Claiming the World Young People Deserve

Date: Wednesday, 22 September, 09.00-10:30 AM EST / 15.00 – 16.30 CET

Where: Online, live-streamed via https://webinar.streampartner.nl/avvn76

Language: English

Objective:

In the context of the 76th UN General Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Tom de Bruijn (the Netherlands) and CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality will co-host a cross-regional and cross-generational side-event to discuss gender equality and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) as key enablers for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The event is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden.
The main objective of this event is to create space for an exchange of knowledge, good practices and lessons learned in the field of gender equality and SRHR, across regions and generations. Over the past years, the global pressure on women’s rights, gender equality and SRHR has increased both at the national and the international level, despite long-standing consensus on these topics as well as progress in implementing commitments in various national contexts. This pushback risks reversing gains made on gender equality and SRHR, but also progress on the 2030 Agenda as a whole. At the same time, women, girls and young people have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, including the growing effects of climate change and humanitarian catastrophes as in Afghanistan and Haiti. Against the backdrop of these challenges, enhanced international, cross-regional cooperation and meaningful youth participation are more important than ever to achieve gender equality, SRHR, and the 2030 Agenda in its entirety. This event aims to provide input and perspectives for upcoming multilateral dialogues and decision making (such as the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 66 and Commission on Population and Development (CPD) 55 in 2022, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit in 2023 and the Human Rights Council.

What:

Communication:
Please engage with us by using the hashtag #KeystotheSDGs and by tagging @NLWomensrights, @YouthAmbSRHR and @Jamesocenn.

Two youth representatives providing diverse regional perspectives will kick off the event with remarks on the role of gender equality and SRHR to achieve the SDGs. They will outline the challenges and opportunities that they experience and express their needs and their expectations of global leaders. In a moderated discussion, young people and decision-makers will have the opportunity to engage in an intergenerational exchange on gender and SRHR as the key to achieving the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They will do so through the lens of the most recent events with both a local and global impact, for example the events in Afghanistan and the launch of the 2021 IPCC report.

Outcomes:

• Reaffirm the centrality of gender equality and SRHR to realizing the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Provide space for cross-regional and cross-generational exchange on what actions to take to accelerate progress.
• Strengthen cooperation towards upcoming multilateral negotiations and dialogues to ensure strong outcomes on gender equality and SRHR.

Moderator: Ikenna Azuike

Speakers:

• Dr. Masouda Jalal, former Minister of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan
• Lisa de Pagter, outgoing Netherlands Youth Ambassador for Sexual and Reproductive Health and
  Rights, Gender Equality and Bodily Autonomy
• James Ocen, SRHR Youth advocate, Peer educator and a communications officer intern with Reach a Hand Uganda
  

Panel:

• Mr. Tom de Bruijn, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands (host)
• Ms. Lindiwe Zulu, Minister of Social Development of the Republic of South Africa
• Mr. Per Olsson, Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden
• Mr. Christopher Ballinas, Deputy General Human Rights and Multilateral Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
  

Communication:

Please engage with us by using the hashtag #KeystotheSDGs and by tagging @NLWomensrights, @YouthAmbSRHR and @Jamesocenn.