Youth is a long-term driving force. Sustainable Development Goals

On August 12-13, 2020, Commissioner for human rights in the Republic of Kazakhstan Elvira Azimova participated in the Samarkand web forum on human rights "Youth 2020: global Solidarity, Sustainable development and human rights". This event was held under the auspices of the International youth day, proclaimed by a resolution of the UN General Assembly in 1999.

The Forum was organized by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the national centre for human rights, Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan in partnership with the Office of the UN high Commissioner for human rights (OHCHR), the UNCT in Uzbekistan, OSCE project Coordinator in Uzbekistan and Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

The forum was part of the UN 75 initiative, proclaimed by the United Nations in the year of its 75th anniversary, and was a continuation of the Asian forum on human rights, held in Samarkand on November 22-23, 2018.

The main purpose of the Samarkand forum is to discuss international instruments and mechanisms for protecting and promoting the rights of young people and their participation in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, exchange views on the implementation of youth policy at the national level.

During the two-day discussion, participants discussed the role of young people in achieving the sustainable development goals, identified key challenges to their rights, raised issues of human rights education for young people, and considered the role of the younger generation in ensuring a safer future b

The forum was attended by over 30 youth organizations, representatives of UN specialized agencies, including the International organization for migration, International labour organization, the UN development Programme, the United Nations educational, scientific and cultural organization, United Nations Children's Fund, UN Fund for population, the Office of the UN high Commissioner for human rights, as well as representatives of the Asian parliamentary Assembly, the African Union, inter-Parliamentary Union, the Organization for security and cooperation in Europe, Organization of Islamic cooperation, The Council of Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Shanghai cooperation organization.

In her video message, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay stressed the importance of creating new opportunities for young people to realize their full potential through education and to support the participation of young people so that they can be active participants in sustainable development, not just observers. She noted UNESCO's commitment to this policy, especially with regard to vulnerable youth, girls, women, and refugees.

In her speech, E. Azimova noted that youth is a long-term driving force for promoting Sustainable Development Goals and it is necessary to actively involve young leaders in public administration, including through the introduction of incentive quotas. She informed about the legislative changes adopted this year in Kazakhstan, which provide for the presence of at least 30% of young people and women in political lists.

The Forum resulted in the adoption of the Samarkand Resolution "Youth 2020: global solidarity, sustainable development and human rights", which calls on States to take a number of initiatives. The resolution also calls on the UN General Assembly to adopt Uzbekistan's initiative to adopt a new International Convention on the rights of youth.