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Distr.
GENERAL
A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. III)
14 August 1992
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
(Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992)
Chapter 25
CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION
25.1. Youth comprise nearly 30 per cent of the world's population.
The involvement of today's youth in environment and development
decision-making and in the implementation of programmes is critical to
the long-term success of Agenda 21.
PROGRAMME AREAS
A. Advancing the role of youth and actively involving
them in the protection of the environment and the
promotion of economic and social development
Basis for action
25.2. It is imperative that youth from all parts of the world
participate actively in all relevant levels of decision-making
processes because it affects their lives today and has implications for
their futures. In addition to their intellectual contribution and
their ability to mobilize support, they bring unique perspectives that
need to be taken into account.
25.3. Numerous actions and recommendations within the international
community have been proposed to ensure that youth are provided a secure
and healthy future, including an environment of quality, improved
standards of living and access to education and employment. These
issues need to be addressed in development planning.
Objectives
25.4. Each country should, in consultation with its youth communities,
establish a process to promote dialogue between the youth community and
Government at all levels and to establish mechanisms that permit youth
access to information and provide them with the opportunity to present
their perspectives on government decisions, including the
implementation of Agenda 21.
25.5. Each country, by the year 2000, should ensure that more than
50 per cent of its youth, gender balanced, are enrolled in or have
access to appropriate secondary education or equivalent educational or
vocational training programmes by increasing participation and access
rates on an annual basis.
25.6. Each country should undertake initiatives aimed at reducing
current levels of youth unemployment, particularly where they are
disproportionately high in comparison to the overall unemployment rate.
25.7. Each country and the United Nations should support the promotion
and creation of mechanisms to involve youth representation in all
United Nations processes in order to influence those processes.
25.8. Each country should combat human rights abuses against young
people, particularly young women and girls, and should consider
providing all youth with legal protection, skills, opportunities and
the support necessary for them to fulfil their personal, economic and
social aspirations and potentials.
Activities
25.9. Governments, according to their strategies, should take measures
to:
(a) Establish procedures allowing for consultation and possible
participation of youth of both genders, by 1993, in decision-making
processes with regard to the environment, involving youth at the local,
national and regional levels;
(b) Promote dialogue with youth organizations regarding the
drafting and evaluation of environment plans and programmes or
questions on development;
(c) Consider for incorporation into relevant policies the
recommendations of international, regional and local youth conferences
and other forums that offer youth perspectives on social and economic
development and resource management;
(d) Ensure access for all youth to all types of education,
wherever appropriate, providing alternative learning structures, ensure
that education reflects the economic and social needs of youth and
incorporates the concepts of environmental awareness and sustainable
development throughout the curricula; and expand vocational training,
implementing innovative methods aimed at increasing practical skills,
such as environmental scouting;
(e) In cooperation with relevant ministries and organizations,
including representatives of youth, develop and implement strategies
for creating alternative employment opportunities and provide required
training to young men and women;
(f) Establish task forces that include youth and youth
non-governmental organizations to develop educational and awareness
programmes specifically targeted to the youth population on critical
issues pertaining to youth. These task forces should use formal and
non-formal educational methods to reach a maximum audience. National
and local media, non-governmental organizations, businesses and other
organizations should assist in these task forces;
(g) Give support to programmes, projects, networks, national
organizations and youth non-governmental organizations to examine the
integration of programmes in relation to their project requirements,
encouraging the involvement of youth in project identification, design,
implementation and follow-up;
(h) Include youth representatives in their delegations to
international meetings, in accordance with the relevant General
Assembly resolutions adopted in 1968, 1977, 1985 and 1989.
25.10. The United Nations and international organizations with youth
programmes should take measures to:
(a) Review their youth programmes and consider how coordination
between them can be enhanced;
(b) Improve the dissemination of relevant information to
governments, youth organizations and other non-governmental
organizations on current youth positions and activities, and monitor
and evaluate the application of Agenda 21;
(c) Promote the United Nations Trust Fund for the International
Youth Year and collaborate with youth representatives in the
administration of it, focusing particularly on the needs of youth from
developing countries.
Means of implementation
Financing and cost evaluation
25.11. The Conference secretariat has estimated the average total
annual cost (1993-2000) of implementing the activities of this
programme to be about $1.5 million on grant or concessional terms.
These are indicative and order-of-magnitude estimates only and have not
been reviewed by Governments. Actual costs and financial terms,
including any that are non-concessional, will depend upon, inter alia,
the specific strategies and programmes Governments decide upon for
implementation.
B. Children in sustainable development
Basis for action
25.12. Children not only will inherit the responsibility of looking
after the Earth, but in many developing countries they comprise nearly
half the population. Furthermore, children in both developing and
industrialized countries are highly vulnerable to the effects of
environmental degradation. They are also highly aware supporters of
environmental thinking. The specific interests of children need to be
taken fully into account in the participatory process on environment
and development in order to safeguard the future sustainability of any
actions taken to improve the environment.
Objectives
25.13. National governments, according to their policies, should take
measures to:
(a) Ensure the survival, protection and development of
children, in accordance with the goals endorsed by the 1990 World
Summit for Children (A/45/625, annex);
(b) Ensure that the interests of children are taken fully into
account in the participatory process for sustainable development and
environmental improvement.
Activities
25.14. Governments should take active steps to:
(a) Implement programmes for children designed to reach the
child-related goals of the 1990s in the areas of environment and
development, especially health, nutrition, education, literacy and
poverty alleviation;
(b) Ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (General
Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989, annex), at the earliest
moment and implement it by addressing the basic needs of youth and
children;
(c) Promote primary environmental care activities that address
the basic needs of communities, improve the environment for children at
the household and community level and encourage the participation and
empowerment of local populations, including women, youth, children and
indigenous people, towards the objective of integrated community
management of resources, especially in developing countries;
(d) Expand educational opportunities for children and youth,
including education for environmental and developmental responsibility,
with overriding attention to the education of the girl child;
(e) Mobilize communities through schools and local health
centres so that children and their parents become effective focal
points for sensitization of communities to environmental issues;
(f) Establish procedures to incorporate children's concerns
into all relevant policies and strategies for environment and
development at the local, regional and national levels, including those
concerning allocation of and entitlement to natural resources, housing
and recreation needs, and control of pollution and toxicity in both
rural and urban areas.
25.15. International and regional organizations should cooperate and
coordinate in the proposed areas. UNICEF should maintain cooperation
and collaboration with other organizations of the United Nations,
Governments and non-governmental organizations to develop programmes
for children and programmes to mobilize children in the activities
outlined above.
Means of implementation
(a) Financing and cost evaluation
25.16. Financing requirements for most of the activities are included
in estimates for other programmes.
(b) Human resource development and capacity-building
25.17. The activities should facilitate capacity-building and training
activities already contained in other chapters of Agenda 21.
END OF CHAPTER 25