TEXT-ONLY VERSION
I. ORGANIZATION OF THE MEETING
A. Background
1. The Second Asia-Pacific Meeting on Human Resources
Development for Youth was held by the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(UNESCAP) in cooperation with the Department of Economic
and Social Affairs, United Nations, New York, in Bangkok
from 1 to 5 June 1998. The Meeting was convened as
a regional preparatory activity for the World Conference
of Ministers Responsible for Youth, to be held in
Lisbon, from 8 to 12 August 1998. It was co-sponsored
by the Swedish International Development Cooperation
Agency (Sida), the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
B. Objectives
2. The objectives of the Meeting were to:
(1) Assess national youth policies for further regional
implementation of the World Programme of Action for
Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond;
(2) Review the regional youth situation, focusing
on the priority areas of the World Programme of Action
for Youth and the Jakarta Plan of Action on Human
Resources Development in the UNESCAP Region, namely
education, employment and health ; and
(3) Formulate an Asia-Pacific input for the draft
Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes,
to be considered by the World Conference of Ministers
Responsible for Youth.
3. In addition, the Meeting devoted particular attention
to the theme "Elimination of sexual abuse and
sexual exploitation of youth", as called for
in Commission resolution 53/4 of 30 April 1997.
C. Attendance
4. The Meeting was attended by senior representatives
of the following UNESCAP members and associate members:
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, Fiji, Guam, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia,
Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macau, Maldives,
Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand,
Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Republic
of Korea, Russian Federation, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan,
Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America,
and Viet Nam.
5. Representatives of the following other states
were present: Kuwait, Portugal, and Sweden.
6. One intergovernmental organization, the Commonwealth
Secretariat, was represented.
7. Representatives of the following United Nations
bodies and specialized agencies were present: Department
of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), United Nations
Centre for Human Rights (UNCHR), United Nations Centre
for Human Settlements (UNCHS), United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Fund for
Women (UNIFEM), United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), United Nations International Drug Control
Programme (UNDCP), United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS), International Labour Organization (ILO),
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) and World Health Organization
(WHO).
8. Representatives of the following non-governmental
and other organizations were represented: All Pakistan
Youth Federation (APYF), Pakistan; Asian Youth Council
(AYC), Malaysia; Assumption University,
Thailand; Bahay Tuluyan, Philippines; Bangladesh;
Centre for the Protection of Children's Rights Foundation
(CPCRF), Thailand; Christian Conference of Asia (CCA),
Hong Kong, China; Chulalongkorn University, Thailand;
Delhi Public School, India; ECPAT International, New
Zealand; ECPAT Japan Kanzai, Japan; ECPAT, Thailand;
Federation of Family Planning Association of Malaysia
(FFPAM), Malaysia; Indian Assembly of Youth (IAY),
India; Indian Committee of Youth Organizations (ICYO),
India; International Initiatives for the Development
of Enterprising Action and Strategies (IDEAS), Australia;
Khmer Youth Association (KYA), Cambodia; Korea UNESCO
Youth Centre, Republic of Korea; Lawyers for Human
Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA), Pakistan; Maiti Nepal,
Nepal; Malaysian Youth Council (MYC), Malaysia; National
Council for Child and Youth Development (NCYD), Thailand;
National Federation of Youth Organizations in Bangladesh
(NFYOB), Bangladesh; National Youth Council of Pakistan
(NYCOP), Pakistan; National Youth Services Council
- Sri Lanka (NYSCSL), Sri Lanka; Queen's University,
Canada; Swedish International Development Cooperation
Agency (SIDA), Sweden; Sri Lanka Youth Council (SLYC),
Sri Lanka; Thammasat University, Thailand; Turismo
Thai, Thailand; Underprivileged Children's Educational
Programs (UCEP), Bangladesh; UNEP-Global Youth Forum'97,
Philippines; World Association of Girl Guides and
Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), Philippines; Women's Federation
for World Peace (WFWP), Thailand and the Philippines;
World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), Philippines;
World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), World
Youth Foundation (WYF), Malaysia; Young Men's Christian
Association (YMCA), Malaysia; and Young Women's Christian
Association of Thailand (YWCA of Thailand), Thailand.
9. Representatives of the following agencies and
organizations were represented in an observer capacity:
National Youth Bureau (Thailand); Department of Public
Welfare (Child Welfare Protection Division, Child
Adoption Center, Hilltribe Welfare Division, Social
Studies and Planning Division), Ministry of Labour
and Social Welfare (Thailand); Employment Promotion
Division, Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour
and Social Welfare (Thailand); Department of Skill
Development, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare
(Thailand); External Relations Division, Ministry
of Education (Thailand); Mental Health Technical Development
Bureau, Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public
Health (Thailand); Office of the Permanent Secretary,
The Prime Minister's Office (Thailand); Department
of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (Thailand); International University of Japan
(Japan) and Save the Children Fund (Thailand).
10. The list of participants is annexed to this report.
II. OPENING OF THE MEETING
A. Inaugural address
11. The Meeting was inaugurated by HE Mr Pancha Kesornthong,
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand.
B. Opening and keynote statements
12. Opening statements were delivered by the following
individuals:
- Mr Adrianus Mooy, Executive Secretary, UNESCAP;
- Mr William D. Angel, Officer-in-Charge, Youth
Unit, DESA, New York;
- Ms Anna Runeborg, Sida;
- Mr Feliciano Carino, General Secretary, CCA;
- Mr James Chui, UNFPA.
13. A keynote address was delivered by HE Mr Anand
Panyarachun, former Prime Minister of Thailand and
UNICEF Ambassador to Thailand, on "Child Rights
and Good Governance: Regional Cooperation against
Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation".
14. During the opening ceremony, the 1998 UNESCAP/UNAIDS
Award was presented to Maiti Nepal for its exemplary
work in preventing the sexual exploitation of children
and youth and in supporting young victims of commercial
sexual exploitation.
III. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
15. The Meeting elected HE Ms Amina Rasul, Presidential
Adviser on Youth Affairs, and Chairperson and Chief
Executive Officer of the National Youth Commission
(Philippines), Chairperson; HE Mr A.S.M. Shahjahan,
Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports (Bangladesh),
Vice-Chairperson; and HE Ms Fusi Vave, Permanent Secretary
for Youth and Employment Opportunities and Sports
(Fiji), Rapporteur.
IV. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
16. The Meeting adopted the following agenda:
1. Opening of the Meeting.
2. Election of officers.
3. Adoption of the agenda.
4. Special theme: elimination of sexual abuse and
sexual exploitation of children and youth.
5. Review of the follow-up of the First Asia-Pacific
Meeting on Human Resources Development for Youth,
Beijing, October 1996:
(a) Report by UNESCAP;
(b) Report by the United Nations Department of Economic
and Social Affairs;
(c) Report by the Regional Collective Consultation
of Youth NGOs in Asia and the Pacific.
6. Assessment of national youth policies for further
implementation of the World Programme of Action for
Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond.
7. Implementation of priorities of the World Programme
of Action for Youth and the Jakarta Plan of Action
on Human Resources Development in the UNESCAP Region:
(a) Education;
(b) Employment;
(c) Health.
8. Formulation of an Asia-Pacific input for the draft
Lisbon Declaration on Youth Policies and Programmes.
9. Adoption of the report.
V. SUMMARY OF THE DELIBERATIONS
A. Special theme: elimination of sexual
abuse and sexual exploitation of children and youth
17. The Meeting had before it document E/UNESCAP/HRDY(2)/1
on "Commercial sexual exploitation and sexual
abuse of children."
18. A panel discussion on the special theme of "Child
sexual abuse and exploitation: Challenges of prevention
and protection from victimization" was convened
as part of the consideration of this agenda item.
The panel discussion was moderated by Mr Vitit Muntarbhorn,
General Rapporteur of the Stockholm World Congress
Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.
Panelists included Ms Saisuree Chutikul, Former Minister
and Senior Advisor on Women's and Children's Affairs,
Royal Thai Government; Ms Ofelia Calcetas-Santos,
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children,
Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; Mr Ron O'Grady,
ECPAT International Chairperson; Mr Zia Ahmed Awan,
President, Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid,
Pakistan; and Ms Anuradha Koirala, Director, Maiti
Nepal.
19. The panel discussion and ensuing discussions
addressed future challenges for the UNESCAP region
to ensure full protection of children and youth from
sexual abuse and exploitation. The Meeting also considered
issues related to the physical and psycho-social recovery
and social reintegration of the victims, and the need
for cooperation between government agencies, non-governmental
agencies, spiritual leaders, private sectors and civil
society in general.
20. The Meeting noted that child rape, incest, child
prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking
of children for sexual purposes were prevalent in
the UNESCAP region as well as other parts of the world.
The phenomenon had, in fact, become more globalized.
There was a ready market for child victims locally,
transnationally and internationally. The traffic in
children by means of abductions, tricks and enticements
both within and across borders was on the rise. The
advent of technology, in particular the Internet,
had also facilitated the transmission of information
as well as child pornography images to all parts of
the globe.
21. Key areas for regional cooperation against child
sexual abuse and exploitation, focusing on the principles
of good governance, included: (1) improved selection
and capacity building of law enforcers; (2) increased
support for good law enforcers and effective law enforcement;
(3) penalization of corruption; (4) people's participation
in decision-making, monitoring and implementation;
(5) opportunities for checks-and-balances by the public;
(6) more social incentives for investors; (7) self-regulation
of the private sector; (8) decentralization of Government,
with responsibility; (9) the need for multi-disciplinary
teams dealing with victims; and (10) the need for
more child-friendly and gender-sensitive measures.
22. Some of the preventive and recovery measures
discussed by the Meeting included livelihood programmes
for impoverished families; education; legislation;
training of multi-disciplinary teams to care for the
children; participation of victims in planning and
evaluating policies and programmes; the promotion
of programmes to protect and support the reintegration
of victims into communities and families, as well
as enhancing their access to relevant health services.
23. Youth participants at the Meeting voiced their
concern for street children and the new trend of commercial
sexual exploitation of school girls and called for
the active participation of the abused and exploited
children themselves in planning and implementing policies
and programmes as well as stricter penalties for the
abusers.
B. Review of the follow-up of the
first Asia-Pacific Meeting on Human Resources Development
Beijing, October 1996
24. The Meeting was informed of the follow-up actions
taken by the UNESCAP secretariat to implement the
proposals and recommendations of the First Asia-Pacific
Meeting on Human Resources Development for Youth,
held at Beijing from 22 to 26 October 1996. That Meeting
had adopted the Beijing Statement on Human Resources
Development for Youth in Asia and the Pacific as well
as a set of project ideas for regional cooperation.
The secretariat informed the Meeting that many of
the project ideas had been further developed by the
secretariat into project proposals during the course
of 1997. Funding had been secured for their implementation.
A regional project on elimination of sexual abuse
and sexual exploitation of youth, covering twelve
countries, had commenced in January 1998. That project
had received funding from the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency, the Government of
Japan and UNFPA. Another project on training of trainers
for youth development, focusing on such areas as entrepreneurial
development, had received funding from the Christian
Conference of Asia and was under implementation. UNESCAP
was also providing advisory services to governments
in the development of national youth policies and
plans. The development of "youth participation
indicators", as called for by the First Asia-Pacific
Meeting, would be undertaken in 1999 under the regular
budget. Hence, during the past 19 months since the
holding of the First Asia-Pacific Meeting, progress
had been achieved in implementing the recommendations
and proposals of the governments.
25. The Officer-in-Charge of the United Nations Youth
Unit, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United
Nations, New York, informed the Meeting of the global
follow-up action taken since the adoption of the World
Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and
Beyond. That work had included a large number of activities
in preparation for the World Ministerial Conference
of Ministers of Youth, being held in Lisbon in August
1998. He noted that at the regional level, UNESCAP
had been the only regional commission that had taken
the initiative to convene a regional intergovernmental
meeting in preparation for that World Conference.
He also informed the Meeting of a new global project,
which had been submitted to a donor country and organization
for funding. That project would also involve the cooperation
of the regional commissions of the United Nations
and would focus on strengthening national youth policies,
coordination and implementation mechanisms.
26. The Chairman, Regional Collective Consultation
of Youth NGOs for Asia and the Pacific (RCCAP), presented
to the Meeting the recommendations and proposals of
the Asia-Pacific Meeting of Youth Organizations in
Preparation for the Third Session of the World Youth
Forum, which had been convened by UNESCAP in cooperation
with UNESCO and RCCAP in Bangkok from 27 to 29 May
1998. The Meeting, attended by youth and youth organizations
in the region, had been convened to provide an input
to the present intergovernmental Meeting as well as
the third session of the World Youth Forum, to be
convened by the United Nations in cooperation with
the Government of Portugal in August 1998.
27. The representative of the Government of Portugal
expressed appreciation to UNESCAP for convening the
present Meeting to prepare for the Lisbon World Conference
on Ministers responsible for Youth. She briefed the
Meeting on the status of preparations for the World
Conference, to be hosted by the Government of Portugal
in cooperation with the United Nations in Lisbon from
8 to 12 August 1998. That Conference would review
and appraise local, national and regional implementation
of the World Programme of Action to the Year 2000
and Beyond by governments, in cooperation with youth
and youth-related organizations. It would also consider
new proposals on how the implementation of the World
Programme for Action could be further supported.
C. Assessment of national youth policies
for further implementation of the World Programme
of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond
28. The Meeting had before document E/UNESCAP/HRDY(2)/2
on "Assessment of national youth policies for
further implementation of the World Programme of Action
for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond".
29. Mr Peter Kenyon, international consultant on
youth policies, provided the Meeting with an overview
of issues related to youth policy formulation and
implementation.
30. The presentation emphasized that national youth
policies reflected the significance of nationally-agreed
formulas for meeting the needs and aspirations of
young women and men, and mobilizing their contribution
to national development. Youth policies encapsulated
elements of vision, frameworks and realistic guidelines
from which youth strategies and programmes were designed
and implemented.
31. Discussions focussed on the youth policy experience
of several countries in the region. The Meeting stressed
that youth policies needed to be of an intersectoral
nature, required political commitment and formal linkages
to national action plans, and required the active
participation of youth during all phases of formulation,
implementation, and evaluation. They also needed to
be continually monitored and reviewed in view of changing
needs of youth, and should include measurable indicators
to evaluate their impact.
D. Youth education
32. The Meeting had before it the document no. E/UNESCAP/HRDY(2)/3
on "Implementation of priorities of the World
Programme of Action for Youth and the Jakarta Plan
of Action on Human Resources Development in the UNESCAP
Region: Education, employment and health."
33. Mr Victor Ordonez, Director, UNESCO Principal
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, presented
an overview of issues related to education in Asia
and the Pacific.
34. The presentation referred to progress in the
implementation of two landmark documents in the past
decade, namely the Jakarta Plan of Action on Human
Resources Development in the UNESCAP Region, and the
Jomtien World Declaration on Education for All. It
was noted that youth were not only the recipients
and beneficiaries of education for all, but also partners
and proponents of that goal. It was further noted
that in modern society, as the learning needs of youth
undergo continuous change, learning and education
would need to go beyond formal schooling and would
increasingly take place outside the formal education
system.
35. The Meeting agreed that continuing non-formal
education, and imparting life skills, should be further
supported as an alternative and complementary mode
of learning to the formal education system. The valuable
role of the family as a facilitator for learning was
also stressed. It was agreed that the value of educating
youth was beyond the utilitarian value of meeting
labour demands, and should be based on the "four
pillars of learning", namely (1) learning to
know, (2) learning to do, (3) learning to be, and
(4) learning to live together.
E. Youth employment
36. The Meeting had before it the document no. E/UNESCAP/HRDY(2)/3
on "Implementation of priorities of the World
Programme of Action for Youth and the Jakarta Plan
of Action on Human Resources Development in the UNESCAP
Region: Education, employment and health."
37. Mr. Ahmadullah Mia, Executive Director, Underprivileged
Children's Educational Programs (UCEP), Bangladesh,
in his presentation, reviewed several important factors
related to youth unemployment, such as high population
growth, urban migration, lack of relevant education,
and globalization. He also reviewed the nature of
policy and programme interventions needed to respond
to the above challenges to employment opportunities.
It was noted that programmes needed to focus on rural
areas, promote non-traditional sectors for women's
employment, and increase the capacity of the informal
sector. The need for close links with industries was
emphasized in the presentation in order to promote
skills training and employment for youth, and as an
illustration, a project experience was also presented.
38. The Meeting observed that for most countries,
education and employment were priority issues for
development. It was agreed that there had been a mismatch
between skills learned and skills needed. In addition
to unskilled labour unemployment, unemployment of
educated youth was a growing problem. The Meeting,
therefore, called for a review of the education and
training processes to better fit market demand. In
addition, it was agreed that new opportunities should
be created, along with a growing economy, to meet
the skills of educated youth. The benefits of internship,
vocational training, extension services, and entrepreneurship
programmes were also noted. However, it was noted
that these programmes would not match all the desires
and skills of youth. The Meeting called for a multi-sectoral
approach to policy-making for youth and employment.
It stressed that the numerous and diverse stakeholders,
including youth themselves, should be involved in
the process.
F. Youth health
39. The Meeting had before it the document no. E/UNESCAP/HRDY(2)/3
on "Implementation of priorities of the World
Programme of Action for Youth and the Jakarta Plan
of Action on Human Resources Development in the UNESCAP
Region: Education, employment and health."
40. Under this agenda item, three presentations were
delivered. The first presentation, made by Ms. Shradha
Chowdhury, a youth representative from Delhi Public
School in India, focused on HIV/AIDS and health education.
It was noted that young people increasingly entered
sexual relations without much knowledge of sexuality,
reproduction or contraception and with little emotional
preparation. They were at risk of unwanted pregnancies,
STDs, HIV/AIDS and exploitation. It was, therefore,
observed that improving the sexual and reproductive
health of young people was paramount. The notion that
teaching young people about their sexuality and offering
them services would promote sexual activity was challenged.
The need for the provision of information and counseling
services on sexuality and drugs through different
communication channels and settings was stressed.
The important role of parents in providing guidance
was also emphasized. The presentation ended with a
call to give young people a voice in the planning
and implementation of policies and programmes to promote
youth health.
41. The Senior Technical Officer, Education, Communication
and Youth Branch, Technical and Evaluation Division,
UNFPA, in his presentation, observed that there was
a need to examine sexual and reproductive health from
a broader perspective, which included drugs, HIV/AIDS,
and STDs. The vulnerability of young people to health
problems was noted and a call was made for an integrated
approach to address their concerns. The Meeting was
informed that such an approach should include life
skills education to help young people to make decisions
and assume responsibility. It should also include
peer education programmes to provide them with accurate
information. The need to approach health issues from
a broader socio-economic, cultural and gender dimension
was emphasized.
42. The Programme and External Relations Adviser,
Asia-Pacific Intercountry team, UNAIDS, in his presentation,
focused on the challenges and measures adopted to
reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people in
the region. The Meeting was informed that 90 percent
of all new HIV infections occurred in developing countries
and over 50 percent of these infections were among
young persons aged 15 to 24 years. The combined facts
that AIDS was incurable, lethal and associated with
sexual behavior had made it an especially sensitive
subject. It was observed that provision of young people
with sexual health education ensured their acquisition
of life skills needed for responsible and safe behavior.
It was also noted that good quality educational programmes
helped in delaying first intercourse and protecting
sexually active young people from HIV, STDs and pregnancy.
43. The Meeting highlighted other health problems
facing young people in the UNESCAP region, including
those related to alcohol and tobacco abuse, malnutrition
and mental disorders. The Meeting stressed the need
for health education in schools as well as the need
for age- and sex-disaggregated data.
G. Formulation of an Asia-Pacific
input for the Lisbon World Conference of Ministers
Responsible for Youth
44. The Meeting divided into four workshops to develop
recommendations for the Lisbon World Conference of
Ministers Responsible for Youth as well as specific
proposals for regional cooperation to promote human
resources development for youth in the following areas:
youth policies; youth education; youth employment;
and youth health.
45. The following delegates serves as chairpersons
and rapporteurs of the respective workshops:
Youth policies:
- Chairperson: Mr Malik Lala-i-Yesrab (Pakistan)
- Rapporteurs: Ms Bi Dongli (China), Mr Anthony T.
Ambahan (Philippines)
Youth education:
- Chairperson: Mr Kinley Dorji (Bhutan)
- Rapporteur: Mr M. Golam Sattar (Bangladesh)
Youth employment:
- Chairperson: Mr P.K. Sinha (India)
- Rapporteur: Mr D.L. Kumaradasa (Sri Lanka)
Youth health:
- Chairperson: Ms Lourdes G. Balanon (Philippines)
- Rapporteur: Mr Yee Thiam Sun (Malaysia)
46. The Meeting adopted the Asia-Pacific Position
for the Lisbon World Conference of Ministers Responsible
for Youth, as contained in Annex I of this report.
47. The Meeting also adopted a set of proposals for
action to promote youth policies, youth education,
youth employment, and youth health, as contained in
Annex II of this report.
VI. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT
48. The Meeting adopted its report on 5 June 1998.
Back
to overview of both meetings
Asia-Pacific Meeting
of Youth Organizations in Preparation for the Third
Session of the World Youth Forum, 27-29 May 1998
Report of the
Meeting (TEXT-ONLY
VERSION)
List of Participants
(TEXT-ONLY VERSION)
Second Asia-Pacific
Intergovernmental Meeting on HRD
for Youth, 1-5 June 1998
Keynote Speech | Panel
Discussion
Report of the Meeting
(TEXT-ONLY VERSION)
List of Participants
(TEXT-ONLY VERSION)
Asia-Pacific Position
(TEXT-ONLY VERSION)
Proposals for Action
(TEXT-ONLY VERSION)
Proposal No 1 | 2
| 3 | 4
| 5 | 6
| 7 | 8
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