RES/35/14 Youth and human rights

GE.17-12116(E)



Human Rights Council Thirty-fifth session

6–23 June 2017

Agenda item 3

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 22 June 2017

35/14. Youth and human rights

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international

human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political

Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,

Recalling also Human Rights Council resolution 32/1 of 30 June 2016 on youth and

human rights,

Recalling further all previous relevant resolutions, including the most recent,

namely, General Assembly resolution 70/127 of 17 December 2015 on policies and

programmes involving youth, and Assembly resolution 50/81 of 14 December 1995, by

which the Assembly adopted the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000

and Beyond,

Recalling the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, in which it is stated

that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interrelated, interdependent and mutually

reinforcing, and that all human rights must be treated in a fair and equal manner, on the

same footing and with the same emphasis,

Welcoming the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,1 and

reaffirming the need to develop and implement strategies that give young people

everywhere real opportunities to enable their full, effective and meaningful participation in

society,

Welcoming also the high-level event held by the General Assembly on 29 May 2015

to mark the twentieth anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth, which

offered an important opportunity for Member States and other relevant stakeholders to take

1 General Assembly resolution 70/1.

stock of progress made in its implementation, as well as to identify gaps and challenges and

the way forward for its full, effective and accelerated implementation,

Taking note of the summary on the expert meeting organized by the Office of the

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in July 2013, in which it was

recognized that young people experience difficulties in the exercise of their rights by virtue

of being young and that there are gaps in the protection and fulfilment of the human rights

of youth,

Welcoming the convening at the thirty-third session of the Human Rights Council of

the panel discussion on youth and human rights, at which challenges were identified for the

empowerment of young people in the exercise of their rights,

Noting the Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law convened by

the Human Rights Council on 21 and 22 November 2016, with the theme “Widening the

democratic space: the role of youth in public decision-making”,

Encouraging contributions by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights, the special procedures and the treaty bodies, as well as the Envoy of the Secretary-

General on Youth and other relevant international and regional human rights mechanisms

in identifying and addressing obstacles to the enjoyment of all human rights by youth,

Underlining the important role that youth can play in the promotion of peace,

sustainable development and human rights, and the importance of the active and wide

participation of youth in decision-making,

Conscious that today’s generation of youth is the largest that the world has ever

witnessed, and therefore encouraging States to exert further efforts to ensure the respect,

protection and fulfilment of all human rights for young people, including all economic,

social, cultural, civil and political rights, given that lack of participation and opportunity

has adverse consequences for communities and societies,

Concerned that young people face specific challenges that require integrated

responses by States, the United Nations system and other stakeholders,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the summary report of the panel discussion

on youth and human rights prepared by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human

Rights,2 which summarizes the growing challenges that disproportionately affect the current

generation of young people, and nonetheless draws attention to the crucial role that young

people play in realizing human rights, peace and sustainable development;

2. Calls upon all States to promote and ensure the full realization of all human

rights and fundamental freedoms for youth, including, where appropriate, by taking

measures to combat age discrimination, neglect, abuse and violence, and to address issues

related to barriers to social integration and adequate participation, bearing in mind that the

full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by young people empowers

them to contribute as active members of society to the political, civil, economic, social and

cultural development of their countries;

3. Encourages all States to conduct their coherent youth-related policies

through inclusive and participatory consultations with relevant stakeholders and social

development partners in the interest of developing effective and comprehensive policies, as

well in the development of their national action plans to implement the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development;

2 A/HRC/35/7.

4. Urges Member States to consider addressing, through the universal periodic

review and the treaty bodies, issues pertaining to the full and equal enjoyment of all human

rights for youth, and to share the best practices that they have developed in dealing with the

realization of human rights for young people;

5. Requests the High Commissioner, in consultation with and taking into

account the views of States and relevant stakeholders, including relevant United Nations

agencies, the treaty bodies, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, national

human rights institutions, civil society and representatives of youth organizations, to

conduct a detailed study on the implementation of human rights with regard to young

people, the identification of cases of discrimination against young people in the exercise of

their human rights, and best practices in the full and effective enjoyment of human rights by

young people, highlighting the contribution of empowered youth to the realization of

human rights in society, to be submitted to the Council prior to its thirty-ninth session;

6. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

35th meeting

22 June 2017

[Adopted without a vote.]