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Communique on UN specialised agency on youth
Young Voices Network Zimbabwe
January 13, 2011

We the young people herein gathered in Dar El Salaam at the UN-Habitat opportunity youth fund workshop for 16 beneficiary organizations from, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Palestine, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen and Zimbabwe in partnership with Tanzania Women Land Access Trust (TWLAT).

Convinced that Africa's and the world's greatest resource is its youth (60% of the continents population) and that through their productive participation Africa and indeed the world can surmount its greatest challenge of poverty, climate change, gender inequality, democracy and governance.

Noting with great concern the situation of young people many of whom are excluded from mainstream society as a result of unemployment, underemployment, the HIV & AIDS epidemic, poverty and hunger, illiteracy and poor education, poor access to health, and lack of access to information.

Alarmed at the continuous social exclusion of young people from mainstream society and decision making

Acknowledging the commitments already made towards addressing youth concerns in the Millennium Development Goals, African Youth Charter, Convention on the Rights of the Child, UN programme of action on Youth and inviting partners to reaffirm their commitment.

Considering that the promotion and protection of the rights of young people also demands the performance of duties by the youth as by all other stakeholders

Guided by the African Youth Charter, Convention on the Rights of the Child, and other international charters that seek to promote youth development.

Responding to the call by the UN Secretary General that "Youth should be given a chance to take an active part in decision-making at local, national and global levels."

Encouraged by the appointment of Monique Coleman as the UN Youth Champion for the International Year of Youth; and encouraged too by the existence of the UN Interagency Network on Youth Development and the UN General Assembly resolution 64/134 proclaiming the International Year of Youth and calling for a World Youth Conference under the auspices of the UN as the highlight of the International Year of Youth.

Therefore call on the United Nations to set up a specialized agency for young people as a matter of economic, social, political and demographic necessity that will, inter alia, provide financial and technical assistance to innovative programmes and strategies that promote young people's rights, youth political participation and youth economic security.

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