The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a CoP Chat on Youth Standing Up for Human Rights, 6 February 2020 and was joined by young human rights defenders and peacebuilders. The CoP Chat focused on youth agency for human rights and offered a platform to discuss programmes and partnerships to promote human rights.
You can listen to the recording of the CoP Chat here.
Speakers included Neville Charlton, Youth Inspiring Positive Change (Jamaica), Daniel Calarco, International Youth Watch (Brazil), Olena Ursu (UNDP Ukraine) and Wevyn Muganda, Beyond the Lines (Kenya). Moderated jointly by UNDP’s Sarah Rattray, Policy Specialist for Human Rights and Noella Richard, Policy Specialist and Global Lead on Youth and with intro remarks by Asako Okai, UNDP Assistant Secretary General and Director of Crisis Bureau, the Chat also illustrated how UNDP takes a human rights-based approach to development and supports youth as agents of change for sustainable development and peace.
The Chat highlighted inspiring stories of youth mobilizing for social change and promoting accountability, access to justice and prevention of gender-based violence as well as support to young people through programmes on human rights education and social cohesion with human rights-based approaches. The presentations included examples of working with human rights mechanisms and institutions, creative arts, social media, research and data collection with youth on human rights violations, youth exchange programmes, and informal and formal education.
The CoP Chat was organized by UNDP’s Governance CoP, Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights for Sustaining Peace Team and Youth Team. It continued the conversation from Human Rights Day 2019 with a focus on how to support the critical role of youth in the promotion of human rights and partnerships for peaceful, just and inclusive societies. Speeches at the occasion of Human Rights Day included the UN Secretary-General, UNDP Administrator, the SG’s Envoy on Youth, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Relevant resources mentioned during the webinar:
- UNDP’s work on human rights here
- UNDP’s 16 x 16 Initiative
- UN Youth Strategy
- The Independent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security: the missing peace
- UNDP Frontlines report on the positive role of young people in PVE.
- This UNDP photo story “meet the 16 x 16 young people defending human rights and advancing SDG 16”
- Security Council Resolution 2250 and 2419 on youth, peace and security, more information here.