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Report of the Second Asia-Pacific Intergovernmental Meeting on HRD for Youth, 1-5 June 1998, BangkokI. 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 (ESCAP) 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 ESCAP 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 ESCAP 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:
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 ESCAP/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 ESCAP; (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 ESCAP 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/ESCAP/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 ESCAP 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 ESCAP 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 24. The Meeting was informed of the follow-up actions taken by the ESCAP 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. ESCAP 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, ESCAP 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 ESCAP 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 ESCAP 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/ESCAP/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/ESCAP/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 ESCAP 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 ESCAP 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/ESCAP/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 ESCAP 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/ESCAP/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 ESCAP 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 ESCAP 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 Second Asia-Pacific Intergovernmental Meeting on HRD
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