Upholding and empowering young people to know and claim their rights is one of the many reasons why this year’s celebration of World Human Rights Day focused on young people under the theme “Youth Standing Up for Human Rights”. Accordingly, the United Nations System in Ghana held a youth dialogue to discuss human rights issues affecting young people and how the UN can support young people’s human rights in Ghana. The event was held at offices of UNDP in Accra on the 10th of December 2019.
Young human rights advocates, including refugees interacted with Heads of UN agencies to highlight their concerns on key issues affecting their rights in the areas of access to health and education, discrimination against women, people with disabilities and people living with HIV including the rights of migrants and refugees.
Ms. Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, the acting UN Resident Coordinator and Country Representative for International Organization for Migration stated that the voices of young people are getting stronger and stronger globally. “We are therefore here to listen to the voices of you young people in Ghana so we can tailor our programmes to your needs” She concluded.
According to her, there’s no difference between the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Declarations on human rights hence, ensuring that young people have a voice to stand up for human rights are all efforts being put in place to achieve the SDGs.
The UN is capitalizing on this momentum to spotlight the leadership role of youth in collective movements as a source of inspiration for a better future.
The President for AfriYan Chapter in Ghana, Edith Asamani, said although there are pragmatic interventions by the UN in local communities to address some of the challenges faced by young people, there is still an indifferent attitude by some people in the society particularly when it comes to health service delivery, sexual and gender-based violence, mental health. She pleaded with the UN Heads of agencies to incorporate mental health of young people in to their programming.
Also, Racheal Obidiah, a refugee, in her statement said youth are the same everywhere so refugees must also be consulted in decision-making processes. “Refugees want higher education, flexible terms to apply for education in Ghana. She urged the UN agencies to advocate for better opportunities for them so they can to pursue our dreams.
Other cross cutting issues that the young people advocated for encompassed; improving the sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people, access to education, building the capacities of young people to engage policy makers, addressing the gap between policies and grass root implementation.
Esinam Amuzu, a youth advocate with curious minds, underlined that adolescents living with HIV still face stigma due to lack of teacher sensitization in schools and the society and this has resulted in the low in-take of Anti-retroviral drugs by young people living with HIV. She encouraged the UN Country to ensure that there are safe spaces in health facilities where by young people can access quality health service delivery.
There was a recommendation by the Young people to the UN in Ghana to form a Joint UN Youth Group to help shape the UN focus on young people in Ghana.
On behalf of the UN Country team in Ghana, Ms. Sylvia Lopez- Ekra made a commitment that in next year there will be a joint UN Youth Group in Ghana to help shape policies and its implementation.
International Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December, which is also the last day of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against sexual and gender-based violence.
