Suomi on lähettänyt jo kymmenen vuoden ajan YK:n yleiskokoukseen nuorisodelegaatin osana maan virallista yleiskokousvaltuuskuntaa. Vuoden 2008 nuorisodelegaatti oli Anna Ranki, 27-vuotias opiskelija ja kansainvälinen maailmanparantaja.
Suomen YK-nuorisodelegaattihakuprosessin vuonna 2008 koordinoivat Suomen Nuorisoyhteistyö Allianssi ry sekä Suomen YK-liitto ry. Valinnassa painotettiin laajaa nuorisoalan ja YK:n nuoriso-ohjelman tuntemusta sekä kykyä nuorten kuulemiseen ja suomalaisten nuorten viestien välittämiseen YK:ssa. SEURAA ANNAN BLOGIA!
Anna toimii aktiivisesti järjestöissä mm. Allianssin kansainvälisten asioiden jaostossa. Puheen pitäminen yleiskokouksessa ei jännitä.
”En tiedä vielä, mitä teemaa aion puheessani käsitellä. YK:n nuoriso-ohjelma on aina luontainen ja ajankohtainen aihe, mutta ehkä tänä vuonna Suomessa vielä ajankohtaisempi aihe on Lapsen oikeuksien sopimus, josta Suomi jättää neljännen määräaikaisraporttinsa kesällä”, Anna toteaa.
Suomi on saanut useita huomautuksia sopimusta valvovalta komitealta, viimeisimmät vuonna 2005, jolloin Suomea muistutettiin mm. ihmisoikeuskasvatuksen ottamisesta pakolliseksi oppiaineeksi kaikkiin kouluihin.
Anna pitää YK-nuorisodelegaatin tehtävää erittäin tärkeänä ja haasteellisena. ”Luonteeltani olen positiivisesti ajatteleva ja reipas, ja uskoisin, että tällaisella asenteella voin innostaa muita nuoria kiinnostumaan YK:sta ja ennen kaikkea maailmanparantamisesta”, Anna nauraa. ”Toki täytyy muistaa, että voin itsekin oppia tästä vuodesta paljon.”
Honourable Chair,
Finland fully associates itself with the statement made earlier by France on behalf of the European Union.
Honourable Chair,
As a youth representative, it is an honour for me to address this committee. Participation of the youth, genuine participation, is a key factor for development.
Childhood and youth are stages of life laying the foundations for adulthood. Supporting growth and development into responsible citizenship and adulthood is the responsibility of the whole society and world. Children and young people have the right of access to the society’s joint resources as well as the right to participate in deciding how the society and the world should be developed. Young people are one of the most marginalised groups in the world. Youth unemployment, poverty, environmental problems, HIV/AIDS and other health problems have vast impact especially in the group of young people.
The foundation of bringing up children and young people remains at home, in the early education, at schools and their peer groups and growth communities, for example youth organisations, during their leisure time. No one is without a role in the well-being of children and young people – we all share responsibility.
Honourable representatives,
It said that is hard to be young, and it is maybe even harder to be a girl. Girls and young women face challenges in their life which exist because of their gender.
Women have the right to take decisions. Without the right of deciding about ones own body or ones own future, participation in society and politics seems shallow. Violence is still perpetrated against girls and young women worldwide. Physical and sexual abuse affects millions of girls and women. Violence against women is a violation of women's human rights and we all have a responsibility in addressing and preventing it. Governments must cooperate at international level and enforce legislation protecting girls and young women from all forms of violence. All member states need to make National Action Programmes to prevent intimate partner and domestic violence.
Also as the security council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security stipulates, all parties to armed conflict must take special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse, and all other forms of violence in situations of armed conflict. Every member state should have a National Action Plan on resolution 1325 and follow, valuate and update it frequently.
According to the World Youth Report 2005, five million women aged 15-19 have abortions every year, 40 per cent of which are performed under unsafe conditions. Other studies have shown that the same age group of young women are vastly unaware of AIDS-related issues. The most significant way of protecting people from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, is proper information about sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health.
Universal and equal access to primary education, both formal and non-formal, for everyone is extremely important for the development. We must pay special attention on girls and disabled persons right to education. Still 65 million girls still remain out of school worldwide.
As Mrs. Helvi Sipilä, the former Assistant Secretary General of the UN put it, "Educating girls is particularly important, because an uneducated mother transfers the model of non-education to her own children"..
In working life girls must have equal access to all employment opportunities. We should promote girls participation in the traditionally male-dominated sectors and reduce the employment rate gap between young women and men. In almost all regions, young women fare worse than young men in indicators of labour market status. We should also encourage men to take up their domestic and family responsibilities. It is essential to increasingly engage men in the efforts to eliminate violence against women. Not only do we need to hold offenders accountable and help them with treatment and prevention programmes, but we also need to think about how to enhance positive male role models and engagement in both prevention and advocacy.
Honourable chair, distinguished delegates,
Stereotyping and discrimination limit the full participation of girls and young women in society, including civil society activities. Young people themselves must be made aware of the harmful impact of gender barriers imposed by cultural beliefs, perceived roles and traditional practices so that they can practice equality. Governments, international and non-governmental organizations in particular youth organizations, must be supported in their efforts to promote the equality and participation of girls in society.
Genuine participation and universal education leads to improvement of health and employment and stability in society. For women, positive developments are fuel for further positive developments. Women’s rights have been discussed for centuries, and we still need to emphasise them.
It is a well known fact that no sustainable development exists without the participation of girls and women. It is also known that the most successful societies in the world have highly educated women and well balanced equality programmes. Without gender parity, the goals of the the Millennium Declaration and World Programme of Action for Youth will not be achieved or sustained. Half of the worlds population is girls and women. Their rights are human rights. They deserve equal treatment.
Liitteenä olevat kuvat ovat vapaasti lehdistön käytettävissä. Kuvaajan nimi, Anna Autio, on mainittava julkaisujen yhteydessä.
