RES/32/1 Youth and human rights

GE.16-12172(E)

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Human Rights Council Thirty-second session

Agenda item 3

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council on 30 June 2016

32/1. Youth and human rights

The Human Rights Council,

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

Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and relevant international

human rights instruments, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political

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

Recalling also 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 further the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, which states

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 for full, effective and constructive 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

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

way forward for its full, effective and accelerated implementation,

Looking forward to further contributions by the United Nations High Commissioner

for Human Rights, the special procedures and the treaty bodies, and the Envoy of the

Secretary-General on Youth, and other relevant international and regional human rights

1 General Assembly resolution 70/1.

mechanisms in identifying and addressing obstacles to the enjoyment of human rights by

youth,

Bearing in mind that young people face specific challenges that require integrated

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

Bearing in mind also that today’s generation of youth is the largest the world has

ever witnessed, and that the ways in which the challenges and the potential of young people

are addressed by policy will influence the well-being and livelihood of future generations,

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

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

participation of youth in decision-making,

Stressing that the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by young

people empowers them to contribute to the political, civil, economic, social, and cultural

development of their countries,

Recalling the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Education and Training,

and recognizing that human rights education and training for youth can contribute to the

promotion of inclusive and tolerant societies, thereby favouring the progressive realization

of all human rights,

1. Decides to convene at its thirty-third session a panel discussion on the theme,

“Youth and human rights”, the objective of which will be to identify challenges, best

practices and lessons learned in the exercise of human rights by young people, and relevant

opportunities for the empowerment of youth in the exercise of their rights, and requests the

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to liaise with States and all

stakeholders, including relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, the treaty

bodies, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, national human rights

institutions and civil society, including representatives of youth organizations, with a view

to ensuring their participation in the panel discussion;

2. Requests the High Commissioner to prepare a report on the panel discussion

in the format of a summary, and to submit the report to the Human Rights Council at its

thirty-fifth session;

3. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

41st meeting

30 June 2016

[Adopted without a vote.]