{"id":187782,"date":"2019-04-25T13:17:38","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T17:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/73\/?p=187782"},"modified":"2019-04-26T15:56:21","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T19:56:21","slug":"press-briefing-by-spokesperson-25-april-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/pga\/73\/2019\/04\/25\/press-briefing-by-spokesperson-25-april-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Press Briefing by Spokesperson \u2013 25 April 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
Good afternoon! Nice seeing you again\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
PGA SPEAKS ON ROLE OF YOUTH & PARTNERSHIPS FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n
The President of the General Assembly\u00a0took part in a breakfast meeting with the Group of Friends of Mediation. The event, at the Mission of Finland, was a follow-up\u00a0from\u00a0the First International Symposium on Youth Participation in Peace Processes, which\u00a0took place\u00a0in early March in Helsinki.<\/p>\n
The meeting was attended by the Foreign Minister of Finland, H.E. Timo Soini.<\/p>\n
Ms. Espinosa said that the Helsinki Symposium was a great example of the type of partnerships\u00a0that\u00a0the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ must build on the ground\u00a0as it is\u00a0\u2013 \u201cbringing together governments, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, civil society, regional organizations and youth networks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYouth, peace and security\u201d is one of the PGA\u2019s seven priorities for this session, and she considers these as \u201cdrivers for peace\u201d. The President stressed that societies with greater youth participation \u2013 political and economic \u2013 experience less violence in general, as it was stated in the World Bank\u2019s\u00a0Pathways for Peace <\/em>report.<\/p>\n
The PGA highlighted the fact that youth is still under-represented in decision-making. Less than six percent of Parliamentarians worldwide are under 35. But they are over-represented among the unemployed and underemployed. Of the world\u2019s 300 million working poor, half are young.<\/p>\n
She said that the outcomes of the Helsinki Symposium are important to support communications and story-telling, to make the case for greater youth participation, and to create networks and partnerships that can serve as a resource for youth and as a powerful movement for implementation.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE MUST BE PART OF DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES, PGA SAYS<\/strong><\/p>\n
Earlier today, Ms. Espinosa spoke at the Informal Interactive Hearing with Indigenous Peoples. She took part in a traditional ceremony led by indigenous women.<\/p>\n
This is the second hearing of this kind in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. In a meeting attended by representatives of indigenous peoples and Member States, Ms. Espinosa\u00a0highlighted the importance of\u00a0the Declaration on the Rights if Indigenous People and the need for them to participate fully and effectively in decision-making processes which affect their own rights.<\/p>\n
The PGA said that indigenous peoples represent a vast and rich diversity which must be reflected\u00a0widely.<\/p>\n
Ms. Espinosa\u00a0pointed to\u00a0the GA Resolution 71\/321 which calls for efforts to be redoubled in order to facilitate the participation of indigenous peoples, which will be analysed in the 75th<\/sup>\u00a0session of the GA.<\/p>\n