WCY 2014 Colombo Declaration Delivers Strong Message on
Youth Inclusion
One of the most important global meetings of youth concluded
Saturday (May 10) adopting recommendations
in a document titled “The Colombo Declaration” with far-reaching implications
for policies affecting the world's youth population.
The Closing Plenary of the World Conference on
Youth (WCY) 2014 was held at the National Youth Services
Council (NYSC) auditorium in Maharagama, near Colombo. Long drawn out
negotiations, which finally ended around midnight Friday, culminated in a
declaration that
is a first for all such conferences held so far – the first
joint declaration by both the policymakers and the youth delegates, according
to one official.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi, the U.N.
Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, said that he was very glad and grateful to
be a part of WCY 2014 and extended his appreciation to the Government of Sri
Lanka.
Mr. Alhendawi said that this was not the beginning or the
end but an opportunity to cater to the issues brought forward for the benefit
of the youth of the world.
Mr. Ravi Karkara, Global Expert Advisor on Children and
Youth at the United Nations, said that it was the first time ever that a
President of the U.N. General Assembly attended the WCY. It was particularly significant
since it occurred at a very important moment when the world is deciding the
post-2015 development agenda. About the International Task Force,he said, “This
is the group which has led us to a point where we are right now, celebrating
the World Conference on Youth for the first time led by young
people.” Continuing, Mr. Karkara said, “This is the moment
where we look at the future today. We’ve said it so many times that the youth
are the future. We contradict ourselves. We pretend we are talking about the future;
we become hypocrites. We need to invest in young people today, and that’s what
Sri Lanka has shown to the whole world.”
Dr. Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to
the United Nations in New York, addressing the gathering said that much
deliberation and hard work had gone into the production of the document with contributions
by member states, NGOs, youth organizations and many others.
"What we have now is a platform on which
the interests of youth can be mainstreamed in the years to come," Dr.
Kohona said. "We have even called for the establishment of a permanent
office at the United Nations to deal with youth affairs." Dr. Kohona
presented the “Colombo Decla
Nations to deal with youth affair
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