World Youth Ministers Meet In New York To Advance Panoply Of Rights For Adolescents

By Austin Ruse

     (NEW YORK – C-FAM) The Government of Portugal convened a preparatory committee meeting this week at UN headquarters in New York City to lay the groundwork for the upcoming World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth next August in Lisbon. 

     The principal work of the Lisbon meeting is to advance the ideas first expressed in a 1995 UN General Assembly resolution entitled "World Plan of Action for Youth to the Year 2,000 and Beyond." 

     The Plan of Action has long concerned pro-family advocates. It urges governmental action in ten key areas, including education, employment, hunger and poverty, leisure-time activities and health. The document explicitly advocates the propagation of "family planning" and "reproductive health" for children as young as 15, with no mention of parental support or notification. In fact, mothers and fathers are given scant mention throughout the document. 

     The Youth Ministers' meeting in Lisbon will issue a set of recommendations further urging national governments to implement this Plan of Action. 

     Immediately prior to the ministerial meeting, a World Youth Forum will meet in Braga, Portugal, to adopt an international Youth Rights Charter. It is expected that the Youth Ministers will adopt the Youth Rights Charter as a declaration that will be passed along for the consideration of the UN General Assembly. 

     As currently envisioned, the Youth Rights Charter would apply only to those between the ages of 18 and 24, although it may be amended to include younger children. Many parts of the Charter are taken directly from the internationally accepted Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The draft charter condemns slavery and the slave-trade, for instance, and it recognizes the family as the fundamental group unit of society. 

     The Charter, however, also explicitly calls for promotion of "reproductive and sexual health services." Family advocates point out that "reproductive health and sexual health services" are defined by UN bodies as including artificial contraception and abortion. Inclusion of this right would be especially contentious if the ages covered by the Charter drops below 18. 
        
     Working to advance the pro-family voice in this and other bodies is the NGO Family Voice, a non-governmental organization formed by the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies at Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, Utah. Executive Director Kathryn Balmforth voiced concern this week over the draft Charter's philosophy. "The Charter seems to be only about rights. It does not mention responsibilities. Young people must be taught responsibilities, especially toward those who have gone before them, and to those who will come after," said Balmforth. 

     Those wishing to participate in this process may call William Angel, Officer in Charge of the UN Youth Unit, at 212-963-1380 .

 

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