Geneva, 19 September 2003 - The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Forum on Youth takes place on 24-26 September 2003 in Kiev (Ukraine) under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) at the invitation of the Government of Ukraine in cooperation with the Executive Committee of the CIS and the support of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, ILO, UNAIDS and UNICEF. It is convened as a follow-up to the UNECE First Regional Forum on Youth: “Security, Opportunity and Prosperity”, held in August 2002 in Geneva. More than 500 participants from all the CIS countries as well as from other countries of the UNECE region are coming to the Forum representing State authorities, entrepreneurial circles, national and international youth NGOs.
The CIS countries are undergoing a difficult period of transition. Ongoing reforms carry the promise of a more prosperous, secure and happy future for younger generations. However, reforms and transition do not come without costs. Economic hardship, along with conflicts and tension in some parts of the sub-region, has been accompanied by a significant deterioration of social conditions manifested in: impoverishment of large segments of the population; rise of social inequalities; large-scale unemployment; devaluation of salaries and social benefits, and, in some cases, their abolishment; wage and pension arrears of governments and enterprises; and displacement of millions of people causing refugees, resettlement, and destroying assets. All this has taken its toll on young people, as one of the most vulnerable groups. Families with children have been hurt most.
Even now, after some years of economic growth, almost 18 million children and young people in the CIS countries live in poverty. There has been a noticeable decline in school enrolment rates, including in primary schools. In 2001, youth unemployment in some countries of the CIS was 60 to 7 times higher the level of the adult unemployment while this rate is usually only 2-3 times. Millions of young people have spent years neither at school nor in the labour market. This has been effectively exploited by various criminal groups, which have taken advantage of the conditions of uncertainty. The implications of such a situation have been quite visible: trafficking of children, teenagers and young people, growing drug-addiction among the young, rising juvenile crime, prostitution, violence, and, proliferation of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
At the same time, recent political and economic reforms along with developments in science and technology offer new and even greater opportunities for young people to actively participate in the political and economic life of their countries and their region. Advances in information and communication technologies, trends towards strengthening a knowledge-based economy, opportunities offered by small- and medium-sized enterprises and participation in other forms of entrepreneurship, more open access to information and greater participation in political decision-making at all levels, create a more solid basis for young people not only to improve their own destinies, but also to make a direct and constructive impact on the future of their countries.
The Forum is convened to discuss these complex problems facing young people and to identify jointly the best possible approaches and solutions to these problems. This Forum is among many other recent initiatives of governments and civil society throughout the CIS region which are aimed at reversing and mitigating the effects of the negative trends mentioned above, adopting policies and creating effective institutional arrangements for protecting young people, thus securing a better future for youth and, hence, for their entire nations.
The Forum will consider such issues as youth employment and employability, development of youth entrepreneurship, social protection and social work with young people, youth health problems, and the role and place of youth organizations in addressing and solving youth problems.
It is expected that the Forum will provide a strong impetus for all the stakeholders to more actively respond to youth in distress both comprehensively and systematically. It is also anticipated that mass media will induce a sense of urgency into societies at large for remedial measures, hence, bringing youth issues to the forefront of the political agenda.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Andrei Maevski
Coordinating Unit for Operational Activities
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations, Office 438
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41(0) 22 917 32 96
Fax: +41(0) 22 917 01 78
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.unece.org/operact/meetings/kiev/Welcome.html
Ref: ECE/GEN/03/P10