involvement.
ALI COURA DIOP, of the Pan African Youth Movement, said a preparatory meeting to the Lisbon Conference had been held in Africa in March. Participants at the meeting had agreed that priority areas included peace, democracy, economic integration of Africa and human rights. Proposals were made for ways the Organization of African Unity (OAU) could address such matters. The youth of Africa believed that their participation was necessary for social and economic development to be achieved and for democracy to be secured.
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Radical changes continue to spread across the African continent, he said. Along with those changes came difficulties which took a large toll on young people. African youth believed that a worsening in the situation can be avoided. But to achieve that, the voices of young people must be heard.
THOMAS TICHELMAN, of the European Youth Forum, said he represented more than 100 youth organizations. The European Youth Forum welcomed the plan to strengthen national youth policies. However, for such policies to be affective, they must reflect the interests of young people. The needs and concerns of youth were wide-ranging. Formation of national youth policies must take into account those diverse interests. The involvement of national youth councils in the planning and implementations of policies was also vital. Young people wanted to be active in society, now, he said.
Target dates must be set for the implementation of agreements taken in Lisbon, he said. In large part, the goals set at the end of this Conference had already been agreed to. So, now they must be implemented. The United Nations must play its part, including serving as a focal point for information exchange.
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