Legality of Acts against Religious Symbols, Books Ignites Contentious Debate as General Assembly Adopts Resolution on Culture of Peace, Five Other Texts
Delegates Also Discuss Establishment of United Nations Youth Office
The General Assembly today adopted three consensus decisions on global health and foreign policy and three consensus resolutions on strengthening of the United Nations system, the impact of rapid technological change on the Sustainable Development Goals, and culture of peace — with the latter surviving an attempt to alter its language and sparking a heated debate on whether acts against religious symbols or books constitute a violation of international law.
By that resolution titled “Promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech”, the General Assembly called upon Member States to engage with all relevant stakeholders to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue and respect and acceptance of differences, among other things, to reject the spread of hate speech which constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence. It further called on Member States and social media companies to counter hate speech and address its increasing spread, enable research into measures to reduce it and promote users’ access to effective reporting channels.
The amendment to that text was orally proposed by Spain’s representative who, speaking for the European Union, voiced concern about the reference in preambular paragraph 13 to violent acts against religious symbols and sacred books as a violation of international law. She emphasized that although such actions are deeply offensive and disrespectful, they do not constitute a violation of international law, and thus proposed the elimination of the reference to “in violation of international law”.
The contentious discussion that followed the vote on the amendment and the consensus adoption of the resolution underscored the division within the Assembly on how such acts should be treated. Delegations who took the floor include nine who voted in favour of the amendment and nine who voted against it.
Among the latter was the representative of Malaysia, who said it was unfortunate that the amendment to preambular paragraph 13 was introduced. He pointed out that several delegations made calls for stronger human rights language during negotiations, yet on violations of holy books, the desire for stronger language on human rights was somewhat subdued. Voicing strong disagreement with the notion that defamation of religion is not an infringement of human rights, he stressed that the defamation of any religion constitutes a derogation of the right to freedom of religion or belief, noting his vote against the amendment presented.
On the other hand, Denmark’s representative — speaking also for Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden — echoed other speakers who stressed that burning the Qur’an or any other holy book is offensive, disrespectful and a clear act of provocation. Her bloc condemns such acts and strongly disassociates from them, she said, noting, however, that their countries also stand for the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Freedom of religion or belief does not prohibit the criticism of religions or beliefs, she pointed out, noting that while her bloc has joined consensus with those clarifications, it disassociates itself from the reference to violation of international law in preambular paragraph 13.
At the outset of the meeting, the Assembly took up the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Youth Office, with Member States lauding the achievements of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth and welcoming the new Youth Office and the progress in the transition under way. Several delegations also highlighted their national efforts to promote the empowerment of meaningful participation of youth, while others outlined recommendations to ensure the Youth Office’s mandate is implemented effectively.
Egypt’s representative said that his country together with Guyana facilitated intergovernmental negotiations on the establishment of the Youth Office. Highlighting that there are more than 1.2 billion young people worldwide, he said the Office appointment process will reflect a balance between different age groups and geographical representation. Pointing to the use of youth terminology which does not enjoy international consensus, he voiced hope that the Office’s establishment will prevent the recurrence of such use and instead promote the use of language that unites global youth.
The speaker for Guyana said the Office is likely to be operating by year’s end. “The functions of the new Youth Office are ambitious as they should be,” she underscored, pointing to the cross-cutting issues that affect young people. However, she noted that the Office’s ultimate success will depend on the resourcing of its operations.
Pakistan’s representative, on that note, underscored that to enhance the Office’s outcomes, adequate funds must be made available for developing countries to enable their youth to participate in youth-led and youth-oriented United Nations processes more effectively and efficiently. Like other speakers, she said the recruitment of its staff must consider adequate geographical representation for a more inclusive and diverse workforce.
Namibia’s delegate highlighted that African youth today are shaping their future, noting that young people in Africa are expected to comprise 42 per cent of global youth by 2030. In Namibia, young people are empowered and included in decision-making, he reported, pointing to the increased youth representation in both houses of the country’s bi-cameral Parliament as constituency representatives. “Involving young people in politics and society is not merely a question of inclusion, but one that is vital for economic growth, innovation, peace and security,” he stressed.
The Assembly also adopted by consensus a resolution calling for support to the United Nations International School to enhance international education and promote multicultural interaction, as well as a text on addressing the impact of rapid technological change on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets.
Taking up global health and foreign policy, the Assembly adopted three draft decisions without a vote, by which it decided to approve the participation of the non-governmental and other organizations set forth in the annexes thereto, respectively, on upcoming high-level meetings on universal health coverage; the fight against tuberculosis; and on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
Report of United Nations Youth Office
THIBAULT CAMELLI, representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, said the United Nations youth agenda and the formation of the Office will give youth voices their rightful place at the heart of the United Nations system. Commending the progress made and the milestones achieved thus far, he welcomed the focus on consultations with youth, youth-led and youth-serving civil society organizations and networks. Echoing the need for accountability within the system to ensure youth’s meaningful participation, he noted that the Organization’s youth strategy is permeating its work across the world, and country teams are taking up meaningful youth engagement. His bloc looks forward to the role that the new Youth Office will play in strengthening policies and coordinating processes and platforms on youth engagement across the United Nations system, he said.
“When it comes to youth affairs, the EU [European Union] is walking the talk,” he emphasized, noting that its first Youth Action Plan aims to foster strong partnerships with young people worldwide to empower and enable them to shape solutions for the problems that affect them. This includes the bloc’s Youth and Women in Democracy Initiative, which is growing the engagement and impact of young people and women in democratic processes; its Youth Empowerment Fund to support and finance youth-led initiatives on the Sustainable Development Goals; and the Africa-Europe Youth Academy, which aims at advancing learning opportunities and exchange between young people in Africa and the European Union. As the work to operationalize the United Nations Youth Office continues, he called on the international community to be guided by the principle that “nothing should be about young people without young people”.
MOHAMED OMAR ELFAROUK HASSAN (Egypt) said his country together with Guyana facilitated intergovernmental negotiations on the establishment of the Youth Office. Noting that there are more than 1.2 billion young people worldwide, he underscored the importance of considering their priorities. He said he looked forward to the Youth Office appointment process, as it will reflect a balance between different age groups and geographical representation and will take into consideration the increased number of young people in the developing world. He, however, pointed to the use of some youth terminology which does not enjoy international consensus, expressing hope that the establishment of the Youth Office will prevent the recurrence of such use and will promote the use of terminology that unites global youth. “We cannot achieve [a] prosperous future without youth,” he underscored, recalling that Egypt declared 2016 the “Year of Youth” and established an international forum to that end.
MARITZA CHAN VALVERDE (Costa Rica) said her country has taken measures to encourage and promote young people’s participation in public affairs and in their communities, as well as abroad. To make the United Nations more inclusive and connected, she said the United Nations Youth Office should reflect the global community’s diversity and ensure gender parity and non-discrimination in its composition. She recommended the appointment of another woman to head the Youth Office and encouraged the Office to focus on promoting and facilitating dialogue, cooperation and intergenerational solidarity through its connection to agendas related to aging and the demographic transition. Moreover, the Youth Office should aim to build up its strategic and programmatic agenda, for example, by strengthening a network of focal points in the system and its synergies with regional bodies. She further highlighted the importance of supporting and advising developing countries and small missions in promoting greater involvement of youth at all levels.
ANA PAULA ZACARIAS (Portugal) said: “We need to deliver more for young people with young people.” For this, the establishment of the Youth Office, as the first concrete deliverable of Our Common Agenda, is a key development, she emphasized, spotlighting Portugal’s role in this process. She said she looked forward to the staff recruitment process for the new Office, which she expects to be represented by an “agile team, leveraging on the rich capacity and technical expertise of the United Nations system as a whole”, while taking stock of the experience brought by the current Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Recalling that in the Declaration on the Commemoration of the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the United Nations Member States made a commitment to listen to and to work with youth, she said she was confident that the Youth Office would realize this commitment and turn it into reality, while supporting youth engagement at the upcoming Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Summit.
ANDREAS HADJICHRYSANTHOU (Cyprus), associating himself with the European Union, said the Youth Office should continue to lead high-level advocacy and serve as the anchor for the United Nations system coordination and accountability on youth matters. It is imperative to address young people’s priorities and challenges to realize their full potential at the local, national, regional and international level, he stressed, noting that the implementation of the World Programme of Action for Youth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development must be top priorities. His country is implementing programmes and specific actions on how to strengthen youth participation. Among them is the youth project “Youth Parliament of Cyprus”, an initiative by two youth non-governmental organizations that has been institutionalized by the Council of Ministers of Cyprus, providing a permanent space for the country’s youth to present their ideas and proposals to policy making and decision-making structures.
NEVILLE GERTZE (Namibia), noting that by 2030, young people in Africa are expected to comprise 42 per cent of global youth, said that today African youth are shaping their future. In Namibia, young people are empowered and included in decision-making, he reported, pointing to the increased youth representation in both houses of the country’s bi-cameral Parliament as constituency representatives. Young people must be offered funding and education, and decision-making process must be accessible for them, without coercion and discrimination, he said. To that end, the Youth Office must strengthen capacity to host professional development opportunities for young people at the national and regional levels, while also including those from marginalized communities and eliminating digital barriers. “Involving young people in politics and society is not merely a question of inclusion, but one that is vital for economic growth, innovation, peace and security,” he stressed.
SULAFA HAMID I. MOUSA (Saudi Arabia), welcoming the establishment of the Youth Office, said her country supports all efforts towards the empowerment of young people in the United Nations system. These efforts are consistent with the priorities of her country where young people under the age of 30 make up more than 63 per cent of the population. Saudi Arabia has led the efforts of the Group of Twenty (G20) through its presidency in 2020 and adopted a road map which sets out to reduce marginalized youth in the labour market by 2025. It is important to build efforts in a comprehensive manner, taking into consideration young people’s aspirations in all their diversity, their different economic, social and cultural specificities, and diverse social values. Her delegation looks forward to the promising role of the Youth Office and its global impact, she said.
CAROLYN RODRIGUES-BIRKETT (Guyana), recalling that her delegation facilitated resolution 76/306, establishing the Youth Office, together with Egypt, said that the two tracks of the Office’s transition process will ultimately advance the youth agenda. The Office is likely to be operating by year’s end. “The functions of the new Youth Office are ambitious as they should be,” she underscored, pointing to the cross-cutting issues that affect young people. As the Office moves forward, it will be necessary to prioritize such matters to effect real and positive change at the country level and throughout the United Nations system, while being mindful to regional and national needs, she observed. While the Youth Office establishment demonstrates Member States’ commitment to engage youth in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the Office’s ultimate success will depend on the resourcing of its operations, she noted.
GALA PASTORA MATOS MENÉNDEZ (Dominican Republic), noting that youth are essential partners to find effective solutions to challenges, said the work carried out over a decade by the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth was fundamental to the youth agenda of the United Nations and youth around the world, and leaves a valuable and admirable legacy. The new Youth Office must build on the achievements of the Office of the Youth Envoy; it should include current activities and serve as a key centre for issues facing young people. She voiced hope that the Secretary-General’s future reports will continue to include youth-related progress and challenges and ensure cohesion and effectiveness in the actions that are carried out by the Organization.
ZHANG SISI (China) said that the international community should listen to young people’s voices and create conditions for them to realize their potential. To that end, she called for amplifying youth’s role in the realization of the 20230 Agenda and creating a broader platform for young people from developing countries to participate in the United Nations activities. She encouraged the Youth Office to consolidate existing resources, employ innovative working methods and provide more and equal opportunities for young people in United Nations internships and employment, including through the Young Professional’s Programme. She also expressed hope that the composition of the Youth Office will be geographically balanced. China has organized the World Youth Development Forum and launched the International Initiative on Priority Youth Development and the Global Action Plan on Youth Development.
HADEEQA QURESHI (Pakistan), noting that almost 68 per cent of her country’s population is under 30 years, said the Government thus launched the Prime Minister Youth Programme in 2013, focused on education, employment, engagement and environment. To enhance the outcomes of the United Nations Youth Office, she said recruitment of its staff must consider adequate geographical representation for a more inclusive and diverse workforce. Adequate funds must be made available for developing countries to enable their youth to participate in youth-led and youth-oriented United Nations processes more effectively and efficiently. United Nations communication and outreach must be enhanced to increase developing countries’ participation so that their youth can also avail themselves of internships and youth-relevant events and sessions. Country teams in the South could include the youth in the region in briefings on United Nations youth strategy and bilateral support for the Sustainable Development Goals, she added.
REEM MOHAMED SALEH YESLAM ALAMERI (United Arab Emirates) said the importance of youth in the Middle East and North Africa cannot be understated, as 55 per cent of the population is less than 30 years old. Youth have emerged as a catalysing force for positive change, driving towards a more prosperous and stable future for themselves and their communities. “Young people will have to bear the consequences of our actions today,” she warned, adding that planning and decision-making cannot afford to ignore their interests or exclude them from the conversation. “If young people are able to meaningfully contribute to these processes, then together we can build a better world for them and for generations to come,” she stressed. In February 2016, the United Arab Emirates appointed its first Minister of Youth, who at the time was 22 years old and one of the youngest ministers in the world. The Government also enacted a national youth strategy and continues to engage youth in Government through its Federal Youth Circles.......
https://press.un.org/en/2023/ga12519.doc.htm
